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My Juki TL-98Q has always been a bit temperamental, but she was really having fits the other day while I was trying to quilt a charity quilt. I have the machine mounted on a Grace frame with a stitch regulator and was quilting with the same brand cotton thread that I always use with a 100/16 needle. The quilt was made with regular quilt shop cotton fabric and the same brand cotton batting that I have been using right along. For some reason the machine would act like it was "hung up" on something and make teeny tiny stitches and then it would "break loose" and make a couple of giant stitches before settling back into a normal stitch pattern. This "hiccup" would also leave a thread snarl on the back side of the quilt. I tried putting in a new needle, rethreading and changing the bobbin, all to no avail. Cleaning and oiling didn't seem to help either. By the time I got to the last few rows of the quilt I switched to a longer stitch length on the stitch regulator and the problem stopped. I'm not convinced that this was the cause or fix for the problem though because a friend who also has a machine like mine said that she has experienced the same problem, but she does not have a stitch regulator. Does anyone out there know what might be causing this problem?
8 comments:
I don't have that machine, but I would look for a loose thread somewhere on the stitch regulator. Turn off your regulator and see if you still have issues.
I've run into that with my regular domestic machines when there's something in the top thread tension that's off, like a piece of trash in the tension disks. Good luck!! Lane
I have the same machine and I, too, have always found it temperamental when it comes to FMQ. I use my older Bernina for that task.
I found it interesting to read the comments. I have recently purchased a JUKI TL2010Q and had always heard that no one had trouble with these machines and they were the best around - I hope you have luck figuring out the machine. I have only done a very small FM practice square - I am not experienced at all with FM and need to practice - I will be looking back to see if anyone answers your question.
I have never used a needle as large as 100 and wonder if it isn't too fat for the thread count in your regular weight cottons. Also maybe try a topstitching size 90 needle, long eye and solves problems most of the time.
I don't have a machine like this, but it sounds like the thread is getting hung up somewhere and then jumping to get caught up. HOpe you get it figured out.
I quilted a quilt on Sunday on my Hinterberg frame. I found a spot that would hang up, and each time I passed that spot, I had the same trouble. I felt like whatever it was, was fighting with the carriage on my frame, causing irregular stitches. I stopped the machine and looked behind the machine. It turns out, one of the support braces was not 'sitting square' to the roller bars. The carriage wheel was 'catching' on the support. As soon as I straightened the leg, and tightened it all back down, it was smooth sailing again. Sometimes. the encoder wheel from the cruise control will catch on a cord and lift up the wheel, then the machine will go very slow. I went to an auto supply shop, and bought a spark plug wire 'loom' to hold up the wires away from the wheel, and it has helped tremendously. I hope you figure out what yours is doing.
For me, I find when I'm having sewing issues, switching to a jeans needle can make a big difference.
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