Seasons Greeting from KathyQuilts.com

Only two days, (really only one shopping day because we don't shop on Sunday), left until Christmas! Boy where has the time gone? We at KathyQuilts.com want to thank everyone for their support and for visiting KathyQuilts.com. Our success is because of quilters that have allowed us to help them and influence in some way the quality of their quilting. We love helping anyone that wants to be able to get more out of their passion for quilting.

We are really excited about a new product the Grace Company has just released. Quilt CAD is a new tool that you use on your Windows based Computer, that helps you to design how you want to quilt your quilt. With the aid of your Personal Computer, you will be able to enter in the dimensions of your quilt and create really cool designs. You can quilt it, on your computer, without ever taking a stitch! You will be able to make it look the way you want it before you ever get started quilting.

Also included is a program for designing your own pantograph patterns. You can design them, make they any size you would like, then print them out on you printer. Each page will be numbered so you will be able to keep everything straight when you tape them together.

Quilt CAD is a really powerful design program. We have just barely scratched the surface as to what it will do. With the aid of the design library of over 75 patterns that are included, you will quickly be able to find ways of creating your own designs. This software will have a huge impact on the way quilters will design patterns both for themselves and for other. Whether you create your own designs and sell them as additional pattern libraries, or you just want to share them, Quilt CAD will at the center of this awesome break through for many quilters.

Click here for more information and to order your copy today.

Also click here to check out the new Gracie Laser that will help you when using your new pantograph patterns.

Thank you, and Great Christmas and Holiday Season, from Kathy, Lynn, and the whole KathyQuilts.com team!

Lynn
KathyQuilts.com

Large Quilts and Rotating Your Quilt

Hi,

When you use your machine quilting frame, you are limited by the length of the throat of your sewing machine and the width of your frame. You might have a frame that sets up to King size, but if the throat on your sewing machine is too small, you will run into trouble. Here is a work-a-round for this problem.

Directions for doing large quilts on your quilting frame

• Measure your quilt length and width. If the longest measurement is longer than 94 inches, you should fold the quilt in half to find the mid point along that edge.
• Mark the mid point with a straight or safety pin so you can easily see the pin. Click here for some really cool safety pin covers that make this process much easier: Mark both sides of the quilt, so no matter which end of the frame you are on, you will know when you have quilted to the mid point in your quilt. You will want to quilt a past the mid point so you can prepare to rotate your quilt.
• Once you have quilted past the mid point, roll your frame carriage off to the side of your frame. Use your safety pins to baste the rest of your quilt. The whole quilt will gather up on the "Take Up Rail" on your frame. When you get to the end of quilt and you see the leaders. Unpin the quilt top from the leader, but leave the quilt back leader still attached.
• Use your Fabri-Fast tool, or just pull on the leader out of the Fabri-Fast channel near the end of the leader. You shouldn't need to unpin either the take up rail leader or the quilt back leader.
• Turn your quilt end for end, with the quilt top still facing the ceiling.
• You can now roll the pin basted part of your quilt up on the take up rail. Take your time and smooth the quilt from the center out to the right then the left.
• you will need to attach the quilted part of your quilt to the quilt back rail. You only use two rails in this process.
• Position the quilt so you can work from the part of your quilt that is completed (quilted) to the end that is basted. You need to check under your quilt to make sure that there aren't any puckers each time you roll the quilt.
• Every time you roll your quilt, there will be less quilt rolled up under the arm of your sewing machine.
• Continue this process until you have completed the quilt

There might be other ways to get the same results, but this allows you to quilt large quilts without worrying about the quilt being too big.

We really like the Juki TL-98Q for doing most of our quilting. It has almost a nine inch throat, and is about six inches tall in the throat area, (harp). It really is the best sewing machine for the price that we have found. Click here to check it out

Why the GMQ Pro the Best Choice compared to other Grace Frames

Machine quilting is not only fun, but can help you make quilts that are actually stronger, so they can be use as well as admired. The biggest difference between the GMQ Pro and Little Gracie II is price. The question is what do you get for the extra cost that would make it worth purchasing the GMQ Pro. With that said, I really like the GMQ Pro better than the Little Gracie. I don't know if it is a guy thing to always want something bigger and better, but I just like to have ability for my quilting frame to be able to evolve as my skills and needs change.

The Little Gracie is a Great machine quilting frame, it is a better frame over-all than the original GMQ. Purchasing the Little Gracie II would be a sound investment, for anyone getting a frame that is better than nearly all the other machine quilting frames available on the market today. The big question would be why do I think the GMQ Pro is a better frame for anyone getting started machine quilting?

Listed below are the reasons that owning the GMQ Pro is a smarter choice, if someone has the budget for it:

• Leveling Feet - The GMQ Pro comes with foot levelers that allow you to fine tune your GMQ Pro, so it is perfectly level. With the carriage of the GMQ Pro now shipping sealed bearings right from the factory, the chances of your carriage costing off to the side are greatly improved. This isn't a good thing. When you stop quilt and have the needle of your machine in the up position, you want to have the machine stay where you left it, not at the other end of the frame with your bobbin thread pulled out. The feet levelers let you fine tune and make sure that your frame is level.


• Pivoting Rails - When you are quilting, you need to keep checking the underside of your quilt. You need to check for puckering, thread loops, or anything that might not be working properly. The GMQ Pro frame is the only frame on the market that has this feature at this price point. You would have to spend thousands of dollars to get a frame with this capability.


• Stronger Frame Rails - The GMQ Pro has a larger diameter frame rail which means that they are stronger and stiffer. This doesn't mean that you should load your quilt on as tight as a drum, but use properly, these rails will not sag even when set up to king length.


• King Length Rails - Even if you never plan on quilting a quilt that is king size, the extra length can be a great advantage. When you are doing a quilt that is longer than it is wide, you can load it on sideways. That way you have a lot longer row that you can quilt before you have to roll the quilt, and you will have less quilt rolled up inside the arm of your sewing machine which helps as well. The more quilt you have rolled up on your take up rail, the less room you have for moving your sewing machine forward and back.


• Room for a Practice Quilt - Machine Quilting takes lots of practice, the problem is that if you work on a practice quilt, then take it off and put a real quilt on the frame, you have lost most of your practice effort. With your GMQ Pro set up to King length, you can have a practice quilt strip that is about 10 to 20 inches wide loaded beside your project quilt. You can practice all you want on your practice piece and then roll over and nail that tricky feather that you have been practicing. It just makes it a lot easier if you can just roll over and quilt what you have been practicing without having to load on a new quilt.


• Batting Rail Included - This is nice that you don't have another accessory that you need to purchase. You save money!


• Three Sizes - The GMQ Pro can be set up King, Queen, and Crib lengths.


• Sizes of Machine Heads - Holds sewing machine heads up to 18 inches of throat length without needing any additional upgrades or parts. Only current model Grace Frame that allows for larger machine head.

All the Grace Frame machine quilting frame models perform wonderfully, but the GMQ Pro is the best choice for the Quilter that wants to get the best value for the money. It is so hard to determine how hard you will be bitten by the machine quilting bug! If you purchase a frame that can't grow with your needs, you will be limited by your frame's limitations.

-Lynn

Using the Kathy Quilts Speed Control Box

If you have a KathyQuilts.com Speed Control box and are wondering how to use it, here are some simple instructions.

The Kathy Quilts speed box just replaces your foot pedal that comes with your machine. Just plug the two cords in (Juki TL-98E or Q only, all other machines only have one cord), and it works! I suggest using some duct tape or similar size tape, and making a loop to temporarily attach to the bottom of the speed box. Try the speed box several locations until you find a position you like. Once you have an idea of where you want to attach your Speed Box, you will attach the hook side, scratchy side, of the Velcro to the bottom of the speed box and the soft side right to the wood of your carriage.

When I quilt in front of the frame, I set the speed box up on top of the carriage where the Gooseneck Lamp usually attaches. I rest my left hand right on that brace next to the speed box, that way I can turn it on or off without having to look away from my quilting to turn it on our off. Once I turn off the Juki, I can push the thread cutter button, move over to a new section and then just start quilting again. There will be a 1/4 thread tail on the bottom and top of the quilt. I will usually clip the top thread, but leave the bottom thread for later after I have taken the quilt off the frame.

You can try the speed box out in a variety of positions. You can also get more double stick Velcro and have several places that you like to position your speed box depending upon what type of quilting you are doing.

Loading More Than One Quilt on your Frame

There are a few different ways to quilt multiple quilts at a time. If you are working with a frame such as the Grace GMQ Pro and have it set up to King Size your options greatly improve. In most cases, you will want to center your quilt in the middle of your frame, but you can fudge it over to the side a little if you need the extra room for a practice quilt to be loaded to the side of your project quilt. I like to have a practice quilt that has a light color so you can see the thread, usually muslin or something similar. Once you have quilted all the way through your practice quilt with one color of thread, switch to another color the next time through. If you can stand it up in the corner, then you should probably start a new practice quilt! This practice quilt should be a fairly skinny or narrow quilt. I would suggest no wider than 24 inches wide, but at least 12 to 14 as a minimum. When I start this new practice quilt, I load it on sideways. I make it about 64 inches long or how ever long my fabric is. That way I have a quilt that is about 12 by 64, the 64 inch side being pinned to the leader. After I have quilted enough to stabilize the quilt, I usually don't pin it to the leaders again. I use clamps similar to the Bungee Side tension clamps to hold the practice quilt to the frame rails. This way if I have a feather, a wreath, or whatever to try before doing the real thing on my quilt, I hook my quilt onto the frame without having to worry about pinning to the leaders. You just use two rails, the Take Up Rail, and the Quilt Back Rail. You have to use large enough clamps to hold to the frame rail, but not so large that it gets in the way of the sewing machine. This can be a little tricky so you have to find what works best for you. I like using the clamps because I can put the practice quilt on and take it off very quickly without disturbing my project quilt.

The alternate method to using some sort of clamps to hold your quilt on the frame, is sew a casing in your practice quilt and thread the Fabri-Fast Tubing into and you pop it into the frame rail. You will have the ends of the tubing exposed if you are using a Queen Length Leader on the frame set up to King Size. It is easier if you load your practice quilt the same time you load the current quilt you are working on. If you need to load it after you are already part way through your project quilt, just unroll the Take Up rail a couple of turns, pop your practice quilt in, then roll it back up. You just need to make sure that it will hold it in place. The other end of the practice quilt needs to be clamped with clamps large enough to hold it on the quilt back rail, top rail if you are standing in front of your machine frame. You don't have to roll it up on the rail, just let it hang over the rail and clamp it. You will want to take the clamps off when you roll your project quilt or strange things will happen.

The advantage of this practice piece is that you don't have to worry about how it looks, it is just practice! Once you get the practice you need, move over onto your project quilt and do your thing! If you have to practice on a quilt, then load a new quilt, all the practice you did will be ineffective. Being able to move right over and do what you have just been working on is so much easier.

If you have several wall hangings that will be quilted similarly, then load a large quilt back, and float the smaller pieces. After quilting, just cut them out! Kathy does this frequently as it is a real time saver. You just need to make sure your batting is a little larger than the quilt top you are doing. Pin all the way around your project pieces to stabilize it to the quilt back.

There are a lot of different ideas of how to hand different situations with your quilting frame, but the main thing is that you keep trying and find out what works for you.

Happy Quilting!

--Lynn
KathyQuilts.com
Phone 1 888 826-0222
email: lynn@kathyquilts.com

http://kathyquilts.com "Quilting without limits"

P.S. Visit our quilting-tips page on our web site for tips on how to use your Grace Machine Frames the way they were designed to be used. Here is the link: http://www.kathyquilts.com/customer/home.php?cat=77

Please visit our KathyQuilts Blog at: http://kathyquiltsblog.blogspot.com for discussions on Quilting Tips and Tricks. Please let us know what you think.

Signup for our Free KQ E-News: mailto:enews@kathyquilts.com?subject=subscribe

Please include just your first and last name in the message.

Tour de Cure, Riding for Diabetes

Please help sponsor Lynn from Kathy Quilts in the Tour de Cure bicycle ride for the American Diabetes Association. The Ride is June 10th, so pledges need to be made as soon as possible. I can turn them in up to two weeks after the ride. I will be riding the 100 mile course that visits the Historic "Golden Spike National Monument" in Promontory Utah. With your encouragement and support, I know I can do it. Use your credit card to pledge your tax deductible donation. Click here to pledge $5 or $10 or whatever you can manage. Lynn's goal is $1000, please help me raise money for the American Diabetes Association We at KathyQuilts.com want to thank you for your support for shopping at KathyQuilts.com and Supporting the American Diabetes Foundation. I really appreciate your help and so do millions of Americans that suffer from this horrible disease.

Thanks,

Lynn
KathyQuilts.com.

Differences between stitch regulators and speed controls

Machine quilting involves two variables, one is the speed of your sewing machine, the other is the speed that you move the frame carriage around. These two factors determine the length of your stitches. If you have your sewing machine running too slowly for the speed that you are moving the carriage, you either break needles, or your stitches are huge! Many quilters call these long stitches toenail catchers. On the other hand, if your sewing machine is going too fast for the speed that you are moving the frame carriage, your stitches that are too close together.

The Grace Speed Control, only controls the speed of the sewing machine. You have to get the stitch length that you desire by moving the frame carriage around, matching the speed of the machine. This is better than not using a speed control, but you need to practice to get good even stitches.

The Quilter's Cruise Control, on the other hand is a stitch regulator. There is a small computer, (brain), that with the help of the optical encoders, senses the movement of the frame carriage. The brain tells the sewing machine how fast to stitch. The advantage of this system is that you can move your carriage at a speed that you are comfortable with while quilting. The stitches will be nice and even.

With enough practice, you can get pretty good at getting even stitches with just a speed control such as the Grace Speed Control, here is a link: Grace Speed Control, but one of the stumbling blocks that many home machine quilters find themselves in is that they don't get to quilt every day like the professional quilters do. What happens is when you get a chance to quilt, you have to get back into your quilting groove, and it can be frustrating to feel like you are quilting with both hands tied behind your back!

When you are able to use a Stitch Regulator, such as the Quilter's Cruise Control, here is a link: Quilter's Cruise Control® Stitch Regulator (Special Order), you have the confidence that you can start out slowly, and get use to your frame, without worrying about whether you are moving your carriage around fast enough.

Both methods are far better than just using the foot pedal of your sewing machine. It is nice that there are some choices when it comes to quilting on your frame.

If you have any questions, please let me know.

Happy Quilting!

--Lynn
KathyQuilts.com
Phone 1 888 826-0222
email: lynn@kathyquilts.com

http://kathyquilts.com "Quilting without limits"

P.S. Visit our quilting-tips page on our web site for tips on how to use your Grace Machine Frames the way they were designed to be used. Here is the link: http://www.kathyquilts.com/customer/home.php?cat=77

Please visit our KathyQuilts Blog at: http://kathyquiltsblog.blogspot.com for discussions on Quilting Tips and Tricks. Please let us know what you think.

Signup for our Free KQ E-News: mailto:enews@kathyquilts.com?subject=subscribe

Please include just your first and last name in the message.

Rocking on My Quilts with the Quilter's Cruise Control

For a long time I resisted checking out the Quilter's Cruise Control because I just didn't think it was necessary. Kathy learned to quilt on her Gammill Classic Longarm frame without one, so why should other people need a stitch regulator?

It came to me that Kathy and other professional machine quilters have hours each day that they can spend quilting. If I had that kind of time to quilt, I could be an accomplished quilter. Unfortunately, I just don't have that luxury with all of my time being divided up between Family, KathyQuilts.com, and riding my bicycle when I get a chance too. Every time I do get to quilt, I have to basically relearn how to quilt. It takes me a while to get my quilting groove on! With the Quilter's Cruise Control, I am able to take my time while getting use to my frame again. My stitches look awesome, I don't feel the pressure of having to move my frame carriage around faster than I want because my Juki is blazing at some uncontrollable speed!

With the Quilter's Cruise Control, I can follow a pantograph pattern as slow as I need to go so that I can have a flowing motion to my quilting. I love how I can slow down when I have a design that has a point or spike that would be so difficult before. I would have to rush to quilt in and back out of the point and invariably mess it up as I came back out of the point. I just find it hard to keep my stitches even when there are sharp angles or points that I am trying to keep crisp and clean looking.

I have been working on doing feathers, and they take some practice. With the Quilter's Cruise Control® Stitch Regulator I can take my time and not feel rushed. The Cruise Control is one of the best things to ever happen to my quilting. I love using my Juki TL 98Q with the GMQ Pro and the Cruise Control, with Quilter's Cruise Control® Remote Switch. Kathy can still quilt circles around me, but I can at least complete a quilt without feeling like a fish out of water.

Happy Quilting!

--Lynn
KathyQuilts.com
Phone 1 888 826-0222
email: lynn@kathyquilts.com

http://kathyquilts.com "Quilting without limits"

How Can the Quilter's Cruise Control Help?

The Quilter's Cruise Control is designed with the casual quilter in mind. That is the Quilter, regardless of ability, has a time constraints that don't allow hours of quilting. Machine Quilting really takes time and practice. It also take being consistent, meaning that you don't quilt for one or two days and then put it away for a year. When you can only quilt sporadically at best, then every time you begin anew, you have to relearn, and it take time to get back into your quilting groove. The Quilter's Cruise Control is really helpful in this case because it allows you to quilt slowly and take your time. This not only helps you to get use to using your frame again, but if you are doing complex, or intricate quilting, you don't have to worry whether you have the speed set just right or not. Having even stitches also is a huge benefit, because it can look like you are a gifted quilter, even if you don't really have the "gift".

There are only certain machines that work with the QCC, so it is important to determine compatibility before ordering your Cruise Control.

The Quilter's Cruise Control is special because it is what they call a stitch regulator. It has a brain that senses the movement of your machine frame carriage and then tells the sewing machine how fast to stitch. With all that complexity, there comes a fairly hefty price, the Cruise Control is $499, and most every one gets the Remote Switch ($25), so they can turn the "Brain" on from either the front or the back of the frame. You have the new Little Gracie II, so you won't need the Parking Space. When you switch on the QCC, it is in what they call, "Idle Mode". That means that it is stitching, but at a few stitches per minute. When you start moving the carriage around, it begins to speed up the machine. It is really cool.

Click Here to visit our Stitch Control page on our web site KathyQuilts.com



Lynn KathyQuilts.com

(888)826-0222

Email lynn@kathyquilts.com

Importance of using cone thread correctly on frame

Hi,

This is an email we received from one of our customers:

HI Kathy,

I was the person who contacted you about problems with my Grace Machine quilting table back in december. I wanted to let you know what has happened since I last contacted you. After I had started putting the thread in the correct place and used the new darning foot things improved a little. I still was having problems with threat breakage and missed stitches. I was having 1 to 1 1/2 inch spaces without stitches. On Sunday I was trying to quilt and I was having a lot of problems with threat tension. It was too loose but if I tightened it up the tread broke. I was so frustrated that I started to quilt the quilt I was working on using my regular machine. Today I took the Juki to a local place that cleans and adjusts my machines. What had happened when I had the thread in the wrong place caused the problem. The thread would not come off the cone well and get stuck at times. That pulled the needle to the side and the needle hit the face plate and broke. I didn't see anything out of place when that happened and it had happend several times. Well the problem it cause was a bent face plate. I had taken it off several times and cleaned the machine and never noticed the problem. But the fixit guy was able to tell with his trained eye. There were also some burrs caused by the needle hitting the face plate that caught the thread and cause the breakage. We thought I would need to buy a new face plate but my machine fixit guy was able to bend it back without breaking it. If we had needed to buy a new plate the cost to them was over $60 so it would have cost me about $80 and it would take about 6 weeks to get it. I haven't had time to try it out since I picked up the machine but I will on the weekend. I just hope this fixes things. It just goes to show how a little thing like thread placement can cause all kinds of trouble. Nothing was damaged inside because the needle broke outside the mechanism. So that is a good thing.
I just wanted you to know what happened. I thought I was so stupid but I looked over the Grace book again and it didn't say anyplace to put the thread on the botton. My Husband put the table together and so I never saw anything that would have told me that those plastic X's were thread holders. I just feel so stupid about this. Please remember to tell people about the threat placement. i don't want anyone to have to go thru what I did. I know I should have contacted you a lot earlier but I think the damage was already done by then. But maybe I would have taken the machine in earlier and it would have gotten fixed sooner. I appreciate all your help.

Take care,
Barb Tomasov

We can't stress enough how important it is to use cone and spool thread correctly. Spools are made to spin as the thread comes off them, cones should always remain stationary and the thread always needs to feed directly off the top. You should have a stand or eyelet or something that allows the thread to feed without creating any extra tension. If you have any questions, please email me at mailto:lynn@kathyquilts.com

Please visit our site where we now offer the Quilter's Cruise Control: http://www.kathyquilts.com/customer/home.php?cat=86

Thanks,

Lynn
KathyQuilts.com

Great New Book that we have found

We have found a wonderful new book that can help almost any machine quilter. This book will help to unlock the hidden talent for machine quilting that is waiting to emerge. Machine quilting is really fun if you approach it in the right way. Sally help any quilter to find the talent and then learn to develop it further. Click here to read more about this awesome book







Add to cart

Juki TL 98Q V.S. other sewing machines

Hi,

There are several sewing machines that will work on your Little Gracie II, but we at Kathy Quilts, have found that the best machine to use on a Grace Frame is the Juki TL 98Q. I know that there will be several people that grumble when I say that, but that is why I will say that it is the best machine that we have used with the Grace Frames. Here are several features of the Juki TL-98Q that really set it apart from the other machines.

• The Juki is the only machine that will let you use a remote button, on a speed control that would be sold separately, to cut the thread. This might seem insignificant, but if you have ever had to bring the bobbin thread up every time after you have to stop and move to another place on your quilt, then you will really love this feature. On other sewing machines, you will have to reach over to hit the button on the machine. Remember any extra movements that you have to do when quilting, just waste time.
  

• Heavy duty free motion quilting feet - The Juki is the only machine that has two heavy duty free motion quilting feet. They will last for years, the other sewing machines have very flimsy free motion quilting feet that just don't hold up.
  

• Feed Dog Drop - There are several machines like the Juki, but they don't have a feed dog drop lever, you use a cover that you have to purchase separately. (Viking and Pfaff machine don't have a feed dog drop lever)
  

• Needle Threader - One of the best upgrades to come on the Juki TL-98Q over the TL-98E, is the addition of the needle threader. You want to spend the time quilting, not wasting time trying to find some glasses so you can see to thread the needle.
  

• Items that are included - The Juki TL-98Q is not only a great machine to use on your frame, but it also works great for piecing. It includes a knee lift, great extender table, walking foot, and several other presser feet that make it just as good off your frame as on.
  

Kathy Quilts includes a three year labor warranty so you will not have to pay to get your machine fixed. Ship your Juki in its original box to KathyQuilts, we fix it, and ship it back for free. We have been doing this for years and it has worked out very well. We have had to repair a few Juki TL 98E's, but to my knowledge, we have never had a Juki TL-98Q come back for service. If you would like to check out our Juki page, Click here

We also recommend our speed control box to help you get better control of the speed of the Juki. Click here

Click here for the leader sets. Scroll down the page just a little, and you will see the Starter Kits, and Leader Sets.


Happy Quilting,

Lynn
KathyQuilts.com
Phone: (888) 826-0222

Click here to visit our "Quilting Tips" page for help with quilting:

Thread Breaking on Machine Quilting Frame

Hi,
On our website, we have some great quilting tips, and you can probably get some answers there, but here are a few things you can check. So, let me just ask you a few questions first. These are probably really elementary to you, and you've already tried them, but I need to ask so I can think about the situation and if I can think of ways to solve it. You probably have something really simple, and once we pinpoint it, you'll be quilting away.
http://www.kathyquilts.com/customer/home.php?cat=77
Here you go:
1. Are your Feed Dogs down or disengaged?
2. Is your Presser Foot in the down Position? (this is the most common problem and fix.) ALWAYS CHECK THIS ONE!
3. Does the Machine sew well when it's off the quilter? Take it off and sew a few seams with it OFF the quilter. Sew on two pieces of fabric with a piece of batting in between, so that you'll know when you have the tension just right on a quilt, not just fabric. If it sews fine, then the problem probably lies in the way you have the quilt rolled onto the frame. The most common problem is that the quilt gets rolled up and over the rail inside the quilting machine (this is the wrong way), when it HAS to go underneath the rail, and then rolls around the rail that way. You just don't want to stitch through air, as you'll break needles and thread because the bobbin can't catch the top thread unless the quilt is quite close to the throat plate.
4. How is the quilt rolled on the take-up rail, (the rail inside the arm of your sewing machine.) Does the quilt go up and over the rail, or underneath the rail and around. When the quilt is rolled up, do you see the quilt back on the rail? Or do you see the quilt top?
5. If the quilt is rolled up right, make sure the rail is almost skimming the throat plate, not up an inch or two, as you have the same problem as above, with your machine trying to stitch through air. So, you might need to lower the rail so that the quilt is closer to the plate of the machine.
6. Do you have your cone thread on one of the black X's on the backside of the carriage (back by the back handles), and threaded through one or both of the brass eyelets? (depending on what side you're using the cone thread on.) You CANNOT use the cone thread on the Juki itself, as the Metal Thread guide HAS to be folded DOWN before you slide the Juki into the carriage area. Slide it back in as far as you can. You cannot use the Juki with the thread guide up. (Call us with this one at 1-888-826-0222 as SOME OF THE NEWER MODELS of frames WILL WORK WITH THE GUIDES UP. Call Us!)
7. Thread has to spin freely, so cone threads have to feed almost straight up from the cone, or else your thread will break, or the excess tension will cause the needle to break.
8. Are you using 100% cotton thread? Here in Utah, the 100% cotton thread gets really dry, and I find that I can only use the first part, and then it's useless to me (and this is the case for many, other people.) Our climate here in Utah is overly dry, and cottons dry out quickly and break easily.
9. Change the thread! Try something different and see if it works. If other thread works fine, then you have some issues with that thread. Play with the tension and adjust it back and forth until you can make it work properly. If you can't make it work well, then just put it away and use it for something besides quilting.
10. Do you have the SAME THREAD on the TOP and in the BOBBIN? The machines are made to work best this way. If it works fine for you to have different thread on top and in the bobbin, then that's great. BUT - we've found that many problems are resolved by having the same thread on both because of the tension on your machine.

I'd guess it is one of these problems, which really isn't a problem at all - just an easy fix. If you've tried different threads, I think it's probably the way you have your quilt rolled up (which could be backwards) or your thread just isn't feeding easily or the simplest - just making sure your presser foot is lowered. Use your darning or embroidery foot.

I hope this might help you out, but just give us a call at 1-888-826-0222 and we'll talk you through this. I quilt every single day, and find people run into these simple problems all the time, and they're usually an easy fix. I'm sure it will be for you, too.

Good luck,
Kathy