Can you use upholstery thread in the bobbin? I did and the underside of material is loopy. I tried adjusting the tension, but it didn't get any better. I have a Brother sewing machine, model XL-3022.
By Julie R.
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Most domestic sewing machines are not designed to handle the heavier upholstery threads in either upper or lower parts of the machine. Check your manual and the manufacturer website to see if your machine can sew with the heavier threads, and on the heavier weight fabrics.
If your manual and manufacturer indicate your model should be able to handle the tough stuff, you may need to use a different needle (find the information on which needle size to use on which fabrics in the manual), and you may need to put less thread on the bobbin than you would if using a lighter weight thread.
You may also need to adjust not only the upper tension, but the tension on the bobbin case. That info will also be in the manual.
Another thing you might try is a thread designed for heavy duty work on a domestic machine. Look for the words 'heavy duty' that aren't combined with the additional word 'upholstery'. If you are lucky enough to have a sewing centre near by, ask one of the staff for advice.
Be sure to use thread that is the same content as your fabric-for example cotton thread on cotton fabric, polyester on synthetics. Using the wrong content can cause tension (pun intended:) problems, and can also cause the stitching to break if using cotton thread through synthetic fabrics. If using polyester on cotton fabrics, the thread can cut through the fabric leaving behind a rather neat scissored look to the tear.
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