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When I first got my Brother PE535, I was excited—like project-planning-at-2AM excited. But that excitement quickly turned into frustration. I hadn’t been able to finish a single project, and at one point, I truly considered selling the machine altogether. She was cute, but she had me ready to give up. After dealing with bird nests on the back of nearly every design and countless needle breaks, I realized something had to change. Here's the journey that took me from ready-to-sell to finally stitching clean designs—and what I wish I knew from the start. The Culprit: Bobbin Tension (and a Bit of Thread Drama) The first thing I learned? If your project is turning into a thread spaghetti nightmare, tension issues are often to blame. I started by replacing the bobbin case—mine was damaged from all the needle breaks (still don’t know why that happened, but it was clearly a problem). I also tried switching to Brothread 40wt, but I noticed it unwound really fast and the machine pulled way too much thread. Still, even after replacing the case and rethreading the machine like I was prepping for surgery, the embroidery looked off. The bobbin thread was showing on top like it was trying to steal the spotlight. That’s when the community came to the rescue. Understanding Tension: Top vs. Bobbin Turns out, the tension settings are everything. If bobbin thread is pulling through to the top, it’s usually one of two things: Your top thread tension is too tight Your bobbin thread tension is too loose In my case? It was definitely the bobbin. A kind soul in a forum explained that adjusting bobbin tension means turning the tiny screw on the bobbin case (yes, that one!). At first, I was terrified—everyone says “don’t mess with the bobbin case!” But honestly? A small clockwise turn made a world of difference. After cleaning the bobbin case and tightening that tiny screw just a bit… magic. My stitches started behaving. No more bird nests. No more upper thread looking like it was barely hanging on. Just clean, even embroidery. What I Learned Along the Way Here’s what I wish I’d known before nearly giving up on my Brother PE535: Don’t be afraid to adjust tension—start with the upper dial and go from there. Check your bobbin case regularly—needle breaks can damage it, and buildup happens fast. Not all thread is created equal—while Brothread works for some, I’ve had better luck with brands like Madeira or Sulky. Clean your machine more than you think you should. Lint and loose bits can mess with the entire system. Use test designs to dial in your settings before committing to a big project. If your bobbin thread is showing on top, try loosening your top tension or tightening the bobbin tension (or both, slightly). Don’t feel bad about the learning curve. Embroidery is an art and a science—and no one’s born knowing how to master it. Final Thoughts: You Got This Embroidery can be frustrating, especially when you're new or things just aren't going right. But once you learn the quirks of your machine (and adjust that pesky bobbin tension!), things really start to fall into place. To anyone else out there feeling defeated—don’t give up. Ask questions, watch YouTube videos, scroll the subreddits, and remember: every seasoned embroiderer started out confused and overwhelmed too. I’m finally finishing projects now. And I’m proud to say… I didn’t sell the machine. She stays Have you had a tension battle with your embroidery machine? What finally worked for you? Drop your thoughts and tips below!