Thanks, Dolphyngyrl. I went back in again and re-cleaned everything that I could reach, but either there's something caught in the machine that I can't see/access, or something else is wrong. Unfortunately there's not enough time (or budget - LOL!) to take it to the shop before the holidays, but it looks like I'll have to take it after the first of the year.
As a test, I held the upper thread between my fingers as the machine embroidered, creating a little more tension, and the stitching was 95% better. I've cranked the tension wheel up to maximum to see if it makes any difference. So far, it's working, but it's not finished sewing yet ...
Edit: Nope, it still wasn't enough tension. Looks like I either get to manually hold the thread (oh, joy!), or figure out another way to get this project done.
Thanks again for the response!
