AnitaSews Posted October 4, 2011 Report Share Posted October 4, 2011 I know most of you guys are LA, and I'm a small dog sittin' on the porch here...... I've been kind of fighting with my Janome the last couple days. Seems that the thread keeps breaking when I am trying to learn free motion. I don't know whether I'm not being consistent enough with my motion and stitches or something else. I've tried adjusting tension, pressure foot, different threads and even as far as using a different fabric and still it is breaking. I did view Leah Day's video on youtube, added the rubber band for the darning foot, it still hops but not as bad! I really do not want to bend my the bar at the top as she suggested in the video, unless it is my last resort... It is probably something really simple, don't know yet. But I called the place where I purchased it from and signed up for there free class tutorial that automatically comes with a new machine. Other than that, everything else is running pretty smoothly with my Janome.....Imagine that?!?! Any comments???????????? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
srichardson Posted October 4, 2011 Report Share Posted October 4, 2011 Anita, You might try a larger sized embroidery needle. It is possible that the eye of the needle you are using is too small and causing the thread to break. Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnitaSews Posted October 4, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 4, 2011 Hmmm, didn't think of that one. I was using a universal needle. I'll have to go out and get it and see if that makes a difference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oma Posted October 5, 2011 Report Share Posted October 5, 2011 Try going slower at first until you get the hang of it. You didn't say which Janome you have, but both of mine have a switch for going slower or faster. What weight of thread are you using? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tamarack Posted October 5, 2011 Report Share Posted October 5, 2011 Check for a burr on the metal plate just around the hole the needle goes through. Burrs are caused when a broken needle hits the plate. That could be causing thread breakage. If you see one just take some 2000grit sand paper (Auto-body sandpaper) and give it a rub until smooth. I have a Janome 6500 and did a lot of free motion on it before I bought my longarm. Hope you find the problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathyA Posted October 5, 2011 Report Share Posted October 5, 2011 are you using a 40 wt or a 50 wt thread? Try a heavier thread. I use my Janome for small free motion and prefer the 40 wt when i do any quiltling with it. Also, be careful if doing an actual quilt. When I began free motion quilting I wasn't aware that the 4o wt would break easily. All the early quilts I did for family I am now 'repairing' on my LA and of course using a heavier wt thread. Hope you find the answer you need. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs.A Posted October 5, 2011 Report Share Posted October 5, 2011 Anita, universal needles are not suited for any aspect of quiltmaking except for machine applique. For machine quilting you will have better results with a topstitch or embroidery needle. On both, the tips are sharp and the eyes are larger. Make sure your basic set up is correct. Feed dogs dropped, the right darning or free motion foot, lots of support for the quilt sandwich so that there is no drag on the sandwich. Needles & threads are important but for those of us who move the fabric under the machine, the most critical thing is the speed of your hands relative to the speed that you run the machine. Caryl Bryer Fallert said that it takes 300 hours to teach a machine to quilt. ;-) This is not something one learns overnight. You just keep after it. Learn from everyone (classes, books, videos, online) & figure out which techniques will work for you. The forum is a great resource so please keep us posted on your progress! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busy Quilting Posted October 5, 2011 Report Share Posted October 5, 2011 Most domestic machines will also need to have the tension of the bobbin adjusted for free motion quilting. Tension is set for the likes of piecing and not the need to pull the bobbin thread into the layer of batting. Janome have a separate bobbin case for their 6600 machine, but I usually have the bobbin case adjusted for FMQ and don't have to adjust it for piecing. Lyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnitaSews Posted October 5, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 5, 2011 Originally posted by Busy Quilting Most domestic machines will also need to have the tension of the bobbin adjusted for free motion quilting. Tension is set for the likes of piecing and not the need to pull the bobbin thread into the layer of batting. Janome have a separate bobbin case for their 6600 machine, but I usually have the bobbin case adjusted for FMQ and don't have to adjust it for piecing. Lyn So what tension setting would you recommend for my MC6300? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tamarack Posted October 5, 2011 Report Share Posted October 5, 2011 Anita, this is a picture of the bobbin case Lyn mentioned. It is set at a lower tension than the standard case that comes with the machine. When I free motion on my 6500 my top tension is usually at 7 so quite high when I have my standard case in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fineseams Posted October 5, 2011 Report Share Posted October 5, 2011 The first thing to think about when doing FM is to make sure you can freely move the area of the quilt that you are working on without anything tugging or pulling or catching. Quilts are heavy, and the weight of the quilt hanging off your machine can pull it away from the line you are trying to stitch. When trying with your hands to pull it back, it is easy to tug too much or too quickly and break a needle or break the thread. So, solve that problem first. Do you have an extended table? It is really difficult to move your quilt smoothly if you do not - and when you get the quilt caught on something and jerk it you will break needles. Also, it is important to have the table surface very clean and as slippery as possible so that your work area does slide are smoothly. Use quilting gloves or pads or one of the various means of making your fingers a little "sticky" so that you just place your hands on the sandwich, you don't have to grab it. Again, what you are trying to do is get easy movement of the quilt. And finally, I always teach my students to build a little "pudfdle" of quilt around the area that they are stitching. Make sure that nothing is tugging at the quilt. When you stitch to the edge of your "puddle", stop and reposition the quilt, building a new puddle, before you go again. Paula Reid, who taught me my first FM class, calls it "fluffing and stuffing". Don't forget to drop your feed dogs. The trick with FM is to find the right balance between the speed that you run your machine (how hard you press on the "gas"), and the speed at which you move your hands. It is sort of like rubbing your tummy and patting your head at the same time - it takes some getting used to. Some teachers encourage you to move quite quickly in order to get a smooth line. I think the most important thing is to find that balance - so don't feel like you have to speed along. I sometimes go fast - when making a nice free curve, for example, and sometimes I go quite slowly - when doing some tricky fill. Run your machine at a speed that gives you a feeling of control. You will be able to speed up as you gain experience. I use either a microtex sharp or jeans/denim needle, size 80/12. Do use a good thread - Aurofil or Mettler Silk Finish are both good quality cotton threads. I use a lot of OESD 40 wt. polyester embroidery thread. You may need to loosen your bobbin tension a little, although that is generally not necessary. If you are nervous about changing the bobbin tension, buy a 2nd bobbin case, set the tension so that your FM works well, and keep it for FM - use the other case for piecing and general sewing. I have a nice open toe FM foot on my Bernina, but I hated the foot for my Brother, so I bought the generic foot that Leah Day recommends and I bent the bar back as she suggested. I really like the result. So now when doing FM on my brother I'm using Leah's foot. The other IMPORTANT thing is to have a practice sandwich at your machine. EVERY time you sit down to do FM, pull out your practice piece and spend a few minutes doing swirls, points, straight lines, etc. That will get you into the rhythm of smoothly moving your hands, work on getting your stitches nice and even, check out your tension, etc. I love doing FM on my DSM - if you invest in a little practice every day you'll soon get the hang of it. But if you have a class available, do take advantage of it. There are lots of little tricks that you will learn in a class that will make things easier for you. The free class that comes with your machine may not concentrate on FM, so you might want to check with your LQS and sign up for a class that concentrates on FM. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tamarack Posted October 5, 2011 Report Share Posted October 5, 2011 I just realized that the free motion bobbin case will not work on your machine. So here is a trick. I have attached a picture of the bobbin case and am pointing to the tension screw. If you turn it ever so slightly to the left it will loosen the tension. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnitaSews Posted October 5, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 5, 2011 Bonnie & Tamarack, I plan to keep practicing FM everyday and the advice/tips you guys are giving me mean so much! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoseCity Quilter Posted October 5, 2011 Report Share Posted October 5, 2011 Anita, all good tips here. I have been teaching free motion quilting on a domestic machine for 15 years. I cannot over emphasise how important haveing a large enought needle is. I like a top stitch size 90, but I have my beginner students use a topstitch 100 or 110. It all has to do with needle flex- check out Dawns article on this subject- http://www.apqs.com/artists_dawnc_blog.php?id=5 Also do not forget to PPP! (practice, patience, and persistance) Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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