Can't Machine Quilt...Why Does Machine Skip?

I hand quilt everything, always have. This Brother CS6000i is a neat little machine, but I cannot make it sew through two layers of fabric and the batting w/o skipping stitches. I've adjusted tension up and down and I can't make it work. I'd love to learn to machine quilt so small projects could be turned out faster, but it ain't happening.

This is my issue in the photo below. Feed dogs are still up, tension between 4 and 5 when I did this. I'm not forcing it through. I can't control it at all when feed dogs are down. It's way worse. I'm so frustrated. I wish someone could come here and figure out how to quilt on this machine and show me how. Piecing on it is great, but I want to quilt on it, too, dang it.

Try a different needle. Clean out dust from lower part where the little spool goes. . Check for pieces of thread that may be stuck there. Looks like you do have the adjustments down pact, Experiment on some scrap cloth. When stitch comes right then you succeeded. WISHING YOU BEST. I am not a seamstress, but my mother was. As a result, I picked up sewing. I just do it occasionally and mostly for repair. Have done it since childhood. We had pedal manual machines. I still have moms machine as memento. Am way better at sewing than my wife. She will admit to that.

cavemanrich said:

Try a different needle. Clean out dust from lower part where the little spool goes. . Check for pieces of thread that may be stuck there. Looks like you do have the adjustments down pact, Experiment on some scrap cloth. When stitch comes right then you succeeded. WISHING YOU BEST. I am not a seamstress, but my mother was. As a result, I picked up sewing. I just do it occasionally and mostly for repair. Have done it since childhood. We had pedal manual machines. I still have moms machine as memento. Am way better at sewing than my wife. She will admit to that.

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Thanks for your help. I did clean it out today using the little brush tool that came with the machine. It wasnt all that dirty, but I like to keep all the lint and stuff out because this little computerized machine is sensitive to that stuff. Going to have to experiment some. I do prefer the look of hand quilting and I do it very well, but sometimes, I just want the speed of machine quilting.

speckledhen said:

I hand quilt everything, always have. This Brother CS6000i is a neat little machine, but I cannot make it sew through two layers of fabric and the batting w/o skipping stitches. I've adjusted tension up and down and I can't make it work. I'd love to learn to machine quilt so small projects could be turned out faster, but it ain't happening.

This is my issue in the photo below. Feed dogs are still up, tension between 4 and 5 when I did this. I'm not forcing it through. I can't control it at all when feed dogs are down. It's way worse. I'm so frustrated. I wish someone could come here and figure out how to quilt on this machine and show me how. Piecing on it is great, but I want to quilt on it, too, dang it.

Click to expand...

With the feed dogs up make sure you are using the longest stitch length you have and let the machine do the sewing just like a regular sewing project.

With the feed dogs down, use a darning type foot. Set to a 0 width zig zag stitch with a long width and move really slow.

Since you have already cleaned the machine….make sure to use a new needle , rethread machine and a newly wound bobbin, make sure all looks good in a straight stitch on scrap fabric then try again.

I don't know about the tensions, mine set automatically… good luck, don't give up.

sunflour said:

With the feed dogs up make sure you are using the longest stitch length you have and let the machine do the sewing just like a regular sewing project.

With the feed dogs down, use a darning type foot. Set to a 0 width zig zag stitch with a long width and move really slow.

Since you have already cleaned the machine….make sure to use a new needle , rethread machine and a newly wound bobbin, make sure all looks good in a straight stitch on scrap fabric then try again.

I don't know about the tensions, mine set automatically… good luck, don't give up.

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I'm not sure how to set a "longest" stitch length since this is a computerized machine. It has automatic stitches with accompanying lengths and you can't just set it to zero that I'm aware of. Will have to play with it. The manual is NO help on that count.


Here is the best it can do-the top number can be lowered a little but then, it just sews in place and won't move. I can't make the fabric sandwich even move through the machine. It won't do it at all with feed dogs down and I have to pull it so hard to get it to move through even with feed dogs up, it bunches the layers up. There has to be a better way. I'm so frustrated! ACK! It's no wonder I'm still hand quilting, but I really want to machine quilt some stuff.

speckledhen said:

I'm not sure how to set a "longest" stitch length since this is a computerized machine. It has automatic stitches with accompanying lengths and you can't just set it to zero that I'm aware of. Will have to play with it. The manual is NO help on that count.

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I found the online instruction manual:

http://www.brother-usa.com/ModelDocuments/Consumer/Users Manual/UM_CS_6000_ES_2000_EN_185.PDF


Looks like you get a straight stitch when you turn it on. see page 7 and (3)increase the stitch length to the highest number it accepts, and leave the (4) width at zero. Try it again with feed dogs up and just start with a straight stitch.

Straight stitching for quilting will do best 3.0 - 4.0 mm.


I would first master this then later move to the freehand.

Hope this helps.

sunflour said:

I found the online instruction manual:

http://www.brother-usa.com/ModelDocuments/Consumer/Users Manual/UM_CS_6000_ES_2000_EN_185.PDF


Looks like you get a straight stitch when you turn it on. see page 7 and (3)increase the stitch length to the highest number it accepts, and leave the (4) width at zero. Try it again with feed dogs up and just start with a straight stitch.

Straight stitching for quilting will do best 3.0 - 4.0 mm.


I would first master this then later move to the freehand.

Hope this helps.

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I was adding to my post above when you posted this. Let me go get my manual and see. Thank you for trying to help me. I've tried so many times and have never been able to do anything with it other than piece.

speckledhen said:

I was adding to my post above when you posted this. Let me go get my manual and see. Thank you for trying to help me. I've tried so many times and have never been able to do anything with it other than piece.

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The number on top is the stitch length….move it to the largest number you can….and try that.

The shorter will give tiny stitches…for quilt you want really long ones.

Good luck, let me know how this does. I know you can do it with the right settings.

sunflour said:

The number on top is the stitch length….move it to the largest number you can….and try that.

The shorter will give tiny stitches…for quilt you want really long ones.

Good luck, let me know how this does. I know you can do it with the right settings.

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Okay, this is helping a lot! I would never had thought to put it on the largest number (I think it's a 5) but it moves easier when I do that. Maybe, just maybe I can do this. You're a peach! I've always had machine phobia, didn't even piece with one until about 3-4 years ago.


Looking for a larger piece of batting and some practice fabric I don't think I'll use for much else....

Hey @sunflour ! Look at this! Not great, but I think I may be getting somewhere! Thank you! This was set at a 3 mm.