Hello I TOTALLY understand your frusteration.... I have an HQ16... I was having simular problems.... I had the bobbin in backwards... when you have the bobbin in your hand the thread should come off the bobbin CLOCKWISE.. I had it counter clockwise which was making the bobbin work double time...therefore causeing the loops. Who knows this might help you... I was sooo frusterated I wanted to SCREAM and throw the dang machine out the window....Good Luck let me know if this works!