I live on Long Island, New York. I have no clue what you mean by top tension and looping the thread around the post. While making this pack my machine stopped so many times I probably could have done it by hand faster. The thread would kinda separate and bind up in the needle or I’d end up with a birds nest on the bottom of the fabric. It’s hard for me to describe the symptoms without knowing the terms. When trying to sew the straps the machine would sometimes go through and then get stuck in the down position. It kinda looked bent outward a little. Seemed like it was getting caught on something. I realize I have a lot to learn and it’s not going to happen through a few reply’s on the forum so I will ask you guys to point me in the right direction. Any books you recommend or videos?