Thanks for posting this thread! I just discovered the reason my top thread keeps shredding is because there's a scratch in the plastic plate on the FMQ foot that came with the machine. I'm going to wake hubby up from his nap and ask him to pop it out so I can keep working. Meanwhile, I'm going to order the Big Foot from eBay. I have a project that *must* be done before April 10! Can't stop working!