I got a Janome QC6260 for Christmas and have only been using it for a few weeks, and not very much on top of that.
Yesterday I dropped the feed dogs with the lever on the front to test it and then left it because I didn't have a practice sandwich for trying stitch in the ditch or waves. Tonight I went on to test the walking foot nad see how I get on with quilting on it, and the feed dogs won't come back up. In fact, if you press the pedal it starts hammering the needle down really quickly and will continue for a bit even when you take your foot off. :-(

I dropped the feed dogs on my new Pfaff recently and they wouldn't come up. I ended up taking the cover plate off and found a regular mattress pad of lint under it that apparently got dislodged when I dropped the dogs. Once I took all the lint out, it cleared the channel and the feed dogs popped up without a problem. May be worth a try. (I didn't think I had sewed much either,)

Try hitting the lever again. With my bernina. I hit he button for the feed dogs again and then press a little on the foot pedal to re-engage the feed dogs. It sounds like your feed dogs haven't re-engaged. Check your manual. I'm sure it's not broken..probably just a user error!!

Thanks, I'll try cleaning it. I did check the manual and it says nothing about it, just how to drop them with the lever button.

oh no, hope it is something easily fixed. Is your dealer close by?

Well, I am having stupid day or something...
I cleaned it and pressed the foot pedal and voila, the feed dogs came up. You'd think I was done now being an idiot, but no.
I read somewhere that it is good to change the needle to a denim needle in order to go through all the layers and that it makes the stitch straighter, so I am trying to change the needle, but when I try to push it down to get the bobbin thread it hits a metal surface just under the metal plate, and I can't work out why?
Took the needle out again several times, checked that it was straight (was new from a package anyway) and tried again. Any ideas?
I have changed needles on sewing machines hundreds of times and have never had a problem. I miss my really simply, if not rubbish low end machine.

Well, in town so not too far away, but in an awkward spot where parking is really far away and expensive and you have to carry the fairly heavy machine through an underground tunnel and halfway through town before you get to the store.
I am sure I'm just being stupid though :-D

Have you tried sewing with a regular needle since the feed dogs feasco?

If not try putting a regular needle in and seeing if the same thing happens. If not it may very well be the needle!

For the needle problem, I'd guess that either you have the wrong brand/type of needle for your machine or it is not inserted correctly (all the way to the top). Try changing back to the original needle. If that one works, I'm thinking you need a different brand of denim needle.

You do have the flat side of the needle facing back, don't you? And you have loosened the screw enough that you can be sure the needle is inserted up as far as it will go?

I just bought a sewing machine at the thrift shop -- great condition, clean, needle went up and down when I tried it in the shop, etc. I think the reason it was given to the thrift shop was because someone had inserted the needle wrong. As soon as I reinserted the needle correctly, it worked fine.

Make sure you are using the right size needle, not all sewing machine needles are the same length. Also you might not be getting it up all the way when putting it in its little slot. I worked for a Janome dealership for years and your problems are common and usually solvable. If you stick with Schmetz needles you will be safe! Clean and oil your machines regularly. Even oil them when your dealer says it is a self oiling machine, especially the cotton wick in the bobbin case if the wick dries out your machine will not work well. It only takes a drop or two of sewing machine oil.

Do all machines have a cotton wick in the bobbin case? I'm wondering if I should be checking my Bernina 1230. Is this in the removeable bobbin case that holds the bobbin? Or in the assembly that holds the bobbin case itself in place?

Well, I figured out that problem too and feel really silly now :oops:

Can anyone tell from the photos below if I attached the walking foot correctly? The first photo shows how it was attached, and the white lever from the foot was blocking the needle screw, so it didn't go down all the way...

The second and third are how it is now, but what is that white lever actually for (it sits on top of the black needle screw now)?

And thanks for all your help :-D

That looks right. How is it doing?

With My janome sometimes I carefully lay it on it flat on my table so I can see where the needle goes.

Don't feel bad. I have done the same thing and it is very frustrating. Glad it's behaving.

That lever that goes on top of the screw is what makes the foot "walk"! At least thats what I have always assumed it is for! lol

I have a Janome and it looks right to me. Just a note: It will make a little noise as you sew (at least mine always has) I think this is normal.

I used the Janome walking foot ONCE it didn't fit here or there or anywhere. It flat out didn't work. Got the old Singer back up on another table to do walking foot business. I'm getting a generic that fits onto the Janome as soon as I finish with my "walking foot snit".

Jois

i have an extra walking foot for janome does anyone need one??

I did the same thing the first time I used my walking foot. I learned from my mistake.

I can only answer for Janome's on the cotton wick, they do have it. Never pull it out, just add a drop or two of oil.

Thanks everyone, it worked and I just finished quilting my baby quilt and it's nearly 3:30am... Phew! Thanks for all the great help!

Yeaaaaaaaaa. That's how you learn to be a good quilter---perseverience!

What is mean't by (Cotton wick in the bobbin case) this is a new expression for me I am curious? Can someone fill me in?

Many thanks

Gal

1.) Not all bobbin cases have oil pads. my Bernina nor my Elna do.
2.) That lever is what makes the walking foot walk. I suspect there is a spring assembly that drives it down, the needle thumbscrew pushes it up. Unlike my Bernina that goes around the thumb screw and gets driven both up and down.
3.) We all make mistakes. I just found out I have been threading my Bernina wrong for the last five years. It still worked, now it works better.

tim in san jose

:lol::lol::lol: I did that once, thankfully not for five years though.

on my computer kenmore you have to turn the wheel by hand to get the feed dogs to engage again...I called in a panic too and the guy told me they don't tell ya this in the manual

:?:

HOPE this works but I have found that using the correct needle for the correct fabric is a must. The other day I had a needle in and was getting alot of "bobbin barf" and once i changed the needle to a different kind. ie universal versus topstitch, the "barf went away. could it be a coincidence.?

I just had the whole feed dog panic thing just this evening. I was trying to figure out if I could move my needle one way or the other. Reading in the book I noticed that I could lower the feed dogs to do FMQ or darning. I have had this machine for awhile, but never needed to do either. Anyway, I found the button to lower the feed dogs hiding on the back on the machine. the feed dogs lowered just fine, but then I could not figure out how to get them back up. I did what the book said and nothing. My husband came in to see what I was fussing about. He looked at the book and then the machine and said to turn the wheel and poof, it worked.

It does show in the book, but it shows it from straight on in the back not the front. How embarrassing.

ya learn something everyday!!i told my husband my rotary cuter was broke the screw fell out i can't get it back in it won't screw he said you know it's a left handed screw turn it the other way well what do you know!!!! it worked lol

I have the same machine. The little white bar does go on top of the black screw and it makes the walking foot go up and down. Works great.

Enjoy your machine, I sure do.

It's nice to know that I'm not
The only quilter that does stuff like this!!I tOok my 6600P in because it kept jamming and I had the wrong throat plate on it! I felt like a dope!

I have a new Pfaff Quilt Expression 4.0 and have found that every time I change the bobbin, if I vacuum it out, I do not have the problems you are experiencing. It may take a little time but it takes less time that the frustration time spent when things aren't going right.

It sounds like the needle is hitting the bobbin case :cry: try taking the plate back off and making sure the bobbin case is seated right then before you put the plate back on gently turn the hand wheel towards you to make sure the needle goes up and down with out hitting anything. You should always turn the hand wheel towards you to make sure everything is ok before you press that pedal. LOL Liz :-)

Every time I think I have made all the possible mistakes that could be made, walla, I surprise myself and come up with a new one. Sometimes I just recycle them and make one I haven't made for a while.

Looks good - great pictures. In the last picture, the thread is wrapped around the needle, you don't want to sew like that! Glad you figured it out on your own. :)

Haha, yes I worked it all out and it works like a charm.
That is, of course if you ignore the fact that I used the table without pulling out [b[all[/b] the feet first, so that it was so unstable I couldn't work out why for a good two hours...but even that is fixed now. :lol: