Milli, you got great advice. I have had similar experiences with every machine, from the 1960's Pfaff I learned on, to my Janome today. What everyone says about starting your seams works like a charm. Sometimes just holding your starting threads is all you need to do.
As for the troubles you have sewing over bulky layered seams, using a nice sharp needle in the correct size helps a lot.
If that doesn't do the trick, try using a "hump jumper". It's a little gadget that helps you sew over layers without ending up caught there. Sometimes these are called a "button reed" too, because the tool is used when you sew on a button by machine, to make sure there is a bit of a thread shank under the button.
You just place the hump jumper under the back of your pressor foot so that the foot is no longer climbing up at an angle. This effect can be duplicated by using folded cardboard too. The hump jumper also helps when coming off the layers where you often end up with a skipped stitch. (You reposition it to the front of your pressor foot)
Last edited by BuzzinBumble; 02-11-2014 at 08:02 AM.