1191 Quilting Machine "lemon"
 

I'm starting this thread in hopes that someone might be able to give me suggestions on what to turn, change or tweek next to get this thing running.

When I first brought it home, it sewed for a little while (about 2 feet) then the thread would break. I changed the thread and bobbin and needle. No luck.

Then I got brave and started tweeking the tension. Now I have a hugh birds nest under the fabric but in the color of the top thread (I have two different thread colors in the machine).

ArizonaKAT who feels like she will never figure out how to use a quilting machine.

ArizonaKAT,

I don't know anything specific about quilting machines, but when you end up with birds nests under the fabric it means you loosened the top tension too much. Try gradually tightening it watching the results each time.

Joe

Your thread looks shiny. Are you using nylon, or polyester thread? By the way, that is a good looking machine. I hope you get it going .

A Singer 1191 is an industrial machine. I've never seen it set up for FMQ...but there is a first for everything.
Is is possible that you have it threaded not quite right? The thread in the guide closer to the top can get twisted and then will continue to break thread. Hope you can work it out....

This may seem silly - but you are remembering to put the foot down, right? With the hopping foot, it can look down even when it's not (so top tension not engaged) and then it's a huge - huge bird's nest underneath.

And if the foot is down, then double check that you actually have the thread correctly in the tension disks. I've got at least one machine that you can actually get it on the outside of the two pressure disks, so it's not getting any tension on the upper thread at all. Also make sure your bobbin case is inserted correctly, and not sticking out in a way that is catching the upper thread and not letting it get pulled back up by the uptake lever properly.

Another thing to look - is the thread popping out of any of the guides and wrapping where it shouldn't while you sew? These are some of the more common problems I see people posting on the Bailey quilting Yahoo group - the machine is easy to have tension problems if a person is use to sewing on a machine that "does it all for you" and not a mechanical one - I personally have very few problems, but then I'm use to sewing on mechanical machines.

Check to see if there is any dried up old oil in the tension area.

I'm not helping here but what kind of frame is that?

What size needle are you using?

Cotton thread. That was just the flash from the camera.

I actually have an instruction manual (if that's what you want to call it) and I threaded it according to the instructions. Originally I had problems with the thread catching at the top but worked that one out.