matraina

Leah Day always leaves the feed dogs up on her Janome. If you want to try lowering and your machine does not have that ability, I read you can put a business card over your feed dogs and cut a hole in the card so your needle can go down. Please let us know what, if anything, worked for you. I know I have a Bernina 820 and I have a very difficult time with skipped stitches.

matraina

Leah Day always leaves the feed dogs up on her Janome. If you want to try lowering and your machine does not have that ability, I read you can put a business card over your feed dogs and cut a hole in the card so your needle can go down. Please let us know what, if anything, worked for you. I know I have a Bernina 820 and I have a very difficult time with skipped stitches.

matraina

Wishfulthinking, that's how I feel/felt fmq-ing with my Bernina 820.

Treasureit

I had this problem when I tried the Janome 7700 a couple years ago....they said I needed all kinds of adjustments...and maybe another foot...(something expensive)...I didn't buy that machine.

mike'sgirl

Face the nose of the machine. Voila - "infinite" throat space. Obviously this doesn't work for machines built into tables unless you want to lay like you're Superman, but maybe it gives you some ideas? This is really just like having it on a frame, with no frame.

Brilliant Idea!! I too am having issues and am going to try this.

C.

Sorry to hear you are having problems with the 6600. I have had my 6600 for six years and it fmg beautifully. I use every type of thread possible. I use a lightweight 60 or 70 poly for my bobbin thread and it is fantastic. I have to tell you that I had the blue dot bobbin case and tried it just twice. IT IS AWFUL!!! I now NEVER use any bobbin case but the original. I always use a topstitch needle, mostly size 80/12 unless I am sewing very heavy fabrics on my quilt. The 6600 is an absolute dream and is my work horse machine. So try not using the blue dot bobbin case and see what a difference it makes. I always adjust my top tension for every project on scraps of the project. Good luck to you.

Nammie to 7

I would advise to change your needle - it is too large for Bottom Line. I use Bottom Line in the bobbin and King Tut on top. The quilt I'm working on has red thread (BL) in the bobbin and cream King Tut on top and everything works well. You use a 9-0/14 Top Stitch needle with King Tut. When using my embroidery unit for the quilting I also change the tension. So many things to keep track of!!

thanneaKS

I use the regular bobbin case with good tension results on my 6600p. The only times that I've had trouble were when the bobbin case needed cleaning (remove the bobbin case and clean under it with an oily q-tip) and it needed a drop of oil (on the wick under the bobbin case). Hope this helps.

kim_s

I have a 6600 and when I started practicing FMQ I never seemed to get good stitches and could never get the top and bottom balanced so just used the same colors in both. The stitches didn't much improve and I thought I just needed more practice. I was using the blue dot bobbin case and washers. One time I started FMQing and forgot to change out the bobbin case and had the most beautiful stitches ever! I was amazed. I also was using Superior So Fine in top and bobbin and didn't drop the feed dogs and was using a 80/12 top stitch needle. It seemed like the perfect recipe. Then I read on the 6500 yahoo group that someone had purchased the straight stitch needle plate and had really good results - so I purchased it and now I can use almost any kind of thread. I still use an 80 top stitch needle, don't drop the feed dogs and use the red bobbin case. Sadly I still get dots on top if I use different colors so I just use the same colors or very similar. I'm just happy to get great stitches.

Sorry to hear about your frustration. Please keep us posted as to how it all works out.

Hugs, Kim

wishfulthinking

Funny, just before I logged back on to read responses, I thought maybe I'd just put in the red dot bobbin case & try it again....and now here are your suggestions, which are very encouraging. I'm going to do that later this morning & give it another try. I don't remember now why I thought I had to have the blue dot case but I do remember being much happier with my results before I got it. Will report back later.