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Comment by Cheryl Razmus on January 14, 2013 at 11:44

Sorry, Arlee, I'm not sure I know how to respond here to a particular comment, but since we seem to be talking about machines I'll just add it here. I have been working on a Janome Memory Craft 6500 for about 10 years now. I have never had serious problems with tension. I use all kind of thread including hand dyed size 12 embroidery yarns, and metallics. I quilt everything from small art quilts to  queen size. Several of my quilting friends have the same machine and love it too. It is not as fancy as some, but it costs a lot less than Bernina or Viking, rarely needs professional maintenance (probably cleaned and adjusted twice in the time I've had it. I rarely work with a hoop unless I am doing very tight overlapping work. I find that the trick for me is also to use tearaway or washaway stabilizers as well. For normal free motion work like feathers, I don't use either.

Comment by arlee barr on January 13, 2013 at 12:52

and posted---can we please comment there to keep  the discussion focused, otherwise people have to dig through all the comments to find the info. As moderator, it makes it difficult for me too :)

Comment by arlee barr on January 13, 2013 at 12:13

a hoop does help, but if you don't load the bobbin correctly, you can make a horrible mess in there anyways--going to post photos in the free motion discussion page in a little while (helping someone on another site rightnow so attention a bit divided!)

Comment by Devon Melanie Dougall on January 13, 2013 at 9:01

Yes, I agree with Margaret about the hoop and thread.  If you use very, very stiff fabric such as a painted canvas then you can get away without using a hoop, but for anything else a hoop is a huge step in the right direction of leaving Frustration Land.  Also, new threads that are polyester and of high quality help with breakage and tangles.  I read somewhere that putting other old/dried out threads in a non-frost free fridge would help humidify and restore them to some extent,  or even trying putting them overnight in a plastic baggie with a moistened rag or paper towel. 

  Now that I see you've got a Viking, Pippa, I can relate a bit more.  I had a Viking 6440 that I tried without success to FME on and I do know a bit about adjusting tension.  It is true that some machines "like" to FME and others will resist your efforts, I believe!  Often one machine model will FME beautifully, while another of the same model will not, so is good advice you've been given to test drive before buying. 

  One last thing, absolutely go for a vertical bobbin if you can.  Every FME book I have suggests this.  Good luck  in your search :)

Comment by Margaret on January 13, 2013 at 7:24

RE pippa`s problems     do you put your fabric in a ring Pippa and have it very taut (?)  I do not have great success but the hoop helps greatly and I also find if I use cheap threds they tend to snap especially the silky embroidery ones.  A lo tof it is trial and error but it is no good if you have to get ypour machine mended every time you use it.

Comment by Susan in Texas on January 12, 2013 at 23:14

Jo-Anne/Arlee,

I think that's what my friend, Dorthy, said, that it was because of the path the thread had to take.  Movement in FME is so personalized (jerky/smooth/slow/fast, etc) that probably the same machine will work perfectly for one person, and get completely messed up for another.  I have also noticed a HUGE difference in the frustration thresholds of my fellow stitchers.  lol  Some of them seem to always be having problems with their machines, you know?

Comment by Jo-Anne on January 12, 2013 at 21:00

Mine is a vertical bobbin and I've had no problems but I have heard people say this before about the horizontal ones.

Maybe a drop in bobbin can be a little more difficult because of the path the thread takes?? A bit like the printers that feed in a straight line and the smaller ones that the paper curves around perhaps.

If you are buying a new machine you should probably do a try in the shop before buying if this is an important factor.

Comment by arlee barr on January 12, 2013 at 20:32

Susan i've had Singers, Kenmores, Whites and an old Piedmont  -2 were/are top loaders, 2 side loaders  bobbins and i've never had problems on any of them--i don't know why it would be any different than a vertically loaded one--it's the same principle after all: load the bobbin correctly and away ya go

Comment by Susan in Texas on January 12, 2013 at 18:46

Arlee, what kind of machine do you have?  I'll let my friend know that at least one brand of drop-in bobbin sewing machines can handle the FME challenge.  8)

Comment by Jo-Anne on January 12, 2013 at 4:38

Hi Pippa,

Basic movement is pedal fast, hands slow for FME.

Mark the normal position on your bobbin for tension (or have a spare bobbin you can use to make adjustments.) If using a thicker thread in the bobbin loosen the bobbin tension. I usually have the top tension looser for FME and try a topstitch needle, has a bigger eye.

Grab some fabric and do a few samplers using different threads and tensions.

I did about 8 hours of FME over dissolvable using metallic thread and only had about half a dozen breakages, so the Janome copes very well with FME.

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