Linda1

I have an older Janome and I have always had trouble with FMQ. I will keep trying until I can afford another machine and it will be another Janome. I love them.

catrancher

I had so much trouble with my Janome machine that I bought a Bernina.

annesthreads

Too right they do! They've known about it for years - I've had my 4800 for 6 or 7 years - yet even the newer models sometimes have the same problem. They really shouldn't be selling their machines as being suitable for quilting if they're not. I don't think that having to have the tension on 9 and being very restricted in the threads I can use (Janome UK told me to use embroidery thread) is good enough on a "quilter's edition" machine. And then to sell a special bobbin case that just sends the problem to the opposite extreme... :thumbdown:

meow meow

Have you tried to release your tension on the pressure foot a bit? I find that when I am having problems like that I am hanging on too tight to the quilt and pressure on the pressure foot is too tight. Don't know if that will work but you might try it.

annesthreads

Now mine is OK with the walking foot: I've just done some stitch in the ditch which worked well once I had a topstitch needle and the tension low. It's FMQ with the darning foot that's hopeless.

mimee4

Thanks so very much for starting this thread. I have a Janome and thought it was something I was doing. I have a couple of ideas now to make things better. Thx.

annesthreads

That was my original intention, and I may still do it. I had 2nd thoughts once I started to look at machines for quilting because the 440 doesn't have a wide throat, and because I've read very mixed views of the stitch regulator. I certainly don't have the budget to go for any higher spec Bernina. So I went back to investigating other machines, including the Janome 6600, which most people seem, on the whole, very happy with. However, the continuing failure of Janome to be able to resolve this FMQ problem (which is what I most need a new machine for) is putting me off again. If the blue dot case had solved it on the 4800, I'd be out buying the 6600, but I really can't take the risk of condemning myself to more years of struggle and frustration: whatever I buy next will have to be the last machine I buy for a very long time.

annesthreads

Please do let me know how you get on! I'm going on holiday this weekend so it may be a week or two before I can get back to trying all the suggestions, but I'll certainly be having another go at sorting this.
And I'm very reassured to hear that it's not just me who has these problems.

annesthreads

[quote=LyndaK]My Janome 11000, 1600P and 3160 QDC all freemotion well for me, with and without the blue bobbin case. I don't go really fast with my machines when I FMQ. I noted when I tried to really speed, especially with my 11000, I had issues with bobbin tension.
quote]

Do you both run the machine and move the quilt slowly?

AnnieF

I also have a Janome and have had problems FMQ when I first got it about 6 years ago. As suggested, I also use the same color thread in the bobbin as in the top. While struggling to get the tension problem solved, I found that my thread was snapping frequently. What I did, and it seemed to solve both my tension and thread snapping problems is that I don't put my thread through the last threading station. You know that tight hook just before you put the thread through the eye of the needle. It really helped me.