Okay -- for future reference...I didn't see this remedy posted yet (but may have missed it). Make sure the needle is in correctly! I have a friend that has one and he said he couldn't get one quilt done...took him 3 hours with "futzing" when he discovered he'd put the needle in wrong! I have the GrandQuilter 18.8 and know that when they say the needle goes in with the flat or "cut-out) side of the needle toward the back -- they mean the front is looking at it the opposite way you look at your sewing machine at home. The back of the machine, in this case, is looking down the length of the machine -- usually the machine is going east to west (for lack of an easier way to say it) and on the GrandQuilter -- you need to look from the east TO the west. oh, gosh -- anyone understand this???????????