See, I don't agree with that. That sounds like marketing to me. You can fmq with any wt of thread you want, how would the bobbin thread tension be right with a 60 wt or a 30wt equally? Your bottom line thread is a fairly light weight thread. It may be that the case is letting it slip through too easily. Just like we need to adjust top tension for different weight threads, so does the bottom need to be.

Vertical is a little friendlier, but horizontal isn't impossible.

I actually have the blue dot bobbin with my Janome 6600, and I found it was not adjusted tight enough to get good stitches. I adjusted the tension screw tighter and kept playing with it until I was satisfied. I practiced on a sandwich of like material as the quilt before I put my quilt on and the results were better that way. I have also turned my machine to face me and fmq'd like on a long arm. This works when you have such a big quilt to manage. Smaller projects I don't do this but I do make sure I use the super slider mat to make the quilt surface slippery and have even used spray wax to polish the machine bed. Sprayed on a paper towel and polished the surface before beginning. Good Luck.

That's what I was looking for on my phone but couldn't find it:
http://www.superiorthreads.com/educa...bobbin-tension

Tammi & Colleen, thank you both so much for this info! I'm going to try the bobbin drop test and try adjusting the blue dot bobbin. Never occurred to me that I'd need to adjust it. Won't it be great if that works?

I used to have trouble with spiderwebbing on the back, a real mess. After a visit to the local LYS, where they had the same trouble after a try on their high end model even after playing with tension and thread changes. Slowing down on curves and putting a teflon washer called Magic Bobbin Washers in the bobbin, most of the problems have been resolved. I keep the washers in the bobbin case all the time now.

I really don't think you get a good result unless you have a single stitch needle plate fitted to the machine whilst you are quilting. The difference in the quality of the stitch is remarkable.

I used to have a rag rug shop where I had as many as 5 girls sewing the strips together. We had a great deal of trouble with thread, machines, breakage, until I bought nothing but Berninas and Gutterman thread. Finally it was explained to me that the humidity has a great deal to do with the thread actually untwisting. Gutterman wasn't as bad and a Bermina will still sew until you burn up the motor.

I'm thinking of starting FMQ so this discussion is most helpful.

Wow! This is a great thread! I just finished a quilt that was quilted on my Janome 6600 and 11000. My tension on the back is horrible. I also have the blue dot bobbin case for the 6600. I am so aggrivated that my stitching looks so bad, but it is for me, going on my bed at the lake. I still have to finish the binding and clip some threads. But I will remember the tips given on this thread for future use. I love my Janomes- there has to be a solution!!!

Well, I've discovered that you can't do the dangling bobbin tension test with a drop-in bobbin!:eek: It just falls out!

Judi, I'm contemplating the bobbin washers but double they're available locally. May call around on that today.

Jitkaau, I'm using the single plate & still having all this trouble. Ugg!

Battle Axe....love your name, but feel like I'm insulting you at the same time! A bernina just isn't in the budget for me!

I was having similar problems and it was the bobbin. Took into the shop and when I got it back it worked perfectly. I thought it was me because it was my first time doing stippling and I was about to quit trying. I had accidentally messed up the settings once, needle hit he throat plate wrong and probably did the damage myself so not sure if this is the problem since you have a new machine and know more about what you are doing.