For this month’s JUKI Tip, we’re focusing on adjusting the bobbin tension on your longarm machine like our Miyabi J-350QVP! A common question we hear from sewists and quilters is, “how do I adjust the tension for my bobbin on my longarm?” We’re going to start off today’s JUKI Tip by covering what bobbin tension is, how to get true good tension for your next project, and a tool we think all quilters and sewists can benefit from having in their tool kit!
Follow along below as our JUKI National Account Trainer Alba demonstrates setting the bobbin tension for her Miyabi J-350QVP Longarm machine and how she finds the perfect tension for her project needs.
The first thing we cover is what our bobbin case and bobbin look like. For our JUKI longarm machines, you’ll need an M-Class bobbin and bobbin case. Inside the bobbin case, you’ll find its spring, which prevents backlash as your bobbin turns inside. Always check on your spring when changing bobbins, confirming its blue color to ensure it’s good to go! If you notice the blue haze diminishing, it’s time for your spring to be replaced.
Now it’s important to take care of your bobbin case! Handle with care to ensure that the metal doesn’t receive any bumps or bending from drops. This will affect your tension in the long run and how the bobbin pulls on your thread.
Starting off with a full bobbin, we’ll place the bobbin thread inside the bobbin, ensuring to pull the thread to the right side, before placing the bobbin in the bobbin case and stretching the thread to where the slit is so that it falls right into that tension area. That area is what holds the thread tension when you’re creating. Now the two screws you see on the side can be used to adjust the tension. By turning the screws in 15-minute increments, as opposed to twisting it fully, you’ll be able to adjust your tension slowly to your goal tension number. Remember, lefty loosey and righty tighty!
There are two ways to test your tension. One way to test your tension is by hand. You can do this by setting the bobbin on your palm, making sure to face the bobbin away from you as it normally would in the machine, and then pulling on the thread. You’ll want to make sure you can pull the thread up, slowly lifting it from your palm without the bobbin releasing from the bobbin case. The second way, a technique that offers more precise measurement, is using a tool like the TOWA Guage.
The TOWA Gauge is a tool quilters will love because of the assistance it can offer when you’re trying to get that perfect tension. The goal place our trainer recommends is between 180 and 200. However, her favorite is a little lower at 150. On a longarm, you want your tension to be able to handle multiple layers of batting and fabrics, so you’ll want your top thread and lower thread to meet right in the middle of your batting for good strong tension.
Following along on our youtube video, you’ll notice how inserting the bobbin into the TOWA Gauge is like inserting the bobbin into your longarm machine. Make sure to listen for a click as your setting your bobbin to ensure it’s placed in properly. Next, stretch the thread and run it along the bottom side of the first wheel and up and around to the top; here, you’ll begin to notice the gauge move. As your thread goes into the thread guide and out to the side, pull steadily and even to measure the tension. From here, you’ll be able to decide if you need to adjust the tension number to your preferred goal tension.
Once you’ve finalized your perfect bobbin tension, you can focus on your needle and thread combination. Having the right bobbin, needle, and thread is what will help your projects finish successfully and beautifully, but we’ll cover those combinations soon!
Thank you for joining us in this month’s JUKI Tip, where we focused on how to adjust the bobbin tension on your longarm machine. What JUKI Tip do you want to see next? Let us know in the comments below!
For this month’s JUKI Tip, we’re focusing on the micro-lifter feature that can be found on your TL series machines! Now, a common question we get is, “what is different about the Micro-lift feature from the presser foot pressure?” To show the difference, we’re going to use the TL-18QVP because it has two different locations for each feature.
Now the presser foot pressure, as it sounds, is the amount of pressure the foot puts on the fabric you’re sewing. For example, if you’re moving your project, the presser foot pressure is what will help you keep that nice straight seam. With the Micro-lift feature, your presser foot pressure will stay the same, but the height of the foot will change. Raised above the feed dogs, your foot will now have space to create using multiple layers of fabric, thick fabrics, complete binding easier, work on handbags, and so much more.
Our favorite part is not needing to adjust the presser foot pressure as often when using the Micro-lift feature, helping your project process become more simple.
As you watch the video, you’ll be able to follow along as our National Account Trainer Alba demonstrates how the Micro-lift feature looks when in use, and how easily the fabric you’re working on will go through. From 8 layers of denim to 15 layers of denim, you’re able to see how the fabric smoothly glides through; the needle easily sewing through the material.
We hope this video encourages you to try your hand at the Micro-lift feature on your machine and that it helps you create beautiful projects with quality style! What JUKI Tip are you hoping to see next? Let us know in the comments below!
Seal it with a stitch this Valentine’s using your favorite JUKI machines! Create beautiful garments on the DX-4000QVP, personalize your projects on the TAJIMA Sai, or piece your quilts using the TL-18QVP! At JUKI we’re excited to help your love-filled project ideas come to life!
To learn more about our JUKI machine collection. contact your nearest JUKI dealer here.
Continuing from last week, today we’re going to introduce the final 13 shops from our JUKI National Accounts. At JUKI, we know that great feeling you get when you find your favorite sewing shop!
Whether it’s because they carry unique fabrics, accessories you need, or that JUKI sewing machine you love, they’re here to help you create. So follow along below as we finish introducing our current National Account dealers and how you can reach out to them today!
Lake Loveland Sewing Company
Located in Loveland, Colorado, come and visit the Lake Loveland Sewing Company! Offering various options from the JUKI sewing line, from long-arm machines to sergers, their team is excited to help your designs come to life with the suitable machine and accessories you need!
Check out their notions, fabrics, and classes offering the chance to learn new skills and create fun projects! To find out more about Lake Loveland Sewing Company, visit us here today.
McDougal Sewing Center
What began as a humble small store in the Houston Heights area known as Bob McDougal Sewing Machine Co. has transformed into today’s McDougal Sewing Center, one of America’s largest sewing machine dealers! Focused on building long-term customer relationships through honesty and hard work, customers can enjoy a sense of friendliness the second they walk through the doors!
On top of their customer service, their shop has benefits focused on the quilter advancing in their skills. Enjoy benefits like their no-risk, one-year trade-up program, unlimited machine usage classes, professional technical service, and more! If you’re in the Katy, Texas, area, you can visit their shop today! Check out their location and learn more about McDougal Sewing Center’s machines, services and classes by visiting our page here today.
NorCal Sewing and Vacuum
At Norcal Sewing & Vacuum Center, you’ll find a family-owned business ready to help you find the suitable machine for your needs! Offering sewing machine repair services, a diverse inventory of notions, parts, and accessories, and old fashion customer service, you’ll be able to learn more about the JUKI product line and which features and machines are best for you.
To visit Norcal Sewing & Vacuum Center and learn more about their customer benefits, visit here today!
Pocono Sew & Vac
If there’s one thing Pocono Sew and Vac has, it’s an experience! After serving customers for over 40 years and with a team of over 15 people, most with 30-40+ years of industry experience, you can trust that their team is ready to help you start creating! So test-drive their extensive line of JUKIs before you buy, attend classes in their growing education department and trust that your machine is in good hands when shopping at Pocono Sew and Vac, located in the beautiful Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania.
Need project supplies? Find 3,000 bolts of fabric from the best designers, collect your sewing notions and join their club to receive even greater savings on their already marked-down fabrics. Want to visit Pocono Sew & Vac? Visit our site here today to learn more!
Quilters HQ
To help you become the best quilter, stop by Quilters HQ the next time you’re ready to begin creating! Providing you with the best tools, notions, fabrics, and JUKI sewing or longarm machines, their team is prepared to help you get started today.
Since 2017, this family-owned and operated quilt shop has provided edge-to-edge quilting services, sewing and quilting classes, workshops, and a service and repair team ready to help you maintain your machine. Want a sneak peek of what Quilters HQ can offer? Check out their LIVE sew-along! Visit their Facebook site every Tuesday from 6 – 7 pm for tutorials, inspiration, new products, and more. To learn how you can visit Quilters HQ and meet their team, visit us here today!
SEW-MINI Things
What was once known as Perrine Sewing & Vacuum Center in the late 1960s in Perrine, FL, has now transformed into the beloved SEW-MINI Things in Lake County, Florida! Offering a variety of our JUKI Sewing and Long-arm sewing machine line, SEW-MINI things is ready to help you find the perfect machine for your project needs.
Here you’ll be able to find a diverse collection of 3900 bolts of fabrics, grab those notions you need for your next project, and receive expert assistance from their team when you visit their shop! To find out more about SEW-Mini Things, visit our website here today.
Southeast Sewing Products
Southeast Sewing Products, also known as Sewingmachine.com, first started in 1982 with one location in Atlanta, before 1995 when owner Mel Tramell expanded the business onto the online world! With two locations in the Atlanta area and a large warehouse, Southeast Sewing Products is ready to help you find the perfect machine by offering you the chance to test-drive your dream picks.
With over 60 years of business, owner Mel Tramell is an enthusiastic leader with a knowledgeable staff ready to teach you those tips and tricks to sewing and quilting on your new machine. Learn more by clicking here today!
The Fabric Center
Quilters all over the Midwest know about The Fabric Center! Located in Morris, Illinois, with over 7,000 bolts of fabric choices, a large variety of JUKI products, and a large assortment of quilting patterns, books, and notions quilters like you can visit knowing you’ll find what you need! In addition, their staff is ready to answer your sewing and quilting questions and help you test-drive and find the perfect machine for your space!
Enjoy the perks of buying from The Fabric Center by using their phone and in-person technical support, attending their post-purchase one-on-one machine lessons to get you comfortable with your machine’s ins and outs, and using their authorized service center when the time comes! Whether you’re a new quilter ready to dive in or an experienced quilter looking for fun new patterns and fabrics, The Fabric Center can help your project ideas come to life. Please find out more by visiting us here today!
The Sewing Machine Shop
Those familiar with the San Francisco Bay Area will love The Sewing Machine Shop! Located near many cities, this shop is ready to help quilters and sewists like you find the perfect machine and tools to help your project dreams come to life. Filled with our JUKI Sewing and Long-arm sewing machine line, you’ll easily find the suitable machine for your project needs and sewing space!
Enjoy their shop showroom and experience the machine before buying by test-driving on various fabrics and machine options. Also, sign up for their sewing class to familiarize yourself with your new machine! If a repair is needed, you can return to The Sewing Machine Shop and know your machine is in capable hands with their award-winning service department. To learn more about The Sewing Machine Shop and how you can visit, click here!
The Sew’n Place
Providing the community of Fayetteville, PA, with quilting and sewing essentials since 1982, check out The Sew’n Place! Family owned and operated, their shop goal is to help all customers that walk through their front door find the perfect machine for their project needs.
Check out their large selection of premium cotton fabrics, Horn sewing cabinets, sewing notions, rotary cutting tools, quilting supplies, books, patterns, and more! Here you’ll find the tools you need and a large selection of JUKI sewing and long-arm quilting machines ready to help you start crafting. With over 30 years of experience on their staff that offers repairs services, a wide range of sewing and quilting classes, and knowledgeable support, stop by The Sew’n Place to find your next machine! Visit us here today to learn more about The Sew’n Place and how you can visit.
The Stitching Post
Opened in 1986, The Stitching Post is here to find suitable sewing machines and fabric for your projects! Operating out of the heart of corn country, Washington, Indiana, you’ll find a wide variety of materials, books, patterns, and notions. As Southwest Indiana’s largest quilt store, they pride themselves as a space for quilters to visit and leisurely browse its extensive fabric collection and JUKI machine line!
From our long-arm quilting machines to our sergers and even direct to-garment printer RICOH Ri 100, you’ll find suitable machines for your dream projects here.
Welcoming visitors to their version of heaven, quilting in the country, you can learn more about The Stitching Post and how to visit them by going here!
Tops Vacuum and Sewing
A community name in the sewing and quilting world, Tops Vacuum and Sewing offers eleven retail locations with certified technicians and a variety of our JUKI machine line. With Tops, you’ll receive free delivery and set-up on all long arms in the continental US, free shipping on all orders over $50 in the continental US, a free Quilt Motion lesson, and so much more! These benefits make shopping with Tops Vacuum and Sewing fun and easy!
If you’re looking for a sewing machine or thinking about purchasing your sewing machine online, check out Tops Vacuum and Sewing and learn more by visiting us here today.
Village Sewing Center
If you’re located near Santa Rosa, California, it’s time to check out Village Sewing Center! Opened for more than 40 years, this sewing center offers hundreds of options for your crafts. Whether you’re working on quilts, embroidery, or creating garments, owner John Furtado pride themselves in having the basics you’ll need to get started.
Enjoy browsing a variety of JUKI sewing and quilting machine options, browse their large collection of fabric choices, and attend one of their sewing classes to learn a new skill or build a new project! Lastly, shop with comfort, knowing this shop is ready to handle your JUKI repairs and answer any technical questions! If you want to meet Village Sewing Center’s knowledgeable staff and browse their collection visit our site here for more information!
Why Shop at a National Account Dealer?
One-On-One Training: Throughout the year, JUKI trainers visit these dealers to keep their staff up to date on the newest JUKI home products to help provide you with reliable support during and after your purchase.
Qualified Service Department: JUKI’s National Account Retail Dealers maintain a qualified service department, which is trained on JUKI products and has direct support from JUKI America. They’ll be able to help you keep your JUKI expertly tuned up.
JUKI Access: National Account Dealers have access to the entire JUKI Home Sewing product line including direct-to-garment printing, compact commercial embroidery system, longarm quilting, and tabletop quilting along with a full line of sewing machines and sergers for you to experience.
Wherever you’re located, JUKI is working on bringing you the sewing and longarm machines you love and want! Our National Account dealers are a great place to start, thanks to their goals of being your one-stop shop offering notions, fabrics, machines, and so much more. To learn more about our National account dealers and how you can visit one, check out our site here.
At JUKI, we know how great it is when you find your favorite sewing shop! They’re equipped with every accessory you need, fabrics you can never say no to, or that JUKI machine you love. Today we’re going to introduce our JUKI National Accounts, dealers around you that aim to be your favorite by carrying every JUKI product! From your favorite quilting accessories to impeccable customer service, National Account JUKI dealers are there to help you on your sewing journey. Follow along below as we introduce our National Account dealers and how you can reach out to them today!
1st Sewing Center
Minnesota quilters know and love the 1st Sewing Center! Family-owned, this business has been around for over 50 years, initially established by Darrell and Lu Jensen in 1960 to help quilters and sewists in their community achieve their dreams of creating. Proud carriers of all JUKI products, they offer three locations around the state with exceptional customer service and high-quality sewing products.
Step into one of their shops and enjoy the world of options available! From your daily notions to classes and events offered to sewists like you, 1St Sewing Center is ready to help your sewing, and quilting goals come to life! Looking forward to seeing you. You can find their contact information and more by clicking here.
35th Avenue Sew & Vac
From one shop focused on vacuum sales and repairs to becoming one of the largest independent sewing machine stores and fabric businesses in the southwest, check out 35th Avenue Sew & Vac from Phoenix, Arizona! With over 30 years of business, this family-owned shop by Bill and wife Rita, as well as their daughter and son Jacquelyn and John, has been supplying customers like you with JUKI machines and beautiful fabrics all around the world.
Offering a variety of JUKI sewing machines that range from our long-arm Miyabi J-350QVP to our MO sergers, 35th Avenue Sew & Vac has created a matching variety of classes and events to inspire your creativity! Whichever hobby you love, whether it’s sewing, embroidery, or quilting, this one aims to be your one-stop shop. To learn more about 35th Avenue Sew & Vac, meet them at Rusty Barn Phoenix from January 26 – 28 or learn how you can visit them and click here today!
Angels Sewing and Vacuum Center
Learn and grow your skills with Angels Sewing and Vacuum Center in Salem, New Hampshire! Recently named Best of New Hampshire Shop by New Hampshire Magazine in 2021, customers here will find various products available. Browse and test-drive their extensive collection of JUKI sewing, quilting, embroidery, serger machines, parts, and accessories, and know your sewing machine is in capable hands with their repair services.
Enjoy their customer benefits and receive unlimited free quilting lessons and five free embroidery lessons when your purchase a machine, helping beginner quilters grow their skill one class at a time! Attend a quilt class, create at an event, or find your next machine by visiting here to learn more about Angels Sewing and Vacuum Center.
Aurora Sewing Center
Are you located in New York? Check out Aurora Sewing Center, located in East Aurora, New York! With over 40 years in business, this sewing center offers a variety of JUKI sewing and quilting machines ready to help you create!
They also offer over 300 classes each year that beginner and advanced crafters alike will love, getting you ready to create new and exciting projects! If you’re a project lover, you can enjoy this shop’s seasonal Sewing, Embroidery and Serger Clubs! With special sewing guests bringing in their unique ideas and tips, you’ll love getting a new perspective on your favorite hobbies.
To learn how you can visit Aurora Sewing Center, visit us here.
Austin Sewing Machines and Quilting
Meet one of the oldest sewing and quilt shops in Central Texas, Austin Sewing Machines and Quilting! Opened in 1953, this shop has been around for over 60 years, offering quilters and sewists like you the notions, tools, fabrics, and machines you need to help your creations come to life. With Bob Clark and his wife Ruth owning and running the business since 1984, they’ve stayed as a family-owned shop that focuses on quality service backed by decades of experience.
Known for their community outreach, Austin Sewing Machines and Quilting has continued to give back by providing their local churches with used sewing machines for community projects and donating them to Central America with their churches group! Want to check out their shop? Visit us here to find out more!
Barnes Sewing Center, INC.
Since 1978 Barnes Sewing Center’s priority has been you, the customer! With a focus on providing invaluable support, Barnes offers customers complete guide lessons on their machine or software, 20% off all notions, threads, and stabilizers, one year of free service, and a support system ready to help keep your sewing and growing.
Visit Barnes Sewing Center and find the best machine for your project needs by speaking with one of their experienced sales team members, ready to help you get what’s right for you! Visit us here to learn more about Barnes Sewing Center and how you can visit.
Blue Bars Quilts, Inc.
Modern quilters all over the country will love Blue Bar Quilts, Inc.! Focused on modern quilters located in Middleton, Wisconsin, and their shop is ready with the sewing machines and fabrics creators love and need. Offering all JUKI QVP machine models, a full line of JUKI sewing machines, sergers, long arm quilting machines, and of course, our personalization machines, the TAJIMA Sai and RICOH Ri 100, you can find everything you need to start creating today.
If you’re new to sewing and quilting, take advantage of the classes and projects offered by Blue Bar Quilts, Inc.! Offering a variety of classes that range from machine sewing to color theory, they’re ready to help you succeed in your next creation. In addition, Blue Bar Quilts, Inc. is an active member of their community, consistently giving back by hosting programs like the Days for Girls Middleton Team, receiving finished quilts for donations, and more!
So whether you’re new to sewing and looking for help finding the suitable machine for you or a creator looking for new accessories and inspiration, Blue Bar Quilts is here to help your projects come to life! Click here to learn more about the Blue Bar Quilt’s Inc. shop!
Country Stitches
Since 1982 Country Stitches has been ready to help you sew and quilt! From our Miyabi long arms to the highest quality fabrics and fun classes, this shop is ready to help your creative dreams come to life!
Know your machine is in capable hands at Country Stitches! With their three full-time, industrially skilled technicians with a combined 40 years of experience, which offer services at East Lansing and Jackson, their ready to handle your JUKI machine at any time, with a limited-time warranty promise.
Visit here to learn more about Country Stitches and how you can shop with them!
Gigi’s Fabric Shop
Gigi’s Fabric Shop of Tampa Bay, Florida, invites you to visit and enjoy the passion of quilting and sewing! Opened in 2013, Gigi, a fun nickname given by her granddaughter, opened a shop and began sharing her love and passion for sewing and quilting with the community. Here you can find our JUKI sewing and long-arm machine line surrounded by notions and designer fabrics.
Please stop in and attend sewing or quilting classes, place your children in a fun sewing program or speak with friendly and knowledgeable staff when you visit their 4200 sq. ft. shop, the perfect place for a beginner. Can’t make it to their shop? Visit them here to learn more about their JUKI Junkies online shop! And to find out how you can visit Gigi’s Fabric Shop, visit us here!
Grome’s Sewing Machine Company
Created and upheld by six generations of the Grome family, meet Grome’s Sewing Machine Company in San Antonio and Universal City, Texas! Ran by Sisters Cyndi Grome and Irma Tremillio, Grome’s is a deep-rooted Texas quilt and sewing shop that offers a perfect place to drop off your sewing machine for servicing and repairs, the opportunity to browse a large variety of JUKI products, notions, and fabrics you can’t turn away from!
If you’re new to sewing, Grome’s is ready to help your creative dreams come true! From helping you find the perfect sewing machine to offering basic sewing and quilting classes that will get your creative flow going, they’re ready to help you create every step of the way.
To learn more about Grome’s Sewing and how you can visit, read along here!
Jackman’s Fabrics Americas’ Premier Quilting and Sewing Machine Superstore
One of the longest-standing quilt and sewing shops, Jackman’s Fabrics Americas’ Premier Quilting and Sewing Machine Superstore has been locally owned and operated for 119 years and is ready to help you start creating! Offering our full JUKI line and RICOH Ri 100 direct-to-garment printer, JUKI creators from all roads can find what they need at their locations!
With fabric that ranges from quilting to home décor and then garment creation, Jackman Fabric features a wonderful selection for all creator types, including quilting notions, backings, battings, books, patterns, and supplies. Be sure to sign up for their free embroidery and sewing classes and clubs open to adults and kids! To find out more about Jackman’s Fabrics, visit us here!
Ken’s Sewing Center
Shop comfortably knowing you’re in good hands at Ken’s Sewing Center! With a full-service department and shop open for over 50 years, they’re ready to help you find your first machine or fix your favorite one! With same-day service for locals and free classes for customers, Ken’s team focuses on ensuring you’re comfortable and ready to use your machine.
Don’t worry if you’re out of state! Ken’s Sewing Center will work with customers over the phone and give instructions on how to operate your new machine just as if you had bought it in the store! They also assist with repair orders out of state, complete with a free estimate over the phone. To learn how you can shop at Ken’s Sewing Center, visit us here today!
Why Shop at a National Account Dealer?
One-On-One Training: Throughout the year, JUKI trainers visit these dealers to keep their staff up to date on the newest JUKI home products to help provide you with reliable support during and after your purchase.
Qualified Service Department: JUKI’s National Account Retail Dealers maintain a qualified service department, which is trained on JUKI products and has direct support from JUKI America. They’ll be able to help you keep your JUKI expertly tuned up.
JUKI Access: National Account Dealers have access to the entire JUKI Home Sewing product line, including direct-to-garment printing, a compact commercial embroidery system, longarm quilting, and tabletop quilting along with a full line of sewing machines and sergers for you to experience.
Please stay updated next week as we share our other National Account Dealers with you! Whether you’re located right by one or looking for a trustworthy online shop to buy your machine from, our National Account dealers are ready to help you start creating. To learn more about our National account dealers and how you can visit one, check out our site here!
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