In my experience with this patcher the way to make this machine work with the #135 thread and I got it to work good is one, the bottom bobbin tension and two the top thread tension. So this patcher has a hard time getting a strong top tension I had to give it two turns around the top tensioner yes two so it can pull the the bottom thread to the middle of the leather. If I had a trick to share that would be it, you want to pull the knot of the bottom and top thread to the middle of the project. I think you have to focus on how to get the thread knot to the middle of the leather and it’s all done by adjusting t the top or bottom tension.