Margo wrote:
You are so right

Sewdreamy wrote:

That is one of the things I really luv about our TQS community. It is generally an upbeat place to come to!

SpiritsFold wrote: You're welcome. Renata ran the master class that started me off with my machine, and then I watched all the mastery class videos and even now rewatch them from time to time. I also watch most all the webinars even if they seem too simple for me and usually pick up a hint or two. But I, too, got really tired of all the whining, complaining, and bickering on the Yahoo Series 8 groups. In fact, TQS has become one of the best places I know to come for assistance.

Thanks for explaining about the Sulky + Aurifil. I will try that. My 830 doesn't like the Sulky and this may solve the problem. I don't have much Sulky in the house, but I have a lot of Madeira Rayon and that works well in the machine as long as 'I remember to lower the top tension. My preferred thread is Bottom Line so most often that is in the bobbin. I use it for piecing also.
I love all the possibilities with this machine, but BJ is right. You are doing test samples all the time

i had the same experience as renata,
my bernina dealer told me big no no to use genie,
but i used it with every bernina that i had, until now,
i have B580, it seems that in the bobbin they added a metal disk, very thin, like genie. so i assume it take the place of the genie.

Thanks for your explanation, Betty Jo! My dealer's idea of a Mastery class is little more than how to turn the machine on. Over time I have been able to figure out some things through trial and error. I learned a lot more when I discovered Exnovadesigns' online videos of mastery classes. I found printed mastery classes on another website. I've read and re-read the manual. I found a couple of Yahoo Series 8 groups which were helpful but I soon tired of all the complaining and bickering. I learned some things from CJ before she discontinued her blog. I just keep trying to glean what I can from lots of sources. You have been quite helpful, thank you!

When I first got my 830 LE, I kept getting thread nests and tangles and all sorts of frustrating things. So I took it back in to the dealers. She patiently went through it with me and discovered I wasn't waiting until the light went on before I pulled the thread across the top through the tension and down when I threaded it. It made ALL the difference. :shock: I have loved the machine ever since.

It tightens the tension on the bobbin a little bit...and therefore it depends on the threads and fabrics and stitches you are using whether it is useful for other things or not. I think each machine, even each 830, is slightly different, though. I find if I use regular sewing thread (the Berninas are factory set for size #50 threads for regular sewing), in both bobbin and top, that default settings work perfectly. I seldom use that. The only way to tell if it is right is work a practice piece first and adjust as needed. That's both the great thing and the sometimes frustrating thing about an advanced machine like the series 8 machines...there are many settings that can make things perfect you never could get perfect before, but you have to work practice pieces and keep a notebook until you have it all worked out. You need to make fairly tight loopedy loops to test for FMQ and look at both sides.

Many thanks to everyone for your input! I think I'm going to forget about trying the Bobbin Genies but now you have brought up another thing I've been wondering about, what is the advantage to threading for embroidery? And is it only advantageous for FMQ or is it helpful for things like piecing as well?

Rita, thanks. I'll look into that.

Betty Jo, I am pretty sure Aurifil do a 12 wt thread. I have never used this particular weight thread but their other threads are very lint free. Good luck with the Hoffman/Sulky challenge. I can't wait to see the pictures.

I think the 8 series has eliminated the need for the Bobbin Genie with it's advanced bobbin tension controls. If you pull the bobbin through to the top before you start stitching there is almost never a problem.

I use Bottom Line for almost everything in my 830 LE, even Sulky, and very often I thread it like I would for embroidery and click it one click tighter to the right. It works like a dream that way for so many things, even metallics. I do test a lot though as I work through a project.

In general, Sulky used to shred no matter what I did, but I haven't tried it with Aurefil. Recently it seems to me that Sulky is getting better and shreds less than it used to. Sulky has come out with a competition for Bottom Line recently, and I plan to use that when I make the Hoffman Challenge quilt I'm about to start, since I thought I'd enter the Sulky Thread competition part of the Hoffman Challenge this year. I'm going to do a lot of threadwork on my Hoffman Challenge this year, so that is why I decided to do that. You have to use all Sulky if you enter that part of the competition. Of course, if I find I just can't get it to work well and I'm having trouble with the quilt because of it, I'll abandon that idea.

I wish Superior made a 12 wt. I've had to use Sulky 12 wt when I want a really thick thread for threadwork and it does have a lot more fluff on the thread.

I've use sulky rayon some and find that it will shred very easily prob'ly from all the reasons mentioned.
I'm not replacing it as I use it up as there are better choices these days ! It's been suggested that
I just throw it out but....well....hate to waste it. Good luck !

Interesting thought, Rita, about the kinds of threads that do well with Bottom Line versus Aurifil 50 wt (my two go to bobbin threads). Recently, I kept getting a thread shredding problem with Sulky 40 weight... I had Bottom Line in the bobbin. Frankly, I thought the problem was upper thread tension or perhaps the needle (my mantra is always "TNT" (thread, needle, tension). I played with the tension, I changed the needle to three different types and still had shredding. WELL, after all THAT! , I I changed the bobbin thread from Bottom Line to Aurifil 50 wt and it made a world of difference--no more shredding. I had also played with slowing down the machine speed, but to no effect. So, I wonder whether the Bottom Line was too strong a thread for Sulky which is rayon and it responded better to a cotton in the bobbin? Any thoughts out there?