OT, sort of - stitching problem with Bernina 440QEE
Carole-Retired and Loving It
Bernina. I was happy with the store model. However, I'm having a
!!$#@##!! time with the new one now that I'm home. I haven't even
gotten to the embroidery module or the BSR. I'm just trying to get a
nice, normal, straight stitch. I've carefully followed the threading
diagrams for top thread and bobbin thread. It will sew normally for
about an inch or so and then the bobbin thread starts creating big
loops on the bottom.
If it were incorrectly threaded, I'd think those loops would start
right away and would continue, but this is an off/on kind of thing.
I wound a new bobbin, put on a new spool of thread, and changed the
needle and it still won't work. I'm SO discouraged. The dealer is 32
miles away!!!
Do any of you other 440 owners have any helpful suggestions for things
I could try? I'll call the store tomorrow afternoon but I have a
feeling they'll want me to make that drive again and bring it in. I
SO don't want to have to do that! (My first class is scheduled for
Dec. 19th but I don't want to wait that long to be able to sew!)
(My Elna Quilter's Dream is in that same store for service, so I'm
machine-less at the moment. It will be there for a couple of weeks
because the service guy only comes once a week.)
Carole D. - Retired and loving it in the foothills of NW Georgia
My quilts, crafts, QIs, and more - http://home.windstream.net/caroledoyle
Polly Esther
you have my real email address for a off-group exchange? I can call you on
my unlimited (!) cell phone and we'll do the threading inch by inch. I
really think that's all it is. Polly
"Carole-Retired and Loving It" <carol...@nospam.windstream.net> wrote in
message news:5kbpf5p8bhj8t3sqm...@4ax.com...
Sandy
Carole, have you looked closely at your bobbin case? I found that one of
mine (I have a Bernina that's very similar to yours, though it doesn't
have the embroidery module) was allowing the thread to move from between
the two little "hook-like" things that poke down into the hole where the
thread exits the case. I hope that was at least semi-clear. Anyway, my
dealer simply replaced the case, and the problem stopped.
--
Sandy in Henderson, near Las Vegas
sw.foster1 (at) gmail (dot) com (remove/change the obvious)
http://www.sandymike.net
Polly Esther
be the wrong bobbin case. Might not have been but didn't look right to me.
Of course, I bought mine one dark and stormy night out behind the
laundromat. Polly
"Sandy" <inv...@invalid.invalid> wrote in message
news:invalid-EB0FED...@news.supernews.com...
Edna Pearl
news:7m3qe2F...@mid.individual.net...
> Well, bless your heart. I'll help. I have and love a Bernina 440 QE. Do
> you have my real email address for a off-group exchange? I can call you
> on my unlimited (!) cell phone and we'll do the threading inch by inch. I
> really think that's all it is. Polly
Like you both said, it sounds like upper threading to me. Good luck,
Carole. If all else fails, sleep on it.
ep
Sandy
"Polly Esther" <Poll...@cableone.net> wrote:
> Now that you mention it, Sandy - my 440QE arrived with what seemed to me to
> be the wrong bobbin case. Might not have been but didn't look right to me.
> Of course, I bought mine one dark and stormy night out behind the
> laundromat. Polly
ROFLOL! Polly, there you go again with the funny post and no spew
warning! ;)
Polly Esther
to communicate just fine. She had realized that she needed to question the
tension on the bobbin case - the case wasn't sliding at all when she held it
by the thread. Sorry about the spew warning. We don't have dealers here
since Katrina and my SMs truly have come from some very strange places.
Polly
"Sandy" <inv...@invalid.invalid> wrote in message
news:invalid-7C2F12...@news.supernews.com...
Carole-Retired and Loving It
of it. The thread has always been between the two hooks, but it does
act like something isn't right there. I experiment with the tension
screw and got it so that it will sew longer stretches before it starts
the problem, but I still can't get it to sew consistently.
I talked with Polly and she gave me some other things to try to, but
so far, it still isn't sewing properly.
On Thu, 12 Nov 2009 18:06:52 -0800, Sandy <inv...@invalid.invalid>
wrote:
Carole-Retired and Loving It
it would sew properly for about 4 inches instead of two, and then it
would start snagging and looping on the underside again.
So, I'm going to sleep on it and I'm about resigned to taking it back
to see if it acts up for the people at the store!
On Thu, 12 Nov 2009 20:22:19 -0600, "Edna Pearl"
<edna_...@bitemespammer.yahoo.com> wrote:
>Like you both said, it sounds like upper threading to me. Good luck,
>Carole. If all else fails, sleep on it.
Polly Esther
that Bernina dealer. THey should not have let that SM leave the store until
they were sure it was prepped and Carole could at least thread it and
straight stitch. My golly! Grrrrrrr. Polly
"Carole-Retired and Loving It" <carol...@nospam.windstream.net> wrote in
message news:9pmpf51ji2dvjd0nb...@4ax.com...
Edna Pearl
machine -- may it pay you back with years of joy for these hours of misery!
ep
"Carole-Retired and Loving It" <carol...@nospam.windstream.net> wrote in
message news:3umpf5t2ghldkf07v...@4ax.com...
John
Another thing to look at is how you load the bobbin into the bobbin
case. Make sure that the thread is unwinding from the bobbin, from the
left as you place it into the bobbin case. When you pull the thread
after having loaded it, it should turn the bobbin in a clockwise
direction, when looked at from the open side of the bobbin case. You
also might have an adjustment problem with the little screw that
controls the tension adjustment on the bobbin case, as it pertains to
thread tension. I always have adjusted the tension on that screw to a
different standard that the most talked about way of using the bobbin
as a yo-yo sort of thing, and checking tension release that way. I do
very small tension adjustments on the bobbin case screw until it
provides "Just right" tension for the sewing I am doing. It involves
taking the case out of the machine a few times, but it it is more
accurate than the Yo-yo approach. Then again you could just have a
defective bobbin case, or even timing issues, although that is not to
likely, but could only be diagnosed by a trip to the dealer. I know
you hate the thought of taking a heavy new machine back and forth, but
you might just have to bite the bullet and take the drive. I also
would buy an second bobbin case and keep it around for when you might
be doing some sort of sewring work that requires a different tension
from the "normal' sewing that you do. IE: Thread painting, or
Embroidery. That way you can "screw around", so to speak, with only
one bobbin case, and leave your "regular" bobbin case alone.
Good Luck.
John
Maureen Wozniak
(in article <3umpf5t2ghldkf07v...@4ax.com>):
> Edna, I've threaded and re-threaded over and over. I got it to where
> it would sew properly for about 4 inches instead of two, and then it
> would start snagging and looping on the underside again.
>
> So, I'm going to sleep on it and I'm about resigned to taking it back
> to see if it acts up for the people at the store!
>
> On Thu, 12 Nov 2009 20:22:19 -0600, "Edna Pearl"
> <edna_...@bitemespammer.yahoo.com> wrote:
>
>
Oh, I understand your frustration. I know you've rethreaded, but sometimes
it is just so easy to overlook a little guide or spring or miss the tension
disk. You think you are doing it right, but if you miss that one little
spot, you get problems. Can you take the machine to the dealer and have her
watch you thread the machine? She might spot you're problem right away
Maureen
Carole-Retired and Loving It
thread was in the bobbin, played with the tension screw after first
noting its original position....did ALL that stuff. Talked with Polly
on the phone and tried her suggestions. All to no avail.
So now the whole thing is packed and ready to put in my car when I get
back from Yoga. I'm taking it and my sewing sample to the store and
they're not getting rid of me until they prove to me that it will work
correctly. :) That was too much money to spend to have something that
I can't even do a decent straight stitch on.
I will be very unhappy if I have to leave without the machine, since
my old machine is already sitting in their service department. I
wanted to be able to sew this weekend!
And yes, I had already decided that I need to buy another bobbin case
for my "experimenting" with threads.
On Fri, 13 Nov 2009 04:16:52 -0800 (PST), John
Ruby
leave the shop with out checking that machine worked and you could set
it up.
I am fortunate being in a small city I guess, with choices. I
procrastinated for months before buying my new machine. very afraid of
finding myself in a situation like yours as it is a lot of money.
Peppered every stitcher in the "bring your own project" class and guild
re their machines and service from the places they had bought them.
I ended up buying a brother QC and love it. The woman who sold it to me
has a good reputation for service and does a lot of repeat business. she
did not try to oversell me and asked me a lot of questions as to what I
was looking for in a sewing machine before even showing me any. actually
only showed me the QC in the end. I suppose if I had not liked it she
would have moved up or down the line.
the thing I like the most is it is very user friendly, the instruction
book is one of the best I have ever seen for anything. It came with the
table attachment, every foot imaginable, an attachment for using large
cone thread etc, I did not have to buy any extras. also it was on sale
for 1,000 off.
She sat me down to try it out etc. when mine came in she told me to
take it home and play with it write down any questions and them come
back and she would take me through it using the one in the shop.
as it turned out I did not have any questions as it is so user friendly.
After two weeks she checked up on me to see how it was going. LOL! so I
went in and asked her a couple of question re programing in your own
patterns etc.
So if and when I am ever ready to move up to something more involved I
will definitely being going back to her.
I had been using an old Kenmore so was timid to move up to computerized
sewing etc. But can't believe now I waited so lone. Ha!
I really hope you get it sorted out.
ruby
John
One other thing I neglected to mention, is that when you thread the
top thread through the thread path over the top of the machine, make
sure you have the pressure foot, in the Up position, and not down on
the stitch plate. You have been sewing probably long enough to know
all of the things that I and many others have suggested, but it is
often easy enough to keep repeating the same mistake over and over
again, especially when you are angry and frustrated with some new
purchase. Don't ask me how I know this. It does sound as if it might
be something that the vendor will have to deal with if you have
diligently tried all of the above and still it does it. That is really
a bummer, what with the excitement of getting a new machine. Hopefully
they will be able to deal with it in short order while you wait. But,
let's face it. Even though Bernina has a stellar reputation, they are,
after all, just machines made by man, or woman, as the case may be. I
had one of the brand new Bernina's I have bought over the last 5
years, have a problem that the store that sold me could not find or
fix. I was forced to tear it apart myself, and it turned out that a
simple circlip that holds a rod onto another rod, was off and laying
on the bottom of the inside of the machine. Go figure. I put the clip
back on and it has never missed a beat in all this time and it remains
today my main machine. I had it back into the shop 3 times before I
decided to tackle it myself, but boy were those frustrating weeks
waiting for the diagnosis that never came. Hoping for the best.
John
Dr. Zachary Smith
<caroledo...@nospam.windstream.net> wrote:
<snip>
> So now the whole thing is packed and ready to put in my car when I get
> back from Yoga. I'm taking it and my sewing sample to the store and
> they're not getting rid of me until they prove to me that it will work
> correctly. :) That was too much money to spend to have something that
> I can't even do a decent straight stitch on.
>
> I will be very unhappy if I have to leave without the machine, since
> my old machine is already sitting in their service department. I
> wanted to be able to sew this weekend!
Hi Carole,
You're absolutely right, and I parrot Polly's (pun intended)
admonition that the machine should have been properly prepped before
putting it in your hands. That said, this is hopefully one of those
frustrations that you'll be able to laugh at in the not-too-distant
future, and be delighted with the machine once the bugs are worked
out. Considering the number of moving parts, the precision required
to manufacture and assemble them, the technology to get them to do the
things they do, I'm often surprised at how well they work and do what
they do when they're operating correctly.
My point is, give them a chance to make things right without blowing
your cool (not saying that you would - just sayin'...) My DW
absolutely loves her Bernina, and though it's considered obsolete
today, she wouldn't trade it in (she just said so) - it works
beautifully all these years later. She had a few problems at first
too, though I don't recall the specifics, and she was crushed that she
wasn't able to bring it home and use it that weekend, but things
worked out and she's a happy camper (with regard to the SM) today.
Hang in there - this too shall pass.
Congrats & Best Wishes,
Doc
Carole-Retired and Loving It
Sewing Center, and luckily the repairman was there and looked at it
right away. He had to do some "surgery" on the bobbin case. The
spring wasn't correctly seated and was about to fall out. Once he did
that, he sat down and sewed some beautiful straight lines. Then he
had me totally re-thread the machine to make sure I was doing it right
(I was) and had me sew for a bit. It worked fine.
So now it's back home and set up again. I've started with another
thread, another freshly wound bobbin, and it still works! I even
played around with a lot of the decorative and specialty stitches, and
the small alphabets. Total success.
Next step - adjusting to use Bottom Line thread in both top and
bottom, as that is how I was already quilting the quilt-in-progress.
I'm straight line stitching some of the motifs, so I'm going to try
out the walking foot.
Step 2 - Experiment with free-motion with the BSR.
Step 3 - Open the box with the embroidery module and experiment with
that.
These steps may take weeks or months! :)
Sandy
> Sandy, I've taken that bobbin case in and out so many times I'm sick
> of it. The thread has always been between the two hooks, but it does
> act like something isn't right there. I experiment with the tension
> screw and got it so that it will sew longer stretches before it starts
> the problem, but I still can't get it to sew consistently.
>
> I talked with Polly and she gave me some other things to try to, but
> so far, it still isn't sewing properly.
Carole, it sounds like you need a new bobbin case, though that's just a
wild guess. I hope they can fix the machine for you while you wait. :S
Sandy
Hurray, Carole! :D I'm so glad for you! You may want to join (if you
haven't already) a Bernina Yahoo group at
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/430_440_630_640_730/?yguid=228099170>;
they're full of great information, especially if you're getting into
embroidery. I'm pretty quiet there, since I don't have the embroidery
module, but I still get quite a bit of useful information from them. :)
Carole-Retired and Loving It
440 but it seems to be inactive at this point. I've signed up for the
one you've given the link to and am waiting on moderator approval.
On Fri, 13 Nov 2009 13:57:51 -0800, Sandy <inv...@invalid.invalid>
wrote:
John
Glad they could deal with it, and get you up and running. Have fun!
John
Sandy
> Thanks for the link to the Yahoo group. I had found one just for the
> 440 but it seems to be inactive at this point. I've signed up for the
> one you've given the link to and am waiting on moderator approval.
And I've now seen and replied to your message there! :) I hope you can
get as much out of that group as I have. For one thing, when my BSR
started going a bit whacky, they had the answer -- and my tech was able
to fix it in less than a day. :)
Martha
> I finally decided to get a Bernina 440 QEE. ....However, I'm having a
> !!$#@##!! time with the new one now that I'm home. I haven't even
> gotten to the embroidery module or the BSR. I'm just trying to get a
> nice, normal, straight stitch. ....
What thread are you using? Your symptoms sound like my former ones.
My Bernina hates Valdani thread, and is not particularly fond of
Gutermann, but purrs right along on Mettler.
I've heard, but not tried, that Coats and Clark does well on Berninas
too.
Martha
CaroleD
that lots of the machines he works on have problems with it.
Anyhow, the snagging problem was fixed by the repair of the bobbin case.
Now I have a new problem. When I press the button to lower the feed dogs,
it goes all the way in and pops right back out. It won't stay depressed and
the feed dogs won't stay down. They want me to bring the machine back again
on Tuesday when the service guy is there.
Now that the bobbin case is fixed, I've been able to use Bottom Line,
Masterpiece, and Coats and Clark with no problems.
Meanwhile, I AM able to do the straight line quilting that I need to do with
the walking foot.
"Martha" <marth...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:martha1357-4B640...@news.sover.net...
> What thread are you using? Your symptoms sound like my former ones.
>
> My Bernina hates Valdani thread, and is not particularly fond of
> Gutermann, but purrs right along on Mettler.
>
> I've heard, but not tried, that Coats and Clark does well on Berninas
> too.
CaroleD - Retired and loving it in the foothills of NW GA >^..^<
My quilts, crafts, pets, and more - http://home.windstream.net/caroledoyle/
CaroleD
might have read, while my normal stitching is going fine now, I can't get
the feed dogs to lower to try free motion. The button presses in easily but
won't stay. It springs right back out. The feed dogs won't stay down. I
called the Sewing Center but nobody is there today who knows enough to look
at it, so I'm supposed to bring it back on Tuesday when the repair guy is
there. None of the ladies in the shop had ever heard of this problem.
--
Louise in Iowa
problem with the machine. I think I'd be asking for a replacement. It's
wonderful that they can fix it (so far), but I'd be worried about what else
might go wrong.
--
Louise in Iowa
nieland1390@mchsi dot com
http://community.webshots.com/user/louiseiniowa
"CaroleD" <carol...@nospam.windstream.net> wrote in message
news:hdmsr1$dij$1...@news.eternal-september.org...
Sandy
"CaroleD" <carol...@nospam.windstream.net> wrote:
> I saw your reply, Sandy. Thanks. I might end up posting later. As you
> might have read, while my normal stitching is going fine now, I can't get
> the feed dogs to lower to try free motion. The button presses in easily but
> won't stay. It springs right back out. The feed dogs won't stay down. I
> called the Sewing Center but nobody is there today who knows enough to look
> at it, so I'm supposed to bring it back on Tuesday when the repair guy is
> there. None of the ladies in the shop had ever heard of this problem.
Carole, I'm so sorry you're getting such a dismal introduction to
Berninas! :( I've never heard of this problem, either, and I'm beginning
to think that perhaps the machine should be replaced with one that works
as it's supposed to.
CaroleD
dropped during shipping. I'll see what happens on Tuesday. There's not
anything I can do about it this weekend.
"Louise in Iowa" <niela...@mschitip.com> wrote in message
news:92DLm.134582$la3.81939@attbi_s22...
> Carole, it's making me a little nervous that you're having your second
> problem with the machine. I think I'd be asking for a replacement. It's
> wonderful that they can fix it (so far), but I'd be worried about what
> else might go wrong.
--
Pat in Virginia
Pfilomina Pfaff feed dog, similar to what you've described. The problem was
all my fault; Pfilomina was not at fault! It was caused by not securing the
needle plate properly; it needs to be totally flush with the SM surface;
being a tiny bit 'off' is not a good thing. You may want to double check the
needle plate. HTH.
PAT
> "CaroleD" <carol...@nospam.windstream.net> wrote in message
> news:hdmsr1$dij$1...@news.eternal-september.org...
CaroleD
brought the new machine home on Thursday, since I've had no need to. The
feed dogs go up and down normally when I'm sewing, so they are moving
freely. They just won't respond with the "feed dog down" button. That
button should go in and stay depressed, but it just won't stay.
"Pat in Virginia" <pat.q...@cox.net> wrote in message
news:PRDLm.16454$We2....@newsfe09.iad...
> Carole, While I know nothing of Bernina, I have had problems with the on
> Pfilomina Pfaff feed dog, similar to what you've described. The problem
> was all my fault; Pfilomina was not at fault! It was caused by not
> securing the needle plate properly; it needs to be totally flush with the
> SM surface; being a tiny bit 'off' is not a good thing. You may want to
> double check the needle plate. HTH.
--
J*
i'd ask at what point in time i'd be getting another machine
as this one is obviously having some real issues.
taking it back and forth for fixing is a big inconvenience to you and you're
not getting all the sewing done as you'd anticipated when you bought a new
machine.
if its a lemon for cry'n outloud they oughta just give you a new one that
works properly.
j.
"Sandy" wrote...
Carole, I'm so sorry you're getting such a dismal introduction to
Berninas! :( I've never heard of this problem, either, and I'm beginning
to think that perhaps the machine should be replaced with one that works
as it's supposed to.
Leslie& The Furbabies in MO.
straight stitch or have the presser foot up or down or the free motion foot
installed or press a button for free motion or an override or something like
that? Just grabbing at straws...
Leslie & The Furbabies in MO.
"CaroleD" <carol...@nospam.windstream.net> wrote in message
news:hdn392$447$1...@news.eternal-september.org...