Originally Posted by mpeters1200

So I am quilting my runners in my attempt to get acquainted with my 66-16. A funny thing keeps happening though. I've taken some pics so you can see too. To start with, when I try to bring the bobbin thread up to the top of the quilt, at least half the time the top thread pops up with no bobbin thread at all. No real rhyme or reason to it. I've had to just keep turning the wheel until a stitch finally took.

Also, it seems like the thread keeps unraveling on itself. It starts in the take up lever and goes all the way down to the hole in the needle. Most of the time, once the thread is "thicker", you'll see in the picture, the thread breaks. Other times, it gets quilted right into the quilt and then it looks like it's skipping stitches. It's just weird. Has anyone seen this before? It's happening so often, I'm worried either something isn't right with the machine or I'm doing something wrong. I had a needle break last weekend, so I replaced it with a size 14. I've been having problems ever since. Is this one of those machines that take some kind of funky needle?

Chunky thread next to the needle hole 1


Chunky thread next to the needle hole 2


Skipped stitches and the thick thread mess it left behind:


This is what it looks like after the thread breaks and I get it all out of the machine.

Originally Posted by miriam

I wish somebody would start a photo gallery of old toy sewing machines.

Originally Posted by miriam

Check and see if your needle is in the right way. Check your manual to be very sure.

Originally Posted by mpeters1200

My machine will not sew if the bobbin thread isn't in right. Learned that lesson right off. I took a picture of the needle as I took it out and as I put it in. The flat end is on the right. I've rethreaded it countless times. I did notice that the side screw that holds the walking foot on keeps loosening. I make sure to retighten it at every start. I have no idea how to test out my walking foot. I've quilted 4 of them so far and this was the first time it's happened. I was getting chunky thread the last time I used the yellow, but not to this degree.

I've never had bad thread. Is that possible?

Originally Posted by greenini

I understand that and realize it wouldn't be support of the Nazi's just don't want that symbol in my home! And I gotta admit I never got a good look at it and do realize that the Nazi's perverted a symbol that had been out in civilizations for years...