GEMRM

I had a Janome 1600 P QC on a Little Gracie II frame which I sold to someone, with the promise that i would make a trip to their house (once) if they had trouble with it.

It worked perfectly when they were here for demo/sale. We helped pack it up and transport it, so I know it wasn't damaged in transit. In fact, they have confirmed that it worked well initially.

Now they are having problems with the top thread breaking when FMQ.

They have changed needles, changed thread, checked the tension, tried various threading patterns and can't figure it out.

I had them take it off frame and do straight sewing, which apparently was flawless. I have asked them to try FMQ off frame to see how that goes.

Before I make the trip there, is there anything else you folks can suggest that they can try?

I am concerned that they have fiddled with the tension and it will take me forever to sort it out, as they have a friend who has another brand of machine/frame who came over to "help".

These are nice people and I want things to be correct for them so any suggestions are welcome.

Thanking you in advance,
GEMRM

patricej

ensure she is using a size 16 needle.
14s and below will work sometimes, but 16 is a very reliable standard.
ensure she is using whichever brand of needle you always used with success.

have her put all settings back to the factory default.
have her thread it normally.
if anybody fiddled with the tension on the bobbin case, tell her to buy a new one before you drive over.

no matter how nice she is, you cannot fix her.
it might be that she just needs to practice until she has the full hang of it.

Lisa_wanna_b_quilter

I'm with Patrice. I may be operator error. I don't use a frame with my Brother 1600, but I have thread breakage every time I get my hands and machine out of rhythm. The thread kind of shreds and then breaks. When I first started FMQ, it was constant and I assumed it was a machine issue. I fiddle and try everything. As time went on, I realized it was me. Now I only have the issue when I'm getting tired. I just walk away and when I come back the thread doesn't break anymore.

PaperPrincess

I would also bring the thread you normally used.

Prism99

Bring a level and make sure the frame is level with the floor.

Make sure the needle is seated correctly -- even a slight deviation can cause problems.

Is she using the same size needle and the same thread that you used? Bring the thread you used to use with the setup.

Do some sewing on it yourself. It may be the way she is moving the machine -- too fast, jerky, or .........

Check under the bobbin spring for lint. Take the bobbin case out and just run a pin under the spring. Jamie Wallen's video shows how to do this, plus his suggestions for adjusting tension work for any frame setup (not just longarms). Here is a link to his video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1mRhcquZTM

Check what batting is being used. I believe batik backing fabric can cause problems with some machines too.

Any burr along the thread path can cause a problem. Watch how the thread feeds to see if it is getting caught anywhere. Run your finger around all thread guides, around the needle hole, and take out the bobbin case and run a finger around the bobbin case and bobbin.

Also check to make sure that the bobbin is wound well (a badly wound bobbin can cause problems) and that the bobbin is not distorted (e.g., dropping a metal bobbin on the floor can cause distortion).

GEMRM

Thank you, all of you, for the helpful suggestions. They did change threads. I had planned to take the same type of thread I always use.
Getting a new bobbin case is not an option in this area, nearest dealer is quite some distance away and does not stock bobbin cases as a routine item.
The needles they are using are the spare ones I sent (they don't fit anything I have now).
Their problems began when they changed threads and put a project vs practise sandwich on.
The frame is level, in fact, it is more level than when I had it set up in my room.
I'll keep you posted!

If anyone thinks of anything not already suggested, please post!

Thanks,
GEMRM

QuiltnNan

i would have them order the bobbin case online if your trip is long. when it arrives, mark the screw position with a permanent marker. i always keep one bobbin case with the factory settings and have a different one to mess with the tensions on.

GEMRM

Well, here is the update - I spent about 2 1/2 hours getting the job done, but the time flew and it wasn't all spent on the problem resolution.
I sewed off frame to confirm regular sewing and tension ok.
When we went to put it on the frame to work through the next phase, she was quite reluctant to take off her work in progress.
Finally convinced her she really didn't want to have us work through the problem using her finished quilt as the test fabric. She had already done one pass across the quilt in FMQ and then began to have problems.
So, we removed the quilt, loaded some practice stuff and got through it. The bobbin tension was off, the upper tension needed to be tweaked back and then once these problems were resolved with my thread, we went to her thread, which kept shredding and breaking - turns out her thread(s) - Gutterman brand, were more sensitive to her threading pattern.
I like Gutterman thread and have used spools of it in my sewing time, but not on the frame - we had to make sure we used the last little eye just above the needle, which ensured a better angle for the thread to enter the eye. Once we did that, problem solved!
Then I nicely helped her re-load the partially quilted quilt, that took probably 45 minutes of our time.
Some show and tell of the tops she has ready to quilt and then I was off back home.
I am glad I was able to get this sorted out for her, she is a nice lady. She even invited me to join her guild which is a very small, very new one, only 12 members.
Thank you to each of you for the suggestions made.
GEMRM

Prism99

Great job! So glad you got it worked out for her, and that it wasn't just a huge pain.

yobrosew

I know this thread is old but I was searching some questions and came here. Wow, QuiltnNan, this is a great piece of advice for me! Thank you so much!