madamekelly

Welcome to our addiction. Lol. I am glad you have joined us. My only guess as an owner of a low end and high end Bother machines, would be to suggest you check what needle you are using. A ball point ( read knit) needle or a universal needle can be your problem, especially if you hear a mild "thok" sound as the needle goes into the fabric. You need a standard sharp needle for quilting to get through all the layers. If you notice that your thread is being "shaved" through the needle before it breaks, you have too small a needle in your machine. Also, sometimes you just get a crappy needle even in a pack of schmetz needles. Even with their great quality control, "baddies" can slip through. Before taking your machine into a shop, check these things first. If you are using cheaper needles this can continue to happen. Schmetz needles cost just a litttle more, but they are worth it to avoid the frustration. Also take a piece of slightly heavier thread, (I use quilters thread for this) cut a 9-11" piece off the spool, turn it around so the new cut end is at the bottom hand, and use it like dental floss between your tension discs or plates. If you have done a bit of sewing with cotton thread, you can collect lint between the discs, (even with polyester thread) and your thread will start to catch between them and cause what you are seeing. Hope this helps. I have been a satisfied Brother user for 40+ years. (Last thought, how old is the spool of thread you are trying to use? If it is an old spool of cotton, it may just be too old to use. If it has a wood or styrofoam spool under the thread, that may also be part of your problem).