I'm so glad to see this thread!
I have been watching this video (lots)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WP7kfp3EpMo
and trying to decide whether or not to go ahead and spend the $. It looks like you can do a lot with the machine.
This discussion gives me lots more food for thought.
:)

Actually, if this machine is a sashiko stitch...that stitch is not a quilting stitch----so I'm thinking if doing it on a quilt sandwich might be the problem. Sashiko is just a dcorative stitch done on one layer of fabric...at least that's how I understand it....

I love my babylock sahiko machine! I use it to quilt with. Here is my lessons about thread breakage on my QB blog:
https://www.quiltingboard.com/blogs/...ge-b13272.html

Here is a photo of a quilt I made with my sashiko machine:

sorry, that pic is too far away to see the stitch, try again:

‘My sons are really into sashiko. According to them it is a way of mending worn clothing, or so it originated. They wear out their jeans then sashiko stitch the holes. They use a specific thread and needle and thimble for it. Interesting they have a machine dedicated to it, I never knew.

I bought a Babylock Sashiko machine last year and love it. I intend to do alot of quilting with it for smaller quilts. Initially I had thread breakage, and quickly realized I was causing the problem by laying my hands heavily on the quilt while it stitched, and this was causing some tension, which would make the thread break. Once I gently guided the quilt instead of holding it the way I do when piecing, I had no more thread breaks. None!

I do not consider it "an expensive one trick pony" any more than I do my television, washing machine, refrigerator, longarm quilter, computer, or embroidery machine, all of which only do one thing and do it well.

Yes, it is used for repairing holes, but so much more too. I have done some by hand, and now the machine is calling me.
some you tube tutorials of hand sashiko for repair, and for decorating:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCra...N31FlQSvXYI0JA

Yes, it only does one stitch. But with that one stitch you can do many things. Anyone looking at you tube can see so many pretty things that are made with it. I thought all BL machines had minimum of 1 yr warranty on them

I also don't like the excuse that my machine is just finicky. I feel since I paid so much for them all they'll take what ever thread I give them. Sometimes I have to put the thread in a cup behind the machine or turn it upside down or change out a needle to go along with the thread but my machines take all threads. The only machine that I allow any excused is my BL serger. It has both coverstitch and overlock, there are two different needles recommened for this machine, one works on just the overlock and the other is mandatory for coverstitch but also works for the overlock. That's the only needle that I buy, I can't tell the difference in needles once they are taken out of the package so I'd never know which one I had. I buy the needle that works in both but is mandatory in the coverstitch. Problem solved.