Originally Posted by
Knitette
There was post some weeks back where there was a link to a blog where someone had done a price comparison and Aurifil actually worked out cheaper than many other well-known brands.
That might have been my blog:
http://www.archaicarcane.com/common-...ost-of-thread/
The fact is that Gutermann and Mettler are some of the most expensive threads you can buy, and not the highest quality.
As for the FMQ on your Quantum, a couple of things:
1. The horizontal bobbins are a little more challenging to FMQ on than the vertical bobbins. Tension will tend to be a little different than on the verticals but typically top tension will need to be looser than with regular sewing.
2. I was successful with a 50wt thread and a 90/14 needle on a different machine, but even one needle size up might not be bad for learning.
3. Topstitch needles all the way!
4. Quality needles! Organ, Schmetz, etc. Not the cheap dollar store or the lower priced walmart needles. It bears noting if you're buying the "cheaper" thread, you may be buying the cheaper needles too. Lots of the cheaper ones have burrs, or aren't straight, or flex too much / not enough, etc.
5. I don't recall if you said you were using a darning / free motion foot - imperative!
6. Pressure foot - loosen the pressure on it
7. Stitch length - some people don't drop their feed dogs and just set their stitch length to 0. Either or, you don't need to go both. Some peopl get better results from leaving the dogs up and SL to 0 - including Leah Day.
It sounds like your Quantum doesn't do "0", so maybe check if there's a way to drop the dogs, or if there's a setting for free motion or darning on it.