Janome 6600
 

i love my Janome but am having trouble with eyelashes on the back. I have just started free motion quilting and I know I need to practice but the eyelashes really bother me. Has anyone bought the blue bobbin holder for free motion and has it made a difference. Thanks everyone.

I also have the 6600 and have found that there is a specific combination of thread, needle and bobbin that will work for me. I use a 16/18 topstitch needle, poly thread both top and bobbin, and the blue bobbin casing. Although I think it is the poly thread more than anything else. I turn up the tension and keep a very close eye on the stitching (both sides) as it changes while I fmq. I keep the speed of the needle up, and the speed of the fabric down. It does take a lot of practice, but those are the best tips I can give you.

I had the same trouble with the 6600 and upgraded to the 8900. I rarely have problems with it eyelashing on the 8900. I tried the single hole plate, the blue bobbin, different needles, different threads. Some of it was probably operator error but I tried FMQing the same project on both machines when we bought the 8900 and you could definitely tell which machine did which section. My best advice is to just keep practicing and slow your hands down as you're moving the fabric. Hopefully that will help.

I bought the blue bobbin for my 6500, and love it. Worth the investment. Tighten your top tension and check the threading on your bobbin. It might help. I find little things like that are usually the root of my issues. It also helps to always have the same top and bobbin thread if possible- not necessarily the same color, but same thread. Are you near Raleigh?

I have the blue bobbin holder for my 6600, and it is worth its weight in gold!! I always set the speed on medium, because going too fast will cause eyelashes.

Mine is the Elna 7200 which is like the 6600. I do use the blue bobbin case and the top-stitch 16 needle. Those 2 things solved the problem for me entirely. I actually think the top-stitch needle had more to do with it than the bobbin case but can't be sure about that. Try both and then let us know the results.

I agree, huge difference for me!

what are eyelashes? i just got a 'new' janome 6600. wore out the first.......the first one i purchased in may 2005, and she prob has done 300 queens and half that many of other sizes.....

I don't have the blue bobbin, but did have problems in the beginning with FMQ. Some of it was the thread I was using, some was tension, some was needle ... but a lot of it I am now convinced was user error. How do I know this? After changing thread/needle/tension and finally getting everything to work ... I now use pretty much whatever I want (thread wise) and may or may not change the needle, and may or may not need to change the tension and lo and behold ... everything works.

. We are in Garner.

I bought the blue bobbin and it really worked well. However, now that I have an HQ16 I would just adjust the tension of the regular bobbin. That is all the blue bobbin is-----a different tension----which seems scary but it easily changed.

I have a Janome 6600 new to me in December. I did have an eyelash problem yesterday (first time) but I had forgotten to change the tension. I use the walking foot and do free motion quilting and have been able to use many kinds of threads: Superior: King Tut, bottom line, metallic, so Fine, Mettlar both polyester and cotton, YSL, aurilfil, I even used some Dual Duty Coates and Clark and some kind of embroidery metallic. I think the SoFine 50 is the easiest one to use.

I do test all threads and adjust the upper tension. I did just buy the blue bobbin holder as I know you usually adjust the bottom bobbin for machine quilting and this keeps you from having to do it.

With some threads (metallics come to mind) you need to slow down. I never have the machine in the top speed mode. For finicky threads, right below the middle mode.

This machine has been a tension dream for me.

I have the Janome 6600 and I love it. I think I know what you mean about the "eyelashes" Before I start on my real quilt I get a practice sandwhich and play and adjust the tension until they go away - then I go to my project. I can tell you that the top tension is usually set really high when I FMQ.. like on 9. I don't know what the blue bobbin is. I will have to check into that.

I actually lower the tension when I FMQ as janome suggests When using metallics superior thread suggest a tension of 1! I guess you do what your particular machine needs. It also depends how your bobbin holder is adjusted. That's why they sell the blue dot ones. So you don't have to adjust bobbin holder for FMQ. On my old machine I adjusted the bobbin holder myself when needed. I had two. One for FMQ and another for other sewing. I'm not sure if the blue dot bobbin has made a difference on janome. I keep forgetting to switch it out and it hasn't made much difference.