In order to investigate the influence of thread tension on the structure of lockstitch seam, stitch tightness and seam balance ratio are measured at various tensions of needle thread and bobbin thread. The structure of lockstitch was shown in terms of skeleton stitch models to obtain quantitative analysis of stitch tightness. The balanced seam formed to the rectangu1ar stitch model under low bobbin thread tension, but the fabric tightness produced by interlaced needle and bobbin thread under high bobbin thread tension. In this paper, new equation to obtain seam balance ratio was proposed for a lockstitch seam. By using the new equation, the seam balance ratio was not affected by the stitch density and fabric thickness. In order to form the balanced seam, the ratio on tension of needle thread and bobbin thread was about 6:1~7:1 in this experiment.