I have read all the girls tips and I agree with the going to the dealer to learn tricks and just plain old working the machine. I didn't sew on my Baby Lock Ellegante Embrodidery machine for months being so afraid of it. They gave free lessons where I bought it and took the bull by the horns and went in for them. WHAT a difference to have just some little things shown to you. I had sewn sense a teeny bopper and thought I could do it alone. NOT true with all the new things a machine can do now days.
One other thing about the thread breaking. Be sure it isn't old thread. I had old thread on wooden spools. Teacher told me to throw any wooden spools away. Yikes. I never throw away so had a lot of them. LOL