Hope you got your problems sorted with your Bernina 1020! However, another thought is to do with bobbin - are you sure that you are threading and inserting the bobbin correctly? Can be very tricky with Berninas Good luck!

One more trick from back in the day. When you put the bobbin case into the machine, hold the latch all the way open and make sure the stitch finger is in the vertical "slot" all the way. Let go of the latch then push on the latch. You should be able to pull thread from the bobbin case while it is in the machine. If the bobbin case isn't in correctly, it will fall out.

I love old Berninas.

Susan

Heather, if your line of stitching looks good, try this. When you stop stitching, manually turn the hand wheel so that that take-up lever is all the way at the top. This is a manual Bernina as I recall, so the take-up lever doesn't always stop at the top. This will pull the thread out every time you "take off". If you want to pull the thread out a little before you clip it, make sure the presser foot is in the up position.

It's a nice machine and should stitch beautifully.

Tell us if this works! If you get in the habit, you will have no problems.
Susan

What brand thread are you using? Some machines are picky about their thread. Try a different brand and see if that makes a difference. If you are using a fine thread, try a heavier weight or vice versa. Otherwise if everything is threaded correctly and the needle is good it is probably the tension setting.

Hi Heather, I hope you got your machine to work for you over the weekend. I was looking at another post and came across this vide tutorial by Sharon Shambers and though of you. She shows how to do raw-edge applique and how to sew the blanket stitch on the machine. Useful information that I wish I had had when I was starting out on the machine. Here's the link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lb-Qcu2K8lk&feature=plcp&context=C38a56f5UDOEgsToPDskK3SD-gAMNLSoAOEc7rVoyf

Heather,
also make sure you are loading your bobbin correctly - on my berninas the bobbin goes into the case with thread leaving clockwise and then you slot it through eventually ending up going anti clockwise!
good luck
Jeanine

That is good that you have the bobbin in the case right and the case in the machine. Hopefully, you'll figure out bobbin tension and you'll be good to go!!

Heather, I always have about 6" of top and bobbin thread which I put under the foot and hold before I begin sewing. The other thing that strikes me is that maybe your needle is not the right one for the thread you are using? I have also noticed that the tension on my machine only changes if the foot is down. If I try to change the tension while the foot is up it doesn't do it. I feel your frustration because I was exactly the same when I began. It's terrible not having somebody to hand who can help. Hope you get sorted soon.

Oh and one more thing - if you have a memory stick you could put the manual on that to save you having to print the whole thing out. And you could just scroll down to the troubleshooting section if there is one. Although, if it's a really old machine then the word 'troubleshooting' probably wasn't yet invented.

Trying to find the place in the manual that tells about bobbin tension.

I've double and triple checked that I'm putting the bobbin in the case correctly, and done their check after to be sure (pull end of thread, bobbin should turn clockwise) and it checks out, so I think that part is right and then I'm putting it in the machine correctly but I think it is tight in there and hopefully this is the issue. I'm quite proud of myself for playing long enough to even reach this theory, so when I get the chance will try and fix that. First have to sort through the downloaded manual to find the right set of pages to print so I can adjust it safely.....likely won't report back until tonight or tomorrow, but wanted to say a big thank you in the meantime.

I'll let you all know what I discover!

yup - bobbin case tension,
alternatively a burr or something in the bobbin case that catches the thread, in which case the bobbin case may have to be replaced

you might find one of these sites helpful:
http://www.threadsmagazine.com/item/4302/understanding-thread-tension/page/all
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TaH9yB7XUBk

one more thing about my pictures from yesterday - i showed you pulling the bobbin thread up on top of the foot (as they say you should in the book) - i generally do the opposite, pulling top and bottom thread through under the foot

i personally don't think it matters too much - to me the important thing is that the threads can be held out of the way - especially on the older machines - i recently inherited an old bernina and this one is also quite touchy if those beginning threads aren't kept under control

Sewdreamy wrote: This is my thought too. We'll see what she says in the morning!

The idea occurred to me that the bobbin case tension may be a little off...just a thought. Hope you get it running happily along soon.

Heather, are you sure you have the bobbin in right. My Bernina is a newer model, but I have to hold the bobbin with the thread coming from left to right over the top, then drop it in the bobbin case. Just an idea. I hope you get it figured out. You will love your machine when you do. Good luck!

thank you for the photos, Lotti!!! I will give it another go and see what happens.

it seems to be snagging in the bobbin and causing the break, but we'll see. When I manually raise the bobbin thread, turning the hand dial on the side of the machine to pull up that thread as they say, I have to hold the top thread AND gently pull it to raise the bobbin thread up, otherwise it seems to catch the top thread and wind that around down in there without pulling up the bottom thread.