littledentist

Ok ladies. I am in dire need of help. So I just got my new quilting machine today. It's threaded. Bobbin is in. I sew. I stop sewing. I want to make sure everything is good, I get all excited, and then I see the problem. I rethread. I rebobbin (yes, I'm fairly certain that is a word). Same thing. (By the way, this is not thread cutter related.) I go to pull out my muslin and I can't do it bc I see there are 3 threads coming out from underneath where the bobbin thread exits and there is no sliding out, it's stuck/jammed. You can see what the bobbin thread looks like on the second picture. Does anybody, by any remote miracle, know what's going on here?

littledentist

Actually, I'm not so sure it's bobbin issues. WHen I switched the bobbin threat to white it turns out that the black top thread is the one getting caught. Argh!

nancysp

I have this machine and found it difficult at first. My guess is that the bobbin isn't sitting in the machine correctly. Or isn't fitting in the bobbin case correctly. Make sure you practice a straight stitch first with feed dogs up before you try FMQ. Keep trying... I love my machine.

crashnquilt

We use this same machine at work. 1. Do you have the bobbin in the case correctly? Bobbin should unwind clockwise. 2. Do you have the bobbin thread completely seated under the tension spring? 3. When you put the bobbin back into the machine, do not have the little flip handle out. When you press in the bobbin case you should hear/feel a click. 4. When you thread the machine, you should go straight from the thread holder to the pre-tensioner (the thing with 3 holes in it). Your thread should be going down in ALL 3 HOLES. (If you use just 2 like in the manual the thread screws up) It should be down hole 1, back up and down hole 2, back up and down hole 3 Thread should be wrapping around the tensioner. When you thread the machine, make sure the pressure foot is in the up position. Make sure you have your thread completely seated in the tension disks AND you are going around the check spring, then under the hook and up into the needle take up. Also, if you have changed your needle the eye of the needle goes side to side not front to back. Also, the FLAT SIDE of the needle shaft goes to the right.

Let me know if this doesn't help and I'll check it out better.

GOOD LUCK, those are DYNAMITE machines!

Lisa_wanna_b_quilter

The top thread is the problem. I used to have this problem frequently when doing FMQ and still have it at times. I can't exactly say what causes it because I'm a novice at FMQ. For me it tends to happen when I get my hand speed and machine speed out of sync. After much frustration and trying every possible solution, I have found when it happens now I need to walk away. After a bit of a break, things always seem to go better.

I love the machine and hope you will come to love yours, too. I'm no expert on anything, but I've had the machine for over year. Feel free to PM me if you have any problems that I may be able to help with.

Grace creates

My heart goes out to you. I hope you figure this out.

Scissor Queen

Did you put the presser foot down?

BellaBoo

I don't use all three holes, using all three puts too much tension on the thread. I use the first hole and only go through it from the top, use it like a thread guide. The manual says it's for various threads that may need more tension, not for every thread. Threading this way solved many of my top and bobbin thread issues and stopped the needle from becoming unthreaded when using the thread cutter.

littledentist

Oh it's so nice to hear people out there! I've been working on this for the past 4 hours. I could cry. What concerns me also is the tension dial. No matter what I set it to, after I've been quilting for even a minute or two it just goes to whatever tension it desires on its own. The dial itself doesn't seem loose, but it's got a mind of its own and it is definitely laughing at me. Do sewing machines have personalities?! I swear this one does.

I believe the bobbin is correct, it fits into the machine. I have tried only threading through one of the holes, not two. I'm using a new needle, good thread, and no matter what the upper thread forms a huge mess on the bottom. This has to be operator error, but I have not gotten five good minutes out of this machine all night. I don't want to mess with the bobbin tension bc that I have done all the bobbin tests and that is smooth when I pull on it.

I am going to take a deep breath and try to reevaluate tomorrow. Any other suggestions or prayers, I am listening to you!

littledentist

Crashnquilt, my bobbin (sorry, I get so confused with this) unwinds counterclockwise. If I'm holding the bobbin in my left hand, I wind the thread around it in a clockwise motion with my right hand. This is the way I put it into the bobbin holder. Is this correct?