Husqvarna Lily 540 and 550 - Page 2 - Answered Questions & Fixed issues
I am sewing a knit
It sounds like you may be using the wrong needle. For knit fabric you need a ball point needle in order for it to sew correctly. A regular sharp type needle can cause the stitches to skip. Also make sure you have the right size for the type of fabric. Lighter weight fabric needs smaller size needle and thicker types need bigger sized needles.
Also make sure you have the right presser foot and the right pressure on the presser foot to get nice even stitches. A roller foot helps when sewing knit fabrics.
How do I thread the Lily 540 for twin needle
You need to have the auxiliry spool pin threaded, a twin needle of course, and the threading is the same exept when you go through the tension. You have to make sure you have one thread on each side of the center tension disk. And that's it. Make sure you only sew straight, or small zig zags. Or else you can break a needle.
When piecing a quilt top,
You need to give it a helping hand over the thick seams. There is a gadget called a jean-a-ma-jig which could help.
Or sew up to the seam, leave the needle in the thread, lift the pressure foot, then insert a thick piece of card from behind to make the foot level with the seam, lower the pressure foot then sew.
The idea is to make a level surface instead of a bump to sew over. Improvise any way you can.
Husqvarna Sewing machine
The H foot is the Teflon coated foot and it is used when sewing foam, plastic, plastic coated fabrics, leather and imitation leather.
Yes, you can get a darning foot for the Lily. My foot catalogue shows part number 412 54 17-45 and it is called the Darning/Quilting foot. It has a clear oval shaped "foot" and a spring lever which is placed above the needle screw. When I owned a Rose (sister to Lily!) I actually purchased a Brother foot that was exactly (and I mean EXACTLY) the same as this foot for half the price of the Husqvarna one. So if you have a Brother dealer handy, try there.
Bobbin stuck on winder
Sounds like you need to remove some thread off the bobbin to get the pressure off. Sometimes if you wind too fast or you have a poor quality thread, the thread will stretch as it winds and causes to bobbin to compress onto the winder shaft.
Good Luck!
O cannot quite get my tension right.
Adjust the dial below upper tension unit (where you thread the top thread) to increase/decrease tension as needed. You might also want to check for loose threads or fluff in the tension area keeping the discs from closing correctly. Good luck.
Husqvarna Optima
If still an issue, suggest you visit an authorized Husqvarna Viking dealer for assistance. They are usually eager to help.
You can locate a dealer near you by visiting the husqvarna viking website and clicking on the Dealer link on the left-hand side of the page - http://www.husqvarnaviking.com
Good luck.
My Lily 540 always seems to be out of balance.
I'm assuming you mean thread tension., Check the upper tension area to make sure you don't have any loose threads or fluff in that area. When there is, the machine thinks the upper thread tension is tight when it's not. Good luck.
No Know- How
Try ebay or contact an authorized Husqvarna Viking dealer. They should be able to order you a replacement manual. Check Husqvarna Viking website for dealer closest too you.
Husqvarna Lily 530- dont know how to correct tension
Ask your local Husky dealer about availability of manuals.....if no joy, google "Husqvarna Lily 530 manual"
Please TRY the solution BEFORE giving your considered rating.
Specific detail on bobbin case adjustment (with picture) near halfway down reply, the remainder will help you achieve a balance of top and bottom tensions.
Ensure that all is clean and free of lint and jams, this is the most likely cause....now for tension troubleshooting .......
This solution is for tension problems...if you cannot form any sort of stitch, the issue is quite different, so please let me know if you need a different problem solved.....
It is quite long, but just work through each section in order.
The "knotting up" can reveal a lot. If you have loose threads on one side or the other, the tension on the opposite side will be the culprit.
QUICK SUMMARY FIRST:
Ensure sharp new needle,
Thread guides and Bobbin are Clean & Clear of lint
Set Top Tesion to 4 ....then....
Balance Bobbin to suit.
TOP THREAD TENSION:
If the looping threads are on the underside as you sew, it is the top tension. Top tension ought to be between 4 & 6 (this variation to allow for the different weights of fabric in your projects).
IS YOUR NEEDLE SHARP ?
If you are using a needle that has seen quite a deal of work, or you suspect it may be blunt, change it for a new one !
TOP TENSION & GUIDES:
Make sure that when you thread the machine the presser foot is up so the thread goes between the discs and not to one side, top tension between 4 and 6, and that you have threaded through all the guides, including the last one, usually on the needle arm, just above the needle clamp.
It may be there is lint trapped between the discs, this will keep them slightly apart and reduce the actual tension, sometimes dramatically.
If tensions appear correct, and the thread is definitely in the channel between the discs, but still too loose and looping, try raising presser foot and remove your thread.
Now, with a 2" (50mm) wide strip piece of fabric 8 - 10" (20 - 25cm) moistened with methylated or denatured spirit, gently insert the fabric strip and clean between the discs with a see saw / to and fro action.
In the worst cases, gentle use of a needle to pick & remove the jam may be necessary, but be very gentle and make sure the tension is set at Zero and the presser foot is raised, (to disengage tension plates).... do not gouge or score the plates, they need a polished surface to work correctly.
BOBBIN TENSION:
Far less common, but if the loose threads are on the top, it is bobbin tension that is loose, it too may have lint in the spring and be giving a "false" tension.
I would not recommend fiddling with bobbin tension without good reason, it may end up with missing small screws and spring pieces, however, you can take the needle plate off to clean
the hook race area (where bobbin case sits)
...this is just good housekeeping, my wife does this every time she replaces the bobbin....
just take it out and clean the bobbin case and the fixed metal hook race with a small brush to remove lint. If there is a significant amount of lint, use a vacuum and small brush to get the worst.
Then wipe all this area with a cloth or cotton bud (Q tip) moistened (not soaked) with methylated spirit, especially if there appears to be fine dirty deposits....oil and lint combine to conspire against you.
If it seems likely that you ......really ....do .....actually .....need .....to adjust the bobbin case, first check there is no lint trapped in the metal spring where the thread is tensioned.
TOP LOADER:
Drop-in Bobbin case will look similar to this image with the tension screw in the middle of the metalwork....
...the other screw at one end is holding it all together, so beware....it is not a tragedy to undo the whole lot and clean it, but very gingerly and lay the bits out in sequence and orientation, or you risk tearing your hair out !
FRONT LOADER:
....this is a bobbin case from a front loading machine and works in a very similar fashion to the top loader with drop in bobbin, again, if you dismantle it, take care so you can put it all
back properly.
FINISHING UP
GETTING THE BALANCE RIGHT:
When you are certain there's no trapped lint in top tension or bobbin, set the top tension to 4 and the bobbin tension to a point where you just begin to feel resistance.
Try using good quality thread of contrasting colours so you can more easily spot the changes.
Set your zigzag to one width less than maximum (eg. 5 of 6 ...or... 4 of 5 etc) and sew a sample for a few inches and check the result.... adjust the bobbin tension screw very little at
a time, perhaps 1/16 of a turn.
You may find you are playing with this balance for some little while and if you are putting the needleplate on and off each time begin to think it cannot be correct to do this.....BUT....it is,
and eventually, you do get a "feel" for the correct tension and then it happens quite quickly.....as a user you won't be doing it very often unless there is lint built up (or are there small hands at work around the house !?!?!)
OTHER ISSUES:
If you live near the ocean as we do, salt air can play havoc with metalwork inside and out, so to help minimise this, keep a few small packets of dessicant (silica gel) in your machine
case....no case ? then make some sort of cover !
Same applies in any damp or humid environment, keep your machine dry and dust free.
Budget for a proper full service every couple of years (more often if heavily used) and if you don't use your machine for a few years, be aware that old oil will dry out and combining with
dust and form a "clag" like glue (another reason for some sort of cover, even a teatowel !)
FINALLY, A WORD ON THREAD:
If it is worth spending the time, energy and money on making something that you would like to give lasting enjoyment......use quality thread, .......it may seem to cost a little more at the
time, but the results, ease of use and added longevity will be worth the extra, and as a bonus, your tension troubles may be fewer and further between, because there is a more consistent diameter with good thread, and less compensating to be done by your tension plates and less thread breaks
bargainbox.com.au
How do I reinsert the bobbin case...
Hi PaQuilter,
Right when you're in the middle of a project - ALWAYS when something goes wrong!
Have you tried turning the bobbin the other direction in the bobbin case? On some machines the direction the bobbin turns can really make a difference.
If you've tried that and still not working:
- Make sure the needle is fully up in the needle hole - loosen needle screw, push needle up as far as it will go and re-tighten screw. Drapes are heavy work and the vibration of the machine may have caused the needle to slip a bit.
- Re-thread machine from scratch - i.e. take thread completely out of thread path and start at the very first guide from the spool. The thread can sometimes pop out of one or more of the upper guides/paths and this can cause the problem with the bobbin thread.
- If the above doesn't cure the bobbin issue, your machine may be out of time and require a Husqvarna tech to look at it/fix it.
Hoping the problem is cured by the above and doesn't require a trip to the sewing machine doctor.
Happy sewing - good luck with the drapes,
Kim & Linnette
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