thread breaking
I have a Janome 1600P which I am using on an older version of the HandiQuilter frame... Really struggled the first time I set it up. Then didn't use it for quite a long time. Unfortunately, my best piecing maching is the Janome and putting it on the frame and taking it down every day or so just doesn't appeal to me. So I make 3-4 tops and then set up for the quilting.
Once I got past all the issues with the first set-up, it worked pretty well. When I first set it up this time, it worked pretty well -- almost thru the first quilt. 2nd was more problematic with the thread breaking. I did the usual... rethread the machine, change the needle, try to determine if thread was breaking when I was changing direction -- worse going to the right -- up or down -- There seems no pattern. I may stitch perfectly all the way across the quilt and the thread will break a couple inches back towards the beginning. The thread breakage is sporadic. I am using a poly batting which I understand can be harder on the thread.
I have a question regarding a possible reason... Shortly after I got my Janome, the middle plastic donut (for lack of a better word -- it lined the interior of the embroidery foot) broke out of the foot leaving the exterior metal circle. Is it possible that there is a burr on the metal that is fraying the thread? It is not possible from the initial neutral position since the needle goes through in the center, but as I move the quilt, can I be enough out of time with the machine to bump the thread on the metal ring?
If that has any chance of being the problem, I will get a new foot. But thought I'd ask before spending the money.