gardengirl1331

So I finally got a new machine, I picked the one I wanted (inherited a teeny tiny bit of money (just enough for us both to get the two things we've been saving for for years, from a great aunt who loved that I was taking after her sister-in-law, my grandmother, who taught me to quilt when I was 11) so I could finally afford it!) But I've been having small issues with it compare to my old machine. This one breaks thread a lot more. I think I broke thread only 3-5 times with the old one (that must be SOME luck I assume!) and this one does it almost weekly!? Also when I use #3 stitch (the locking one) it'll do one stitch and stop, I have to pick my foot up and start again where it stitches 2-3 stitches and then goes like normal. Why it needs that one stitch before working I'm not sure? It does it every single time. And with all my new quilts on it (4 so far) some of the threads using that stitch are popping and breaking where the locking stitches are. I've never used this stitch before so maybe I'm doing it wrong?? I've gone back to my old way of just doing 2-4 stitches at 0.10 and then going on at my longer length, like locking it myself. None of those break. It also struggles a LOT more over thicker stuff, especially where there are more than 2 points on a seam. Not even with the quilting, it's doing it while piecing!! It's breaking thread and it almost violently shifts everything to the left. I'm using 70/75 needles aurfil thread (50wt) and the tensions don't matter it does it at every level. When it goes over things it doesn't like, like thicker seams (cause 4 layers of quilting cotton is so thick! haha) the stitches get weird too, when quilting the line of stitches on the back looks great, but the front will look like one line in some spots. Even if there is one very teeny bit of lint the bobbin and the case both go crazy, sometimes one or the other, sometimes both. (and a nitpicky bit that pop-up plate sounded nice but it's REAL hard to get back in, I worry I'll break it every time haha!) Should I go back to my old thread, the coats and clark all purpose poly. (if you read my old thread when I was having issues with my old machine the "repair" guy told me to only use aurfil (which is of course all he sells!) and I loved it, but after using the C&C and a spool of something else that I can't remember now both worked great. Do you think this machine just doesn't like the aurfil? I know machines can be picky. I also have to change needles a lot more than the old machine, I used to be able squeak two or three smaller quilts with one regular needle, now I sometimes have to change it in the middle of a project?!?! sigh. I feel like I got a dud. Hope not since where I got it they were awesome before I bought it, now they don't really care. They just want to send me to the repair dept (when I had a question about use, not with an issue) they have no help center or aftercare)

But otherwise I do love the machine! The stitches are nice and even when things are going well, the amt of stiches might prove to be fun, the extra harp area is nice.