I am having trouble perfecting the triple cover hem. the top looks good, but the reverse side is very loopy. what should i do?

Re-check your stitch sample. Pull on the loopy thread. Is it really the bobbin thread, or is it the top thread looping under the fabric? FWIW, stitch problems appearing under the fabric are usually top thread issues, stitch problems on top of the fabric are usually bobbin related.

You can try this on both of your machines to see if it makes a difference.

Be sure to install a brand new needle.
Remove the top thread completely from the machine.
ALWAYS RAISE the presser foot and rethread from the beginning.
Make sure the thread path is correct.
Set the top tension to the midway point and retest your machine.

If the top thread is showing under the fabric, tighten the top tension, If the bobbin thread is showing on the top of the fabric, loosen your top tension. The perfect tension is when the two threads meet in the middle of the fabric.

...

...

check that the bobbin underneath has the same thread as the upper bobbin and that you push all the way on the lever when sewing back and also, go full speed as this happened to me and that was my mistake. Hope this will help you :)

try adjusting the top thread tension one number or letter higher
and sew on a scrap piece of fabric till the stitches look normal.

Is the fabric where you are having trouble very thick? If so you may have to help the machine by leveling out the foot with a popcicle stick or something and using the hand wheel.

You need a foot like this one so you can guide the folded edge of the fabric hem along against the white plastic foot. This is a generic style snap on blind hem foot, your machine should have one in the accessories that looks like this if your machine has a blind hem stitch included in its functions.

You fold the fabric into a upside down Z shape and run the top folded edge along the white guide with the fabric under the foot, hard to explain but once youve done it once, it makes sense.

You need to select the stitch on your machine that looks like 3 small zigzags, then one bigger one, or 3 straight stitches, then one zig zag to the side. This is the blind hemming stitch. You'll possibly also have a blind hemming foot to use, which helps with guiding the fabric fold into the machine and keeping it even. But if not, you should be able to buy one from your Huskqvarna dealer or a generic one from www.sewingpartsonline.com may well fit.

You'd be best served by visiting http://sewing.about.com/od/techniques/ss/machineblindsti.htm for photos and intructions if you've never done blind hem stitching before.

Blind hemming works best when hemming straight edges of fabric such as a ruffle on a full skirt - if there is any curve in the seam, it gets much harder and the result won't look so good. In essence, you press the fabric hem up, then fold the hem edge back under so you have a "S' shape, then sew along the single layer with the folded edge sitting against the foot guide. Then when the machine takes the 4th wide stitch, the needle swings to the left and catches a small stitch into the upper folded layer, then back onto the hem. The trick is adjusting the stitch so that the wide stitch doesn't show much on the right side of the garment

Just trim the fabric to the desired hem length plus one inch, then overlock around this raw edge with thread close colour match to the fabric.

You then have the choice of either stitching around with a stretch stitch on your sewing machine, or hand sewing.

Being lycra shouldn't change how you hem them unless the trouser leg is extremely close fitting and the hem seam is going to be under tension.

My first choice would be using a twin needle in straight stitch from top side but this finish can pop/break if the hem is under tension. But perfect for most knit hems.

If you hand sew then you can turn up hem allowance and put a length of fusible hemming web inside the hem allowance and press it to hold. Then do a back stitch hand sew around to hold hem in place.

If you sew with the regular sewing machine, then use either the stretch stitch or a very small zig zag, and a ball point or stretch needle.

On ready to wear you would see a coverstitch hem but your overlocker doens't have this stitch.

blind hem foot is good if you want to machine stitch a hem but not have a seam showing. it will have an adjustable piece you can move left or right with a screw. but blind hemming works best on straight grain and not on a curve like a skirt hem unless its a knit fabric that gives. to make a blind hem press the hem allowance up then turn the main garment piece back to form a Z shape. you then stitch along the hem side with your blind hem foot guidr running along the top fold and use the blind hem stitch which looks like three little zigzags then one big zig far to the left onto your folded piece taking a little 'bite' - this stitch shows on the right side when you press the top of the Z back flat. so you need to adjust the foot position and how wide the needle swings to minimise this stitch showing. hope this makes sense and helps you with your sewing.

Usually if your bobbin thread is loopy it's because the TOP thread is not threaded right. Try threading it again with the presser foot UP and make sure to get the thread between the upper tension discs. It's just the opposite of what you would think.....if the bobbin thread is loopy, the top thread is threaded wrong, if the top thread is loopy, the bobbin is threaded wrong. Good luck!

You didn't give the brand, but if it's any of the older, non computerized machines, your problem is most likley in the tensions.
Loopies (tangles or nests of thread) on the bottom means upper tension too loose (or bobbin too tight).
Let's do the bobbin first...once it is set...99.9% of loopies on the underside are a problem with upper tension.
This is for bobbins that load on the front/side of the machine.. Take out the bobbin case...check the area (hook/race area) that the bobbin goes into for lint, tiny thread pieces, etc.). Now, most of this type of bobbin loads into the case with the thread going counter clockwise (when you are looking at the open side of the case), insert the bobbin in the case, and pull it through the hole/slott in the side of the bobbin case. To test for proper tension:
Lay the bobbin case in the palm of one hand, pull on the thread coming off the bobbin case. The bobbin will gently lift off your hand & if you wiggle the thread, the bobbin case should slowly drop about an inch at a time. If it's too tight, loosen the Larger (closest to where the thread comes out) screw on the side of the bobbin case about 1/16 of a turn...tiny bit...retest. Once that is done try a test stitchout. Remember to hold onto the bobbin & top thread for first few stitches.

If you still get loopies on the bottom...tighten the upper tension...it should be set between 4-5 for regular sewing.
Make sure the needle is in properly.

For a drop in bobbin...adjusting that tension is harder. You take the face plate (needle plate, the plate covering the sewing area of the machine) off and remove the bobbin case...First...look at the case in the machine...there is a little lip sticking out, usually at the bottom right corner of the open area (closest to you)...this is where you need to have the little lip when you replace the bobbin case.
Remove the case...check under it and inside the machine for lint/dust/threads & using a small paint brush (I use a childs tooth brush sometimes), clean the lint out. Now check the bobbin case for lint, especially where the thread fits..look at the inside of the case, you will see a little flat metal thing with a slott in it...make sure no lint in that slott. I use a pin to remove lint from there. Reinsert the bobbin case, rethread it all, (bobbin goes counterclockwise). Put the faceplate back on & test the stitches...still loopies with the upper set to between 4-5? Then you will remove the faceplate, remove the bobbin case & loosen the screw on the outside about 1/16 of a turn (these are usually covered in a colored coating) and retest.
I know that most home machine makers say not to adjust the bobbin..but that was back when you had one size thread...now we have many, many sizes and types of thread, so adjusting the bobbin may be needed sometimes.
Rule of thumb is:
loopies on underside...tighten upper tension
loopies on top...loosen upper tension.
But, like I said...with all the new threads..sometimes you have to adjust that bobbin.

Hi! Sounds like you're doing everything right to me, so let's see.

By not getting a straight stitch on the bottom, do you mean that the bobbin thread is loopy? If so, then most likely you have to reset the tension. Get a scrap of jeans material and practice on that....it would be great if you could use different color threads on top and in the bobbin, but that might not be practical if you don't have the jeans thread in different colors already.

You'll be adjusting the top tension, because even tho the top stitch looks perfect, it may not be tight enough to pull the bobbin thread up into the fabric where it belongs.

Sew a couple of inches on your scrap, then stop and check the bobbin thread. If it's loopy, you can also see the top thread on the underside. (Which is why using two colors is helpful.) With the pressure foot down, tightened the top tension just a bit. Sew a few more inches and check again. Keep on sewing, checking, and adjusting until you can't see any (or almost any) top threads on the bottom or bobbin threads on top.

Here are a couple of other ideas to check:

1. Make sure your bobbin is inserted correctly. If I happen to put one in backwards by mistake, the bobbin will make a lot of clanking noises.

2. Using your flywheel, lower the needle all the way through the stitch-making process to see if it's hitting anything along the way.

3. Oil your machine.

4. Make sure all the screws etc on your throat plate (also called needle plate) are tight. (I've had mine get loose and that will definitely throw a knock into the works!)

Check out these ideas and let me know if anything works, or if the problem is still there, ok?

Happy Sewing!

Robbie