Evil spirits in my sewing machine continue and escalating! Long post.

Send me a couple of FQs and I'll send you some sage from my garden. You will need to do an elaborate ceremony followed by the burning of the sage, all in your birthday suit! Of course if you do not want to do it, you can send me a couple of dozen FQs and I'll do the elaborate ceremony. I'll make sure it's a full moon too!

Really sorry to read about your sewing woes. There's nothing more frustrating than not being able to do what you set out to do. Don't yank your hair out, it makes the evil spirits think they've got you.

Good luck!

I'll spare you my thoughts on the Janome 4800. I know the rest of you love them, and I'm in the minority... but I think evil is just the beginning of the description.

As for the thread, if you can get you hands on some silicone spray, that helps some you can either spray the fabric, or the thread or both. I don't use it because of DD, but I know plenty that do and swear by it. Some even buy it by the gallons and soak their thread in it.

If all else fails, look at the hunky Mr. C and declare road trip to Jan's house! I've got a few machines we could play with and 3 briskets with good gravy in the crockpot ;-)

Jan RCTQ Coffee Diva

Well, Leslie, for sure you need help so I searched for a flaw in your problem solving. What if you did change thread? Would another one work better? The quilt on my bed - a very old-timey butterfly pattern with heaps of blanket stitch - has at least two different threads. Some wings and antennae are done by hand. When I realized that the project would last longer than my estimated life span, I swapped over to the SM. I expect the Quilt Police at Paducah would be upset but very few of them come by to spend the night. That quilt is about 6 years old and thus far, nobody's noticed. If you can bear to, do try another thread. Maybe some of that sweet and agreeable Kinkamee? And do try running a bead of the silicone 'All-Purpose Sewer's Aid' by Prym-Dritz down your spool as well as on the beginning of the thread end as you thread up the SM. Hang in there. We care. Polly (my list of very satisfactory swear words and appropriate elements for hissy fits available upon request)

I had my Janome in and out of the shop until I was about ready to throw it. We then discovered that the light weight thread I was using was popping of the up and down thingie, causing the thread to fray, break and drive me nuts. I thought I had checked, but I guess I hadn't. Anyway, if it happens again, I am to rethread, top and bottom, and continue. I have hidden the light weight thread I was using and would you believe, it hasn't broken, not once! I love my Janome and am glad to have discovered it was a user error, not machine error.

I know terribly little about this sort of thing Leslie - I mostly sew very slowly, so I suppose I might avoid some of the problems? However, some time ago Pat in VA post about a website that gave information about matching threads and needles (and various other useful things). I am wondering if it could be the *size of your needle that is mis-matched with the thread weight? eg if too big, might cause *more friction? Too small might do the same. I know there are best/perfect combinations, but I wouldn't know where to find the info. I'm afraid that's a bit of a dead loss and little help to you, unless you kept that site of Pat's saved somewhere? It might be just a tiny thought of help? . In message , Leslie & The Furbabies in MO. writes

My experience is not that extensive as to quilting, but clothing construction for many years past is, and the only time I had trouble with various Janome machines ( which I liked and continue to like), related to upper thread tension because of either to much friction in the pathway that the thread goes through to get to the sewing point, or thread tension. You say you can (almost) get it to stop happening if you change tension. That should direct you to look at the upper thread pathway /tensioning system and I would bet you would find the solution. Try to clean out all the pathways that the thread goes through. Floss them clean and look for stray threads that have become caught in whatever opening is there, and eliminate that obstruction. If that doesn't help. Clean under the needle plate and remove any crud that you find there. Sometimes, these things are as simple as rethreading the machine, which I am sure you have done. The last thing is to take it to somebody who is familiar with servicing Janome machines. Unless there has been a mechanical failure, I would bet it is a cleaning or threading issue. Good luck.

John

I want to join the enabling committee. Take the quilt and the thread a dealer who sells the SM that is your object of lust. See if it can do any better. =) Polly

You should have listened to me.

Wendy

Leslie & The Furbabies > I have gone from falling needles to breaking and shredding the upper

Here's another thought. Be sure the needle is in with the flat side to the back of the machine.

Another thought, besides the jeans needles, is leather needles. They have pretty good sized channels for thread to go through...

Cappy

Leslie, how stiff are the appliqués? Can you find a different thread that isn't C&C, but the same color? Is there a burr on the hook from the needle dropping? The "blurb" of thread forms from the thread going back and forth through the needle eye so many times, and it is more often on something like a buttonhole stitch that may not have as long a stitch length as usual. And you see it so high because the thread is pulled back up by the take up lever each stitch. One reason I have never liked using the "Dual Duty" thread. (When I got my first Viking machine, the "cotton wrapped poly thread had recently appeared on the market. I was told "never use it" because of the shredding.) You might try some Sewer's Aid or TriFlo on the needle regularly, should cut the friction on the thread. Also try a larger size needle to make a larger hole for the thread to go through = less friction on the thread. If the thread is old and you don't have the top tension sensor you might even try some sewer's aid on the thread.. check it though for staining. Even if you put the felt above the needle to lubricate the thread it might help.

Hope you solve the problem and can finish the project soon.

Pati, > I have gone from falling needles to breaking and shredding the upper

Be very careful using leather needles on fabric. They actually make a cut through the fabric. (That three sided point is sharp on the sides.)

Also, do not put Singer needles in anything but a Singer machine. They are a different length, and the "bump on the back below the eye" is much larger than on Schmetz or Organ needles. Both can be seen by laying same size needle of each brand side by side. Singer needles can affect the timing of the machine as well as causing burrs in various places. (In some machines they also jam very easily, about 6-10 inches into sewing.)

Try a larger size, sharp/jeans needle. Bet that will help some. Along with the Sewer's Aid.

Pati, > >