I have a Janome 1600P machine now 1-1/2 yrs. old on a Gracie quilt frame that I ordered online as a package because no one locally carried it. I had a lot of trouble with top thread breaking, but now I finally found a thread it likes (Guterman). It will sew all right with the straight stitch, but when I put on the free motion foot with the thick plate to cover feed dogs, it fails to pick up the bobbin thread. It just keeps sewing and makes no stitches. Janome will not help me--says take it to a dealer at my own expense since I bought it online. First, does anyone have any advice that I can try myself--anyone ever had this trouble? Appreciate anything you can offer.

I had the same trouble with mine and I bought mine at a dealer. It wasn't so much the thread brand. The problem is the needle. I always used sharps and that won't work. The dealer had me swith to ball point size 14 and haven't broke thread since (well except when I went to fast for myself). Give it a try and let me know how it works.

Thanks. Janome says I have to use an industrial needle made only for this machine--which I have done. Not connecting with the bobbin thread to make stitches is the problem now. I will try the ballpoint needle.

When using the free motion foot, are you sure you are lowering the presser foot before trying to bring the bobbin thread up? It's easy to forget to lower the presser foot and, if the foot is up, you will not be able to catch and bring up the bobbin thread.

If this doesn't help, let me know, there are a couple other things too. One is when you are doing curves, slow down a little. I have a tendency to speed up on curves and this is where i have the most trouble on any machine. lol

I have the Janome 1600 on a Grace Pro frame. When I have problems with the top thread breaking it has always been that the needle isn't in the correct position. Since the needles don't have a flat side to guide you on position, sometimes you have to play around with the needle. When looking at your machine on the frame, the needle would usually be in the 6 o'clock position. Sometimes you need to move it slightly to the 5:30 position. I use Organ sharp needles all the time and the only thread I have had problems with was the water soluble. Hope this helps.

Thank you for your suggestions. I tried all of them to no avail. Then I noticed the screw on the free motion foot and tried an adjustment by lowering it and finally it did stitch!! Even Janome didn't tell me that. It's not a great stitch, but a stitch nevertheless. This machine and I truly hate each other, but I believe it is again usable. Thank you again for your interest

oh I almost forgot, my dealer also adjusted the position of the needle bar. Only took a few minutes so i am sure it would cost hardly anything out of pocket. He said it was within tolerance, but barely.

Thanks. If I have further problems I will take it in and ask about the needle position. It helps to have an idea of what it might be. It seems to me that it could be made easier to tell when you have the needle inserted right. It could be more user friendly.

I have a Janome 1600 on the Little Gracie II - Your statement about the needle not having a flat side really throws me for a loop because the needles that came with my machine do have the flat side. These are Organ brand which are HLx5 and according to articles I have read, this needle is made for the Janome 1600P.

I haven't had the machine very long and have not tried any other brand of needle yet, but even the manual shows it uses flat sided needles.

stitchfancy

I just recently got this same setup. And, I am having a problem right now with the upper thread breaking after a few stitches. Changing to a different thread is on my list to try. I read somewhere else that Guterman was a good choice. I also read somewhere that it would be possible and very easy to do, just to remove the feed dogs totally since the are not used with the quilting frame. Might try that.

I bought mine online also. Only I bought my seperately in order to get a better price.

stitchfancy

There are different models of the Janome 1600. The 1600P uses the HL needles. The 1600P-DB and 1600P-DBX use the DB needles. I have the 1600P-DB. The HL needles have a flat side the DB needles don't.
So it is different needle for different model.

Threads I have sucessfully used with my Janome 1600. I have used Signature, So Fine, Isacord and Isofil. I have also used a cotton machine quilting thread available at Walmart and Hobby Lobby. The only thing I have had trouble with was the water soluble. I might have figured it out if I had been more patient. After 5 minutes of breaking thread, I pulled it off the machine.

Thanks for your info. I was looking in the manual and saw the information about the needles.

I've been playing some more and I tried turning the dial on the speed control down just a little and that seemed to help, so maybe it isn't the thread after all. I'm going to work with it some more tomorrow.

I'm finally getting the hang of following the pattern. I made myself a skill practice piece using a lot of different borders and misc. designs. It's getting a little easier day by day - I didn't think I would ever see that happen.

stitchfancy

Why would you quilt something with water soluble thread? Wouldn't that disappear after the first wash?

I was quilting a 108 x 108 quilt and thought I would have to turn it before I finished it. I was using the water soluble to baste it before I turned it. I ended up quilting it all the way through without turning.

I was ready to go out and buy some HLx5 needles since they have a flat side, but since it is for a different model, I'll stay with the DBx. This is the first Janome I have ever had, and I am very disappointed. Other models are probably okay, but this is really beyond home use. If the quilt isn't too big I just quilt it on my Bernina. I hope maybe things will eventually settle in. Thanks for all the input.

Eureka! I finally have my quilting setup working. I took the machine to a dealer who went all over it and it was working off the frame. On the frame it didn't work. Fiinally as a last resort I looked again at my frame and realized the take up rail was slightly lower than the feeding rail. I raised the take up rail and, wonder of wonders, it works.

Congratulations! I also find that most of the time it is something obvious that I may have missed, although it's hard to admit sometimes! LOL

Thread breakage
 

I just purchased a used Janome 1600P and was going nuts with thread breakage. I noticed in the manual that it suggests that if the thread breaks a lot to thread it through all three eyes of the pretension bar. I did that and have not had any more problems. Oh, and I also have to watch very carefully how I wind the thread around to get it into all three holes because sometimes I loop it and it forms a knot. I hope this helps.

Not sure how old your machine is but mine came with a darning plate that you just put on top of the other plate. I was having many issues with breaking thread and eventually just took the machine off the frame. But I did get a new free motion quilting foot along with a new darning plate.
This is what it looks like (not familiar with this particular seller, for illustration purposes only :o) )
http://www.kenssewingcenter.com/jano...t-p-29757.html

It might help some of you