Maximize the Husqvarna VIKING Jade 20 with must-have accessories

I love the design of the Husqvarna VIKING Jade 20. It’s sleek and modern and easy to store when not in use. Today, we’ll look at the accessories that come with this sewing machine, including a peek through the User’s Guide. Let’s get started.

The User’s Guide is an overlooked item but contains so much critical information. One of the first pages I’d check out is the parts of the sewing machine. There’s an excellent diagram to help you learn the parts of the sewing machine. Knowing what part does what is instrumental to successful sewing, and if you need to adjust something, you know what to do. As a quilt teacher, I’ve had students attempt to change various settings using the incorrect function. It only takes a few minutes to sit in front of the Jade 20 and identify each part. You can go to the appropriate page to learn more about that function if you require further information.

There’s also a page for the items on the back of the sewing machine. Yep – some things are visible only from the back, so check out both sides. Become comfortable with the terminology and use the correct words when asking for advice. Saying that the dial thingy isn’t working makes it challenging for someone to understand the problem.

Another handy place to check in the User’s Guide is the list of presser feet that come with the machine. I recently talked to someone who said they only used one foot because they didn’t know what the others were for! That’s why there’s a User’s Guide to help you maximize your machine’s benefit. You’ll find feet for inserting zippers, overcasting raw edges, making buttonholes, sewing, etc.

The other important information is on the right-hand page, which lists the stitches in the Utility Menu and what they are for. Most people would use the straight stitch for everything, which could potentially work, but you’re not getting the maximum benefit of the rest of the stitches.

There are 82 stitches in total, including the Utility Stitches mentioned here, as well as quilting and decorative stitches.

Be sure to sit at the Jade 20 and review the presser feet and the stitches. Knowing this information can significantly increase your success and the ability to try different techniques and work with other fabrics. If you only use the straight stitch with Utility Foot A, you’re missing 99% of what the Jade 20 can do.

There’s loads of other great information in the User’s Guide. I’ll only mention one more page. The page that talks about spool pins and caps. You’ll learn how to load a spool of thread on the machine and when to use the various accessories. Again, using these items correctly will ensure better results and fewer hassles when solving problems with broken threads, etc.

The User’s Guide is not significant, and I highly recommend you sit down and browse it. Don’t be shy – read that information. I’ve been sewing for 25+ years, and I had to refer to the user’s guide to know how to thread the machine (slightly different positioning of thread guides from others I’ve used), and I couldn’t figure out how to open the accessory tray. It was all in the User’s Guide. Trust me, the User’s Guide is the first place I go to find the answer to any question about the sewing machine.

Here’s a picture of all the included Presser Feet. It’s a great basic set with feet for piecing (more on that tomorrow), decorative stitching, inserting a zipper, making a blind hem, overcasting (finishing a raw edge), two different styles of buttonholes, a guide for quilting and a glide pad to help with sticky fabrics like vinyl.

Remember that most of the Husqvarna VIKING branded presser feet will fit the Jade 20. The Jade 20 is a Category 6 machine, so be sure when shopping for accessories or additional feet that they will fit a Category 6 machine. Your local dealer will be able to assist you. I’ll test out some of these and some optional feet this week.

I want to show you something about Utility Foot A and Decorative Stitch Foot B. The feet look almost identical from the top. Only the bar in front of the needle is different.

But you can see a significant difference on the back of those two presser feet. The flat-bottomed presser foot (Utility Foot A) is for general-purpose sewing. The channel on the bottom of Decorative Stitch Foot B allows for the easy passage of thicker lines of decorative stitching, usually done with 40-weight (heavier) thread. The channel reduces the potential of jamming due to the height of the decorative stitches.

There’s also a variety of accessories, which are all identified in the User’s Guide. If you’re unfamiliar with something here, you can find the name and description (if necessary) of the tool’s use in the User’s Guide. See how vital that guide is? It contains a lot of information, so don’t be shy or embarrassed. I learned MUCH from reading those guides.

Five bobbins come with the Jade 20, and you can purchase additional bobbins from your Husqvarna VIKING dealer. Verify that you’re getting the correct bobbin, as different machine categories require a different bobbin.

Now, where will you store all these accessories and presser feet? It’s a personal choice, and I sometimes like to keep all the accessories and presser feet in an external container. However, if you want to keep things together and avoid another box hanging around, there’s an accessory toolbox that you can use to store things in.

The two sides slide (I had to look that up because I couldn’t figure it out), but there are two compartments, one on each side, and you could easily store the accessories in one and the presser feet in the other. It makes it a quick and easy place to store these items when it’s on the machine. Be sure you keep the accessories in a safe place because not finding the appropriate item when needed is frustrating.

If you wish to have additional space to work, which I would love, an optional extension table is available. Slip off the accessory toolbox, set it aside, and slide on the extension table. Instantly, you have a much larger area to work with, which is great for quilting or even piecing, so your work doesn’t fall off the side or the back and cause the needle to flex, which can lead to broken needles.

If we flip up the lid, you’ll find a sewing advisor guide on the left-hand side. This guide provides starting settings (tension, stitch width and length, and presser foot) depending on the fabric (type and weight) for various sewing techniques. Please take a minute and study it so you understand it. These guidelines can be changed if the settings don’t give you a successful stitch.

On the right-hand side of the lid, you’ll find a diagram and the stitch number for each of the 82 stitches in the Jade 20. The first 10 are on the functional panel. You’ll find a listing of the first row of stitches (Utility Stitches) with their name and purpose in the User’s Guide. Be sure to study that list so you know you’re using the best stitch for the job you’re working on.

You’ll find the tension dial on the top of the machine above the needle. I don’t know how often I hear, “I have auto tension; therefore, I don’t need to learn how to adjust the tension.” I hate to disappoint, but the auto tension is set for 50-weight thread in the top and bottom with two pieces of cotton fabric. The Jade 20, or any other sewing machine, has no way of knowing what type of thread I’m using. It also can’t detect if I use different thread weights in the bobbin and the top.

Do yourself a favor and play with that tension. This dial is to change the TOP thread tension. For the most part, we do NOT touch the bobbin tension. That’s just asking for trouble unless you’re more experienced. Set the top tension to zero, which means there’s NO tension on the top thread. Now sew a straight line. Look at the back.  What happens to the quality of the stitching? Then raise it to 1 and stitch another line. Repeat this process, and always look at both sides until you reach the highest (9). This exercise will help you to learn how to use the tension dial. When you need to get back to Auto Tension, use the dial and go back to 4. That’s so easy!!!!

The last thing for today is the function panel, where we can change the stitch, the length or the width, and many other things. We’ll look closer at these functions tomorrow as we do some piecing.

And there you have it – a good overview of all the accessories, where to get more information, and a sneak peek into what we can sew on the Husqvarna VIKING Jade 20. Do not be afraid or embarrassed to browse that User’s Guide. It’s such an essential piece of the sewing machine. It’s my go-to for any questions, and I have also learned so much from reading User’s Guides over the years.

Be sure to return tomorrow when I take a closer look at piecing using one of the included presser feet and an optional presser foot.

Have a good day!

Ciao!!!

This is part 2 of 5 in this series

Go back to part 1: Meet the Husqvarna VIKING Jade 20 – sleek, smart, and built to impress