jeri Posted January 26, 2006 Report Share Posted January 26, 2006 I'm posting a photo of what's happening off an on. It only does this if I'm doing striaght lines right to left or diagonals right to left going toward the back of the machine in stitch regulated mode. I'm thinking that my timing might be a little off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BarbWetzel Posted January 27, 2006 Report Share Posted January 27, 2006 Jeri,, My stitch regulator skips a little once in awhile. But this really took a jump. I hope someone from APQS responds to you. Good luck....I will be watching to see what responses you get. Barb Wetzel Ivy Corner Quilting Altoona, Ia. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
9patch Posted January 27, 2006 Report Share Posted January 27, 2006 Jeri, Could you possibly be leaning on the machine (pressing down on the handles) a bit as you sew? This might interfere with the stitch regulator mechanism. I had this issue once when I was using the channel lock. It's easy to put undo downward pressure as you try to sew straight lines. Just a thought. Linda/9patch Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltaholi_518 Posted January 27, 2006 Report Share Posted January 27, 2006 Jeri, If that is happenning all over, it could be the encoder. But, if it is as isolated as it looks, it probably is timing. Resetting (and checking it) is really not as scarey as everyone seems to think. Go for it!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giftedhands Posted January 27, 2006 Report Share Posted January 27, 2006 It happens to me...rarely, but check to see that the threads are in the two thread guides (the one above the needle and the one on the side, and the the thread is secure in the tensioning wheels.) When the thread comes out of the guide, everything seems to move so fast that the unguided thread flies out when the needle is flying up and down and loops under the foot. Wierd, but tru.... Cynthia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeri Posted January 27, 2006 Author Report Share Posted January 27, 2006 Thanks ladies but I've tried all these unless I didn't get my timing perfect (I've redone it twice). It will still skip and tangle even without the extended base, no hands anywhere but one finger on the handle. Here are some of the things I've done. Rethreaded over and over, it happens even if the thread hasn't jumped out of the guides. Changed needles numerous times, scooched the encoders in as close as I can get them--I even have a new wheel on the top one (was having some long stitch problems going back to front-that part's cured). Raised and re-leveled my machine, cleaned every part, waxed the rails, hunted through the bobbin area with a magnifying lens for any bits of junk. It seems to happen when I go more than 8 inches and not every time but often enough that it's annoying and time consuming. It doesn't happen if I'm doing freemotion or a panto where it's not going in a consistant direction. Ideas anyone?? Thanks everyone for your thoughts and help. Back to my crosshatching. jeri Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudyL Posted January 27, 2006 Report Share Posted January 27, 2006 Jeri: I was having it happen and could not for the life of me figure out why the machine would stitch along perfectly, then make a huge section with no stitches. Sometimes the thread would break and sometimes it wouldn't . . would just continue to stitch beautifully. I finally figured out that I needed to tighten my top tension. Even though my stitches were fine, just adding an extra bit of tension to the top has stopped it completely for me. Not sure if that will help you but it solved my problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeri Posted January 27, 2006 Author Report Share Posted January 27, 2006 Judy, I will that a try. I had forgotten to mention I've even tried using different threads, different wts. in the bobbin. jeri Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudyL Posted January 27, 2006 Report Share Posted January 27, 2006 Jeri: One more thing . . do you have a little piece of batting stuffed into first thread guide above the cone? And, be sure to have the guide centered right above the center of the cone. Sometimes the way the thread comes off the cone, it really will unwind a big chunk at a time. You'd think by the time the thread passes through all the tension guides, it wouldn't matter but I've found that having that little piece of batting to keep the thread snug in that first guide helps too. If this doesn't make sense, I can add a picture. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoAnnHoffman Posted January 27, 2006 Report Share Posted January 27, 2006 I also use a little wool in the first thread guide, even on the bobbin side. Your top tension should be tighter than you think it should be and your bobbin is actually a little looser than you think it should be. Your bobbin should kind of crawl down the thread when you hold it in your hand. This may sound silly, but, is your bobbin in the case the right way? If you look at the back of the bobbin case and pull the thread, does the bobbin rotate clockwise? It should. Most DSM's go clockwise but the singer featherweight machines go counter clockwise and I think that may confuse some people. I had your problem on my featherweight when I first tried to use it. Also make sure you only go around the tension on the top of the machine once on the bottom side. Some try to wrap it completely around in a circle to get better tension. It should only slip under the bottom side of the tension guide. This is a stretch but have you checked the height of your hopping foot? Use your manual for the correct directions....you need to make sure a folded business card can be pulled in and out under the foot when it is in it's lowest needle position. It just might be too tight. If you have put an extended base on your machine you might need to adjust this. Hope this helps. Let us know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeri Posted January 28, 2006 Author Report Share Posted January 28, 2006 Judy, I upped the top tension and it seems to be doing OK. I've only been working on crosshatching so haven't tried a straight horizantal yet. It's just wierd that I hadn't had this problem in the past considering I've had my machine for 3 years and such a simple solution is working. MMMM gremlins (grins). I use the batting in the thread guide now and then especially if I'm using a slick thread like Rainbows. keeping my fingers crossed that it keeps working. jeri Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeri Posted January 28, 2006 Author Report Share Posted January 28, 2006 Thanks Joann for your suggestions, everything on my machine is as right as I can make it. I was thinking that I hadn't gotten the timing perfect but for the moment Judy's suggestion to tighten up the top tension a bit extra seems to be working. I can't imagine going around the tension guage twice. Actually I've been through the backwards bobbin thing and have recommened to several others to put theirs in properly--the directions when I purchased my machine had the bobbin going the wrong way!! Talk about tension nightmares for a newbie. jeri Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudyL Posted January 28, 2006 Report Share Posted January 28, 2006 Jeri: I'm like you .. had quilted for years and never had the problem. I couldn't imagine what it could have been and it took some serious thinking to figure it out. I finally noticed that there was just too much excess top thread when it was happening and the top thread seemed to be getting an extra wrap around the needle or something so just a tiny bit of extra tension on the top thread solved it for me and it has really been months . . probably a year since it happened. You can just about figure that any mistake/problem that can be had, I've managed to have it at some point or another. Glad my tip helped. I'll send a bill! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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