There's a discussion on the Singer Slant Sewing Yahoo group (a week or two ago it was somewhat active) that this monogrammer doesn't work on the 500 (so presumably the 503 as well) One person says that it says somewhere in the 500 / 503 manual that you shouldn't use the monogrammer, but to free motion monogram instead. I've found the free motion monogram section, but no mention of not using the monogrammer attachment. (But I haven't been page by page through the book yet, just looked in the obvious places.)
I have this one: Part 171256 -
http://www.ismacs.net/singer_sewing_...ttachment.html
It says this on it:
Accessory plate 507661 furnished is for use on 700 Series machines.
For 401, 500, 600, 620, 630 and 640 series machines use part 161825
That sure looks like the 500 and 503 are supported.
So you know I had to sit down and figure it out and post how, right?
I have plate 161825. Hurdle 1 cleared.
I set the machine up as in the book and....
It skips 90% of the stitches. As soon as I put the monogrammer on the machine it starts to skip. Even pulling the bobbin thread up is a 1 in 4 chance it will be successful.
This machine has done everything I've ever asked of it to date. Sewing with the regular presser foot works just fine. Leaving the machine threaded and changing to the monogrammer causes it to start spitting stitches out.
I've tried this with the 161825 plate in place, and also with the regular throat plate in place and in different positions, including raised higher than the "darning position. Same result.
Further testing on the 411G: Zig Zag cam in place, tension setting at 2, stitch width at 2.5(ish), stitch length irrelevant, 2 layers of new bed sheet fabric, and the 161825 plate in place - it just works. With 3 layers it starts to spit stitches too.
The worst part about this? I've used this monogrammer in the past, but I can't recall if it was on the 403, 401 or the 503. I have a sneaking suspicion it was on the 403, but they're virtually identical machines! I checked the parts charts. If you discount the Presser foot tension portion, the part numbers are identical. Of course I don't have the 401 or the 403 to "go back to" to test.
Why oh why can't I get this to work? I'm convinced it's "me" not the machine, but I just can't see what it is I'm doing wrong.