Bringing up the thread breaking issue - I have the Janome 6500, would love to trade up but can't justify at this time. My heavier quilting thread was breaking a lot while FMQ & I remembered a posting here. If I set my machine on mode 2, pattern 16 which moves the needle to the left - I can sew forever without thread breaking. Don't know why it works but it does. I remember it from an older blog on here.