Originally Posted by
SuzyQ2
Hello everyone,
well i don't have any promising news to report on the Artistic18 that came back. Took a week of playing around with the tension as it was still all loopy on the back worse than before. Got it to where i could live with it. Started a quilt this morning and now the top thread is breaking!
( what was sewn thus far looked pretty good)
I swear to God I don't know what else to do!
Are any of you truly happy with this machine?
Hi SuzyQ2,
Reading that your top thread is breaking makes me wonder if your top thread is jumping out of the top tension disks? Mine jumps out alot, no clue as to why but it will cause breaking issues. And this also causes alot of other stitch problems because it just doesn't stitch right. Once the top threading is corrected it should run smoothly.
If you machine was tested the bobbin should wind correctly. I have read alot of posts that the material and batting really affects the stitching, i.e., loopies etc. Alot of people have problems running batiks on their longarms, and the thickness and type of batting also affects the stitching. Using sheets on the back I have heard because of the tight weave causes problems also. The few that I have done I had to adjust the top tension on every change of batting/fabric and also different thread types. I am running King Tut (love it but can't afford) and Superior thread runs great. I also have some polyester that runs great, I haven't tried any Rayon. Also, just in case here are a few suggestions also: Is your thread holder directly above the spool? Is the holder at the top most height? If you are using small spools that are wound tight will give you problems due to the thread twisting as it comes off. These may seem silly but it is all a learning curve, that's for sure. Good luck, I hope you have it straightened out by now. Judy outside of Tampa, JAQ18