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From: Vanessa's sewin
Date: 04-02-2005, 06:04 PM (1 of 6)
I took my first machine quilting class today, and it all seemed to go fine with the exception of my sewing machine. I broke about 4 needles before I gave up and used theirs. I have a Babylock Ellure. I have done embroidery and lots of regular sewing on the machine and never had this type of problem. It almost seemed like something was pulling the needle forward and causing it to break on the metal plate. Does anyone have any guidance? I really want to work on a project, and this is making me nuts. 
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User: Vanessa's sewin
Member since: 02-22-2005 Total posts: 30 |
From: Raine
Date: 04-02-2005, 06:30 PM (2 of 6)
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Does it only happen when your feed dogs are down? Maybe the needle is hitting something. The only other suggestion I have is--make sure your project is loose around the sewing area. Make sure it's not caught on a knob on your sewing machine cabinet, etc. Good luck! |
User: Raine
Member since: 04-19-2000 Total posts: 259 
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From: Vanessa's sewin
Date: 04-03-2005, 09:07 AM (3 of 6)
| Well, I did some more tests, and the machine sews great for all of the regular stitches, but it is still breaking needles with the feed dogs down trying to do free motion. I have no idea. It is weird because it does embroidery with the feed dogs down fine. Even if it wasn't breaking needles, none of the tension adjustments look like anything I would want on a quilt. I don't have a dealer by me here, but I will when we move later this year, so I might have to wait until then unless I have a flash of genius. Maybe I will just start handquilting this piece. I actually like hand quilting, but I just was looking for a faster way to do things for gifts. |
User: Vanessa's sewin
Member since: 02-22-2005 Total posts: 30 |
From: plrlegal
Date: 04-03-2005, 12:53 PM (4 of 6)
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vanessa did you loosen the top thread tension when you're free motion quilitng? On my Pfaff 2044, there is a presser foot setting that only set the free motion foot (darning foot down halfway) instead of all the way down on the fabric. Patsy Patsy
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User: plrlegal
Member since: 05-19-2001 Total posts: 318 |
From: luv2sew
Date: 04-03-2005, 01:41 PM (5 of 6)
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Vanessa, In a machine quilting class that I attended, the instructor said that breaking needles was common for beginners and it resulted from moving the fabric too fast and in a jerking motion. Luv2sew Luv2sew
An act of kindness is never wasted!! |
User: luv2sew
Member since: 05-21-2004 Total posts: 174 
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From: Vanessa's sewin
Date: 04-03-2005, 02:22 PM (6 of 6)
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Luv2sew: Thanks for that advice. I don't think that is the problem as I didn't break any needles during the almost 3 hours that I worked on the other machine. I contacted Babylock, and they said that this machine uses tension disks instead of tension rollers, so I tried their suggestions for the adjustments which were the exact opposite of the standard adjustments. (BL said fast speed, longest stitch length, etc.) I can now make it work without breaking needles, but all I have is a thread laying on top with loops over it. Definitely not something good. I'm going to try to see if I can find someone who has the same machine and has gotten it to work. I am a little dissappointed as I think that I would be able to work on my piece if I had a different machine. :( I was pretty happy with the samples that I had by the end of the class. |
User: Vanessa's sewin
Member since: 02-22-2005 Total posts: 30 |
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