Both of my Berninas have become very strange. They will stitch a fine straight stitch BUT when I drop the feeddogs to free-motion quilt, the bobbin thread sort of just lays loose with the upper thread quietly looping around it. I have cleaned and changed everything except the key to the front door. Any suggestions welcome. Polly
Talking to myself here but, furthermore, it seems as if dropping the feed dogs is somehow affecting the stitch quality. Can that be?
Both of my Berninas have become very strange. They will stitch a fine straight stitch BUT when I drop the feeddogs to free-motion quilt, the bobbin thread sort of just lays loose with the upper thread quietly looping around it. I have cleaned and changed everything except the key to the front door. Any suggestions welcome. Polly
Polly. When you raise the feed dogs do they immediately go back to stitching? I can't think why that would be, but I'm willing to accept that it might happen. If so, will it sew on paper if you drop the feed dogs?
The only other explanations I can come up with offhand is a mismatch between needle and thread sizes comes off as "tension problems". I know you're too much of a pro to have done this, but I'll ask anyhow... did you thread with thepresser foot up, and sew with it down?
re: changing the front door key... my husband's family moved to Trinidad in the very early 1960s and rented a house. My mother in law called the locksmith to change the locks. He showed up, worked for awhile, and handed her back the same two keys. When questioned he told her he'd moved the front door lock to the back door, and vice versa... turns out there were only about 4 lock patterns on the island at the time, and she already had two of them...
Kay
Thank you, Kay. Please stay with me and think with me. I've tried threading foot up and foot down. No difference. We've taken the left side off and cleaned and oiled. I've tried spools vertical, horizontal, aurifil and plain old C & C. Swapped bobbin cases, tightened and loosened both. Changed needles. Many times. Even flossed with a hundred dollar bill. ( it was the only clean one here.) Any other ideas? Polly
Polly. When you raise the feed dogs do they immediately go back to stitching? I can't think why that would be, but I'm willing to accept that it might happen. If so, will it sew on paper if you drop the feed dogs?
The only other explanations I can come up with offhand is a mismatch between needle and thread sizes comes off as "tension problems". I know you're too much of a pro to have done this, but I'll ask anyhow... did you thread with thepresser foot up, and sew with it down?
re: changing the front door key... my husband's family moved to Trinidad in the very early 1960s and rented a house. My mother in law called the locksmith to change the locks. He showed up, worked for awhile, and handed her back the same two keys. When questioned he told her he'd moved the front door lock to the back door, and vice versa... turns out there were only about 4 lock patterns on the island at the time, and she already had two of them...
Kay
It's nice to know I have friends who sometimes have a hundred dollar bill around! Barbara in SC
Thank you, Kay. Please stay with me and think with me. I've tried threading foot up and foot down. No difference. We've taken the left side off and cleaned and oiled. I've tried spools vertical, horizontal, aurifil and plain old C & C. Swapped bobbin cases, tightened and loosened both. Changed needles. Many times. Even flossed with a hundred dollar bill. ( it was the only clean one here.) Any other ideas? Polly
Polly. When you raise the feed dogs do they immediately go back to stitching? I can't think why that would be, but I'm willing to accept that it might happen. If so, will it sew on paper if you drop the feed dogs?
The only other explanations I can come up with offhand is a mismatch between needle and thread sizes comes off as "tension problems". I know you're too much of a pro to have done this, but I'll ask anyhow... did you thread with thepresser foot up, and sew with it down?
re: changing the front door key... my husband's family moved to Trinidad in the very early 1960s and rented a house. My mother in law called the locksmith to change the locks. He showed up, worked for awhile, and handed her back the same two keys. When questioned he told her he'd moved the front door lock to the back door, and vice versa... turns out there were only about 4 lock patterns on the island at the time, and she already had two of them...
Kay
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What did the paper test do? And what foot/feet are you using?
Is this a true statement? There's nothing that fixes the problem EXCEPT raising the feed dogs?
The only thing I've got, assuming it sewed fine on paper with feed dogs up or down, but not on fabric, is the notion that you may need to stabilize or starch the daylights out of your fabric for this project.
I'd been hoping it was a case of something like this:
You've got me scratching my head...
Kay
What did the paper test do? And what foot/feet are you using?
Is this a true statement? There's nothing that fixes the problem EXCEPT raising the feed dogs?
The only thing I've got, assuming it sewed fine on paper with feed dogs up or down, but not on fabric, is the notion that you may need to stabilize or starch the daylights out of your fabric for this project.
I'd been hoping it was a case of something like this:
You've got me scratching my head...
Kay
Ok, that says to me that either I'm way, way past the end of my knowledge on this one, or the culprit is likely to be needle and thread size compatibility. Are you trying to use thick thread on a small size needle?
And at this point, I think the choices are hope Ron shows up to teach us both more, or it's time to head to the dealer. What I don't get are both machines doing the same thing at the same time. Which again says needle/thread/fabric. Sorry I'm not doing any better on this one.
Kay
Nothing new or unusual ... same nice quilters cotton fabric, same batting, same needles, same thread. We don't believe in the moon stage or goblins, do we? And it looks like they got Ron too. Thank you Kay.
Ok, that says to me that either I'm way, way past the end of my knowledge on this one, or the culprit is likely to be needle and thread size compatibility. Are you trying to use thick thread on a small size needle?
And at this point, I think the choices are hope Ron shows up to teach us both more, or it's time to head to the dealer. What I don't get are both machines doing the same thing at the same time. Which again says needle/thread/fabric. Sorry I'm not doing any better on this one.
Kay
I tried everything. 3 times. Giving up; sending the 550QE to the Bernina guy. The 440 is behaving nicely with some serious cleaning of the black thing behind where the bobbin case is. The happy? We set up the old 155. She is such a sweetheart. I'd forgotten how easy-going she is. Or - I hadn't realized how contrary the 550 had become. To be fair, I sew almost every day and all 3 really have some miles on them. Thank you for helping me hit it with our best shot. Polly
"Kay Lancaster" wrote .> Ok, that says to me that either I'm way, way past the end of my knowledge on this one, or the culprit is likely to be needle and thread size compatibility. Are you trying to use thick thread on a small size needle?
And at this point, I think the choices are hope Ron shows up to teach us both more, or it's time to head to the dealer. What I don't get are both machines doing the same thing at the same time. Which again says needle/thread/fabric. Sorry I'm not doing any better on this one.
Kay
On Mon, 5 May 2014 21:22:56 -0500 in alt.sewing, "Polly Esther" wrote,
Make sure you are not trying to stitch with the foot up.
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