My Machine and I: We are both too tense!!

I have deduced that I have tension issue, rather than a bobbin issue. The thread picks up just fine now, but when I make a stitch or two it just completely jams up! I am using the same thread and fabric as before, so i'm not so sure why this is happening... I think I am going to email this really awesome crazy sewing lady that owns a shop down the street and see if I can come in with my machine and she will show me how to adjust the tension properly. There is only so much the manual can show you, ya know?

All I want to do is sew my skirt!! Maybe after I finish all of my homework on this freak 75 degree fall day I can watch some videos on how to adjust the tension and see if I can make any sense of things...

A Lover's Spat

I. Am. Frustrated. I had my fabric cut and pinned and was a few stitches in when I realized I forgot to change the thread from black to gray. So I threaded a new bobbin, threaded the needle, and was all set to go. Well the machine did not want me to go. I spent hours trying to get the needle to pick up the bobbin thread. HOURS! I figured that if I kept trying it would eventually catch, but it never did. I cleaned the bobbin casing, I changed the needle, I re-threaded everything, but to no avail. Sometimes it would bring up a loop, but then the thread would wrap around the bobbin casing and get all jammed up. So there will be no skirt this weekend :(

I really think this is the "almighty-one's" way of making me get all my homework done this weekend. Doesn't he know that I would have gotten to it, after I had a fabulous skirt made?

Has anyone else had this problem? I googled it, but can't really seem to find any solutions other than things i've tried.