Hi, I was having the same problem with my machines. I was so tired of going to the machine shop. So two months ago I went down and got my mother in laws machine (she died 4 years ago) I took it to the shop and asked for it to be cleaned and repaired if required. This machine is a singer model #AP649419. It is also more than 40 years old!!! It works like a charm!! From now on If I need a machine I will look for a OLD one. This one is a deluxe model, no electronics.....It puts on bindings, applique, tiny rolled hems, monagram, just to name a few things it does. So if you want a machine that WORKS ask the guy who runs the shop to look for a older model for you. Stress that it must be in excellent working order. No electronics to give out and no plastic parts. Good luck! :lol:

I have a Pfaff 2046---when I bought it the service man asked me what thread I was going to use the most and he set it for what I use most and it works good most of the time---and when it doesn't I usually screwed up the threading---hope this helps

This is coming from someone who has worked for Singer, Sears and a quilt shop & owns a Kenmore (33 years old), a Viking ( 10 years old) and a Brother (15 years old)
Whatever brand you have, call either the manufacturer which you can look up on internet or a local shop that sells that brand. Each machine has its preferences to what threads it likes and will work the right way in the machine. I have learned this over many years. Also make double sure that you are threading it the right way. Miss one area that should be used and it will cause this.
Also, on the Brother and the Kenmore, I have to hold the threads in the back for the first couple of stitches to keep it from jamming. It is just an idiosyncracy (sp) of those brands.
Don't give up on any machine---if one repair place cannot make it work, try another. Sometimes the first person may not have ever worked with that brand before but will not tell you that.

I had a problem with my Brother in bobbin area. It knotted and all sorts of nifty nests. Then I pulled the bobbin and the chuttle out. The chuttle had a rough sport on it. The books said to order another one. I had only had it about a month. Instead I took an finger nail file (not the metal one the sandpaper one) and filed the rough spot off. It worked(s) beautifully. That was four years ago.

Katrina

I was having the same problem with my machine (Pfaff). Before my husband took it apart, he asked if I was sure it was not the bobbin. Guess what? It was the bobbin. For some reason it didn't thread correctly. When I put a different bobbin in, I was good to go. Also, with all that bunching I would make sure you don't have pieces of thread under the plate. Good luck!

Hi I'm Pam from Chippewa Falls, don't hurt your Janome, I have the same one, and it is your thread, and possibly your bobbin as it doesn't work well with the beveled Singer bobbins, just the flat top's and bottoms. You can get them at Walmart, or Hancock. I'm in love with my Janome 3022, us 100% cotton thread, but not the hand quilting thread. Please give it another chance, you won't be sorry :lol: Good luck Also remember, sometimes cheaper thread isn't always the best buy, as they don't work well with the Janome 3022, Pam

The trick of sewing off the little piece of fabric works well at the beginning of a seam. But what works,too, is getting a 'single needle plate' for your machine. It has just a small hole for the needle to go through, not the oval shape that comes with the machine. It keeps excess fabric from getting sucked down underneath. You have to remember to only use it for straight stitching, though, or you'll break a needle.
If the fabric is being pulled under, you might not have the fabric far enough under the presser foot so that the feed dogs catch it.