Hi, I'm almost back to almost normal and I've been trying to finish a little table topper I've been working on. Problem is my SM is not cooperating. It started fine -- I'm free motion quilting cherries and leaves on the squares --- and then it did that dreaded jump, break the thread, birdsnest thing on the back. Over and over and over. I've opened, cleaned, redone, new needle, new bobbin, changing settings, turn off/on.... still it iwon't work with feed dogs up or down or whatever.
The machine is a Janome MC 5700 and it's been in the shop a couple times in the past year because of this kind of problem. The last time the fellow said he replaced the entire bobbin fixture and the machine should function like new. Uh, no.
Anybody got any ideas, short of shooting my machine? I don't want it back in the shop, another expensive fix-it job.
Sunny, I looked for a hole in your diagnosis - you don't say that you changed spools of thread. A cantankerous one *could* be causing your woes. Also: a new needle is not necessarily a good one or the right one. Stay with it, maybe you can get it going again. Good luck, Polly
Can you get any regular stitching done at this point? I mean a good stitch with a basic presser foot and feed dogs up normal stitch. There is a list of about 8 things in the trouble shooting list in the back of my machine manual. Have you looked at those in your manual?
Polly I tried changing thread. I was using Coats and Clark 100% cotton for machine quilting. I changed to a C&C cotton wrapped poly. I was able to get teh thing to sew normally, but when quilting there was still a "bump" every little bit, like I was hitting something. Or there was a slub or something on the thread that yanks the bobbin almost out of its casing. The batting is good -- Warm and Natural cotton. The fabric is all high quality. Grrrrrrrrrrrr.
Oh, I know, maybe it's the operator. LOL.
Ok I'm totally frustrated. Obviously the thing has to go b ack to the shop.
That happens to me every once in a while. It's usually caused by a bit of lint or little bit of thread that is really hard to find. But I know exactly what you're talking about- when the stitch is forming the thread passes over the bobbin case and it seems to catch and then it yanks the bobbin case all cattywampus, right? Just keep fiddling and cleaning and I'll bet you find something. Eventually.
Ya know, that's how I got my 6600. My 4800 was catching like that and I took it in for a 'professional' cleaning. They had a two week backlog for cleanings and repairs. So I bought a new one instead of waiting! And I am soooooooo glad that I did!
Best of luck... and I just replied to your post about buying a new machine. ;-)
When this happenned to me it was a piece of 'lint' caught between the pressure plates of the top tension. Normally this is easy to clean by running a piece of lint free material between the plates. In my case the lint was at the back of the plates and could not be cleaned without removing the covers. I could have done this myself if I had a manual showing how to remove the cover but Janome will not sell a maintenance manual to the end user :-(.
I realize that the SM makers don't want most of us removing the top cover and for good reason. We found a great set of little tools at the home improvement store that will let us take apart just about anything. Some folks are downright dangerous attempting to put a refill in a ballpoint pen but we had to become very self-sufficient after Katrina. My SMs didn't come with a warranty so all we had to lose was our pride. Polly
"Edward W. Thompson" When this happenned to me it was a piece of 'lint' caught between the
It could be a slub, but it could be other things as well.
Did you oil the machine? Especially the bobbin area?
Do you fill your bobbins fast or slow? Polly once wrote that some machines run better when the bobbin has been filled slowly rather than as fast as the machine will go. I have found my machine is one that likes the slow filled bobbins better and your machine might be the same.
Change the needle again. Just because it is new in the package does not mean it is a good needle. It may be defective or gotten bent somehow. It could also be the wrong size for the job. Double check the position of the needle and the needle screw after changing it. If your screw is even slightly loose the needle can shift while sewing and that causes all manner of problems.
Double check your bobbin. I made the mistake of loading a bobbin into the case backwards once. I was very sure the thread was supposed to come off the bobbin in the direction I chose, but when I later looked in the book I found the thread was supposed to unwind the opposite direction. I realized I had loaded it into the bobbin case the direction another machine was supposed to be loaded.
You say you are having problems while quilting, but plain straight line sewing is fine. Could your manner of basting be causing the problem? I have had both safety pins and plastic basting tacks to get hung on the under side of the quilt while machine quilting. Usually the pin or tack will get hung on the foremost part of metal part of the machine sewing bed. I have also had a tack get caught on the presser foot and on the feed dogs before.
And lastly, if you are free motioning, could you be out of practice and not moving in sync with the machine speed? Debra in VA See my quilts at
In addition to other good suggestions: -- did you brush for lint in all areas, including INSIDE bobbin case? -- did you get the throat plate re-seated firmly and evenly? -- did you double check that the bobbin is ON the spindle and the bobbin door is snug? -- did you change the TYPE of needle? -- did you eat the right type of chocolate?
HTH. PAT > Hi, I'm almost back to almost normal and I've been trying to finish a
Be very careful about recommending oiling. The newer machines NEVER need oiling, unless the technichan does it while servicing it. Oil will raise real H*** if applied to a machine that doesn't need it. Gen
ROFL I'm enjoying the check lists, especially the one about the right type of chocolate. Unfortunately, my machine continues to frustrate .... including with just plain stitching. It's doing the same damned thing, which makes piecing very hard. I am quite at a loss and will send the little darlin' to the shop again tomorrow. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.
I just noticed you mentioned using C&C thread. Is this the spool with the little nick in one end where you hook the thread when you store it??? If so, make sure the nicked end is down on the thread pen if not (guess how I know) the thread can catch on the nick ever so often and cause a myriad of problems.
Sunny, an obvious but often overlooked thing.... when you threaded the machine was the pressure foot up? If it is down the thread will not seat properly in the tension and will cause all sorts of problems especially the "nesting" on the back of the fabric.
Pati, > ROFL I'm enjoying the check lists, especially the one about the right
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