It Totally worked!!! But,I started watching this and thought I had it down. I did it and still couldn't get it. I finally watched the WHOLE video. Also I didn't know what numbers to have the other dials on. Also noticed hers in the video. I guess it didn't matter .My problem was my thread was not all the way in the tension control. YAH!!! I did do a victory dance!

Holy he// !! Thank you so much. I’ve been fighting my serger for a long time!! This is amazing info

This is my favourite video for fixing serger tension issues. I recommend it to anyone who is having troubles. I often use this method when I can't quickly fix issues on my own machines. Works EVERY time! Highly recommend! Thank-you for the video :)

START WITH "ALL" DIALS ON 4. From there you can play with the dials on different fabrics

Just fantastic. I've been sewing with serger for 10 yrs and extremely dislike tension issues. I never knew what I was doing and would spend hours fiddling with dials until the stitching looked right. Your system is fool proof and so easy to understand. Thank you

I am finally getting a serger, so glad I found this video! thanks for posting

I have 3 sergers which I haven't been using and finally you have given me the solution to my nightmares. Thank you for making this so easy to accomplish. I will do this immediately with each one and store them for quick access in their covers. It makes so much sense and great visual on how the machine really works.

Thank you so much for uploading this simple to follow video. For the first time ever I have got perfect tension on my machine with a setting of 4,4,2,4 which I would never have worked out without your help.

Thanks so much. I really needed this. I'm getting my fabric ready now to get my tension guides made. You are a life saver.

I love this idea! Yes it takes some time if you are using a few different types of fabric, but in the long run, it is much easier and faster than dealing with trying to get it all right at the start of a project! Thanks for sharing!

OMG! I have had my serger for over 20 years and never mastered the tension. I have been playing with it on different fabric types using your system for a week or so and it works amazingly well! Thanks!

Thank you so much for this very time saving tutorial. Have fought with my serger for a week to get the tensions correct. Then i found and followed your tutorial and within an hour i had the right settings. I, am eternally grateful!!

This is brilliant. I have been using sergers for many years and have often struggled with achieving the correct tension on different fabrics. Thanks so much your video!!!

New sub! Thanks for this tip; it's so clever! My serger was used/gifted to me, so it was threaded by the person who checked it out before I picked it up. It ran beautifully. Then I changed threads, had to cram study on how to thread the machine, and... it was awful. Two threads snapped. I didn't even realize they were snapped for several inches, and I'm just serging away... It was the hem of a prom gown! Fortunately I was able to salvage the job on another machine and it turned out fine; but now I have to go back and REALLY learn how to thread it!

I have the top of the line Serger and it stayed in the box for 4 years...Now I am so happy to see the correct way to use it..Thank you so very much and I will follow your tips...

This worked a treat...thank you so much! It sorted out my tension problems for 3 thread, single layer of lightweight fabric. Highly recommend! Thank-you for the video :)

I have been using the serger that I bought in 1989. I just ordered a brother 3/4 serger machine today. I can't wait to get it because the other one was just harder and harder for me to thread all 5 threads....and be correct.....lol. Until I get it.....I will be watching all you videos. TFS your talent, time and patience!

This is so PERFECT!! Thank you so much. Love, LOVE, Love your video!

i tried your suggestions and figured a much much better setting for each of the threads. thank you

What a GREAT idea! Thank you so much. I just went through the whole "what the heck!" thing with my serger while changing threads. It never fails that my tension gets screwed up. Thanks so much for the tip!

Thanks very much for this very informative video. I followed it with my new Juki MO-735 serger and not only was able to identify the proper settings, but also practice using it. I added one additional test, which was a final strip with the settings I determined on the first 4 for the individual tensions, and then adjusted on that strip to get a very good stitch.

Thank you so much for such a instructive video. I am going upstairs right now and tame that serger once and for all :)

AMAZING. Thank you thank you. I just bought a serger and i watched the dvd and read the book. Srprisingly i was still lost. I watch our video and just a few amazingly easy mins i have set my serger and my sewer.

God bless You! I bought a used serger, without a user manual, and this is my first machine, so I wasn't know, how to set it. But your video helped for me! Thank you! :)

Great job!!! You solve my headaches with my serger. Thanks a lot!

I think - and this is only my thought - this video is designed to help you adjust current tension setting to find the right tension settings for a specific fabric and only if you previously had a good tension or know what the factory settings are. Sergers/Overlockers don't have a one setting fits all... This video should not be taken to find that one magic setting to suit ALL fabrics, just the one you're going to be using at that particular time using the threads you will be using. Note also, the differential speed isn't discussed. You will not get a good feed if the fabric changes from say chiffon to denim, jersey to calico. So, this method to gauge which tension settings are good for you when you need to adjust them to suit the fabric you are going to be using is acceptable and good. With regular sewing machines, the number of possible combinations of the top tension is little over 10 settings (to the bottom tension including the adjusted foot pressure). There are literally thousands of combinations on 4 lots of 10 possible tension settings with 10 differential feed settings (and then the foot pressure as well). Anyone who managed to get a good tension on an old machine managed to do this with a gut feeling or luck mixed with previous understanding. But thats just my own opinion.

Thank you for such a practical and useful strategy to determine the best settings on my serger. I just purchased a Juki from a thrift shop - it sews great, but I'm trying to learn all I can about tension settings. Your video is a great resource!

Best explanation I've come upon so far. I will be doing that!

I have no idea what you just did but you did it very, very well.

Absolutely brilliant, thank you

OhmyGOSH! TY so MUCH! I have had a battle for a very long time in regard to my old Brother 925D.. It's a workhorse, I've had it for years but lately it's been needing an overhaul, which I did today. I tore it down and cleaned, oiled, checked out stuff to make sure it was all good... then after it was put back together I had the age old problem of bad seams.. I love this tutorial and will def use it tomorrow.. this gal's gotta rest now. LOL

Love it Love it Love it. This is the FIRST video I watched before using my new serger. Wow this really makes sense. I think I'll do the same "stitch map" for my sewing machine. This is a real timesaver and you won't have to keep using scrap pieces to see the right stitch/and or serger stitch. YOU ARE AWESOME. Now on to threading. LOL!! :):)

This is a great technique for a particular fabric. At least with my serger, when you switch to say a knit double layer or single layer, tension adjustments need to be made. I keep a sample of the serged fabric pinned to a paper with the tensions settings and stitch length etc. recorded so I can quickly adjust the serger for that type of fabric for next time.

Genius! I just finished setting all of the tension settings using your method. Now my 20 year old serger sews like new again. Thank you so much for sharing this tip!!!

this is fantasic ...you make getting the correct tension so easy.Thanks

What a great resource! Thank you!

Hey Susan, when I frist saw this, I thought that's really a lot of work, but since I'm a newbie, I figured, ok, I'll try it. And I'm sooooooooo happy I did!! Now I know where to put my tensions to make a nice stitch. Thanks for the tip!!! Keep 'em coming!!!!!!!

Fantastic lesson. Thank you so much! DL

Your tutorials are GREAT! PLEASE DO MORE SERGER TUTORIALS AND PROJECTS.

Outstanding! Thank you.

Thanks so much for this, great tip and explanation.

This was brilliant.... Thank you... Jon

Fantastic idea!!!

Wow! Such a great video! Thank you!

Great advice! Thank you for this helpful tutorial~!

So methodical and logical ... thank you so much!

Really like this tip. Great video

Thank you, thank you. This video has really helped.

Very smart lady !! I love it ..thanks !

Really helpful. Thanks for that great idea you brought up! That should help me finding out the perfect setting.

You make seem this serger machine, be so easy to use. Thanks again for your great ideas.

This is great, thank you !!

Thanks for this video. It was very helpful. Wish I had known about this secret earlier. It would have saved me some frustration.

thank you for doing this video. It helped me immensely to tame my serger. :)

Thank you...this was very helpful.

Thanks for your good tips

Excellent! Thank you!

What a great idea and well made video!

Thank you very much for video. I appreciate.

Very helpful!!! Thank you.

wow, this woman is a scientist!, great, makes sense.

I have had my serger for 3 years and never used it-I am now not afraid

Great video. Thanks so much

An excellent video. I am going to try and fix my serger right now. I have had it for around 15 years and could not get the tension right. Well done!

This video over simplifies the issue. Serger thread tensions are not independent of one another. If one tension is changed this can then affect the tension of another even without altering the other's dial. In particular, the upper and lower looper tensions work together so a lot of tweaking is required to get them just right. In addition, different fabrics, stitch length and width also will require customised tension. Having these samples isn't going to help much - you need to play with your tensions for each new project.

excellent in layman's terms...thank you so much!!

Thanks. That was really helpful!

What a great idea.

Great tip ~ thank you!

Frustrating, but an inherent duty of using these awesome machines... Like +hglnumber4 said: "Serger thread tensions are not independent of one another. If one tension is changed this can then affect the tension of another even without altering the other's dial." "Having these samples isn't going to help much." The most helpful thing you can do for yourself is once you find the settings for a type of fabric, save the test scrap and write the settings on it, and save THOSE in a folder somewhere. I spent more time yesterday fiddling for the right tensions for 4-way stretch (instead of the medium weight woven cotton muslin I'd been using previously) than I did actually sewing the garment once I finally found it's crazy combo. If curious about the settings on my Singer, threaded with only the right needle, The swimsuit spandex turned out to be: Needle: 3. Upper: 9. Lower: 6. The settings for the woven cotton was Needle: 1. Upper: 4. Lower: 3.

Thanks for your video, is a great help to my self.

Awesome. I spend 30 min to an hour setting my serger for certain fabrics!! My seer

Brilliant. Thanks x

Great informative video, thankyou

I have been using a serger for many years, and each fabric usually calls for a tension check. I adjust the tension with each project.

@burningbirch I'm agreeing with BB on this one. Please give us good tips like when to use a certain serger stitch, when to use two or four threads, ect instead of where the on switch is. :)) Give us something we can chew on. :)

Well done! Applying science to sergers!

Excellent!

great idea!

So smart.

Very new to sewing. Wow mind blown..... so logical thanks:-).

even my husband wants to pull his hair out because of the threading😂. thanks for such a great idea .:)

What do you set the other tensions at when you are testing one?

This Video is Great thank you for making it.

Thanks!!😀

very nice thank you

your video was so helpful , thank you for sharing ;)

I have finally sat down and went through this tip on simple cotton satin fabric. My perfect setting seems to be : Left Needle : 3 Right Needle : 4 Upper Looper : 3 Lower Looper : 6 Its amazing. I would have never come to this setting by just keep changing the tensions on the go. Thanks for the idea, its easier to guess the rest of the color settings if you are a bit familiar with serger. The tutorial is harder to follow for complete beginners.

awesome thanks for sharing...

excellent! very profesional

When you find the upper looper tension, do you turn it back to 0 to find the lower looper and the two needles, or do you leave it at 3 and continue on to find the remaining tensions?

Love the video. Have a few questions. What are you calling a serger seam? Is it a 4 thread overlock? How do I know what settings to begin?..... What are the settings for the needles and lower looper when you start the testing for the upper looper in order to begin the testing maps?

brillant!

would love a video explaining how the upper and lower and needle threrads should look on each strip

Great idea! Does the type of fabric you're using change the ideal tension?

What number should the other dials be on while one dial is being tested? Wonderful video! Thank you Diane

what type serger are U using, great video

I start with the #4 on all dials.. then If necc I start tweaking with the upper looper 1st..Usually that does it, but if not then I turn the lower looper up or down one number.. once I get the perfect balanced stitch I put a pc of masking tape next to the stitches and list in order: for example: LL = 5 UL = 6 RN = 4. LN = 3. St Width = 5.5. St Length = 2.5. Diff Feed = Norm. I cut my fabric samples abt 5 in by 10” ,and fold in half like she did ..once I have the correct combo i cut ea one abt 4-5 in.. You have to do this for EACH DIFFERENT fabric that U use!.. I put them all in a box.. Then in the future, every time U sew a specific fabric you just look. thru the fabric samples and use those settings..

what tension did you set the other threads at that you weren't making the sample for?

this is very smart except what tension numbers should the other threads be on while you try each number of the one you're experimenting