THE TENSION NEEDS ADJUSTING

REGINA

Hi SewnSo,

My machine is like yours. It has Viking plastered across the front, with different plastic front, but is the same machine, thread path and all. It quilts great. If you have traced your threads correctly, it should sew.

If you have the tension set, it should sew without breaking.

If you have the correct needle, it should sew fine.

HLX5 is what was shipped with my machine. Schmetz has this needle as a quilting needle in two sizes: 75/90 as either 11, or 14 depending on the fabric you are stitching.

Check your thread tension again. If last resort, have a tech inspect the tension disks to see of some thread has gotten stuck in there somewhere.

I am sure you know to keep it oiled as someone has stated earlier. Oil after every few hours of sewing, when you get it sewing :-)

When you get this straightened out, you are going to love this machine.

Good luck! If you want, send me a picture of the machine after you have threaded it. I will try to see if the thread has gone wrong somehow.

arvarg, i don't see how to reply just to you. yes, it was doing fine till i dropped the bobbin into the bottome of the machine, and when retriving it i retrived it with a spring lose, and evidently it was srung or something. straight sews good, but not with the quilting foot, now. i will not give up. and yes, it is threaded correctly. got a vcr tape, and a dvd. with it.

Hi SewNSo,

Here are a few pages from the MegaQuilter help files.

It only has a couple of photos of the thread path, but the note about the tension dial and how the thread comes off the spool might help.

Be sure to read the last part about how the quilt is riding over the bed of the frame.

Go to the internet and google the manual, and you will find it. I have done that for my machine. You can down load the manual in pdf file.

Pfaff still makes the GrandQuilter Hobby 1200. But they also make a newer machine called the GrandQuilter 18.8, which has an 18" throat.

I bought one and after years, I got a quilt teacher here to help me, then after more time went by I started, thread kept breaking. Had a re-pair man out, he couldn't get it to work, so took it home for over a week. Said it came that way from the factory, it wasn't me!! hooray!!! Worked fine, while he was here...then you guessed it, the next day...thread is breaking...clean the bobbin every time you change it, and oil it every day...so, I'll try again next week...but with Christman coming it may go on the back burner...

We had one in our shop. I found that the Aurifil 50 wt plain colors worked best. Usually used a 100 topstitch needle. Some of Sulky 30 wt did OK, but only if they were plain or the variegated did not change color much. For example, the varigated pastels did OK, but varigated black to white was MISERABLE!!! Too much color change was hard to work with. Even the Sulky reps didn't know why. Don't go too fast - that made the thread break. Good luck - when you find the right combination for you it'll be great!

this is a high speed machine so needs a thread that can take it. I also have this machine and the original Inspira frame. When I have breakage, first check the needle. Then I spray the thread with silicone (in the auto department). The small bottles in the sewing store are too expensive. I find this helps.

zlosh, thanks for the link. I have never joined a yahoo group - hope they let me in.