Thanks for all the advice. I spent a 1/2 hour on the phone with my mom last night trying every different thing. We tightened the top tension, loosened the lower, changed the foot pedal pressure. The alingment seems to be fine but now the threads are coming in an at angle. I hate to pay someone to adjust my tension but it may come to that. I hate more to be without my machine for even one single day. I am not sure how I will cope!