Barbara I have a Furtura I bought about 6 weeks ago, I have tried regular threads in the bobbin and had problems, a great big ball, that took forever to get out! I now am using clear nylon by YLI ? and have not had that problem again, I also love my machine, some things I don't enjoy is the short shank, I like a long shank, and I find in normal sewing there isn't much room for thick fabrics,(I quilt) wish they had a zipper foot, guess that is extra, most have one. other then my own dislikes I love the machine, hate the instructions, if that is what you can call them, the Web site doesn't seem to help much either, my dealer is my sounding board, I love the fact that I can take a clip art design and turn it into embroidery, I have a program that has 250,000 clips, not all usualble but it will keep me in stitches for a long time. But again the instructions for the Auto Punch are almost non existent, took me 2 weeks to figure out how to get something into the program, LOL again I love the machine. I don't check the embroidery forum much, will try and remember in case you post. have fun rene the ability to spell has left my brain...

Thank you so much Rene54 for your suggestions. I will get the thread you suggested. My bobbin case is now a little "chewed up." I will probably order a back-up. I too was surprised at the "lack of additional feet." I may end up ordering them. I haven't attempted the Auto Punch as yet.

Thanks again - Barbara

Barbara - most of the advice I have seen is to use 50 or 60 weight (very, very fine) thread in the bobbin.

I bought my futura embroidery machine almost a year ago and have only sewn one design as i had the same problem with bobbin case. When i contacted the dealer he told me to bring the machine in as singer knows that there is some problem with the case. Mine is now fixed. I'm now going to attempt to complete my baby quilt. I am looking for font to use with the auto punch. Can anyone give me any suggestions, as I have also had problems with the vague instructions. Thank you to all who respond. ;)

In order to use different fonts, you have to buy the font module. The main program has only one font in courier and italics so I see your point of wanting to use different fonts. The other go-around is purchasing Embird and the font plug in...pricewise, less expensive to purchase the Singer font engine.

If you read the online instruction manuals and print them out as a study guide and reference, you shouldn't have any problems. Loading a design into the Singer program is just the same as opening a word or excel document and edit, edit edit.

To resume where you last stopped, you send the design to sew out and skip to the point where you last stopped and then keep hitting the advance button to the point you want, and then do a sew out...also wise to slow the machine down, fastest is not always bestest.

There is a zipper foot that comes with the machine if you had read your manual several times (the section on using the zipper foot??)...it's one of the new ones that I hate so I used the low bar old-fashioned one I have from the Greist set I have. You can use just about any low-bar foot on that machine...I interchange those with my Kenmore 19365 all the time without a problem. I use the Greist low bar set with both machines. I just got a Kenmore ruffler but haven't tried it on the Singer yet.

Like you, I dislike the limited area to do any maintenance (bought a pair of long nose pliers to change needles and other things) and the constant beeps when you change stitch width or length without a stitch width or length indictor as pre-sets aren't always correct for the fabric you are using. Did someone say test samplesRus? I'm thinking of naming my machine Roadrunner.

You will have to get a new bobbin case soon or will damage your machine. I was lucky and haven't had a problem with the bobbin case yet...I had problems with the embroidery arm that Allbrands promptly replaced with reimbursed shipping charges. Singer wanted me to send the whole machine back, dumb since the machine and bobbin case worked well, only the embroidery arm malfunctioned and wasn't about to risk the chance of getting another machine with a bad bobbin case).

It is recommended to use bobbin thread when doing machine embroidery because of the density underneath. Like you, I used regular thread on top and bottom when I first got my Brother PE-150 and quickly learned to use bobbin thread.

If you bought one of the newer machines, you will notice that in order to wind the bobbin correctly, you have to wind the thread around the bobbin post twice and then thread the bobbin to wind it (I didn't do that the first time, had real problems, went looking, and immediately found the problem).

The other interesting tidbit I discovered when doing machine embroidery is to do a zigzag test sew on the sewing side with bobbin and embroidery thread on the fabric to be embroidered. You have good zigzag, you have good machine embroidery tension with no tension headaches and time saved in the long run.

Right now I have a upper thread shreading problem and I think it's the thread (Madeira) because on the sewing side there is no thread shreading with regular sewing thread.

Right now I'm mad at the futura for messing up on buttonholes. I have a romance going with the Kenmore for that. The futura is in it's tote cooling it's heels.

exactly where mine is too, i'm thinking on selling mine and buying something less complicated to operate!! Anyone interested in buying a brand new futura with the bobin recall fixed?
thanx for all the pointers stitchtime! The autopunch should convert any font to embroidery, no?

Auto punch won't convert any font for embroidery to do that you need hyperfont or embird with the font module. Sew what is a digitizing program that will also convert fonts. For those of you frustrated with the machine give it one more try. I have done lots of things on this machine with no problems unless I count operator errors. The main thing you have to remember is that when doing embroidery you must use embroidery thread, bobbinfil for the bobbin and proper stabilizers. To help with quilting I purchased a walking foot and it works great no problems with the thickness of the fabric and I just completed a shopping seat cover that I made extra thick. Check out some of the groups available on the web. There are lots of people out there to help. I love my CE100 and would buy it again.
Debbie

THE COMPUTER I USE WITH MY FUTURA CE 200 CRASHED. I AM TRYING TO RELOAD THE CD BUT IT IS ASKING FOR AN ACCESS CODE OFF THE CD CASE. I DO NOT HAVE ON ON MY CASE. PLEASE HELP. I HAVE ALOT OF CHRISTMAS GIFTS TO FINISH.

My Futura CE 200 CD got broken with my last lap top 3 years ago. I moved since, had two back surgeries, etc, etc. I understand this CD is expensive to replace. Does anyone know how this Disabled Mother can obtain one and still by food.
Thanks In Advance,
M., CA

Using my CE 200 and doing a lot of lace work, love it.. learning day by day. I noticed a squeek, though I have dropped a tiny bit of oil in the bobbin housing.. see manual a tiny bit on the arm.. still squeeking.. Does anyone know if the embroidery unit needs oil? I am using the finest of sewing machine oil.. if you are a fan of this machine.. contact me..