Hi Rymer - I have a brother XR-52 also. I do lots of FMQ on it. I'm not an expert but have had the issue you show on the back. I would rewind a new bobbin, change the needle, rethread, make sure the bobbin case is clean (I recently cleaned mine out using the manual as a guide and it was not hard). I also set the stitch length at 0 and don't use that little plate. I found it caused some drag on the quilt. I use one of those silicone slider things with a hole for the needle that covers the feed dogs but you could use a thick piece of vinyl too. Another thing I learned is to try and find the "sweet spot" where your hands and machine are going at just the right rhythm. I don't always get it, but I know it when I do. I have found this machine not to be fussy on what kind of thread I use. Good luck! Will look forward to more pictures.