handi quilter HQSixteen, User Manual

HQ Sixteen

™

 User Manual 1.6 

 Page 19

Troubleshooting 

Stitches are Skipping 

Corrective Measure 

The needle is damaged, dull, 
bent, or installed improperly 

Incorrect needle size 

The needle has not been 
positioned properly 

Fabric is too tight on the 
frame 

Thread tension too tight 

Improper threading 

Replace the needle often, normally once or twice per day for continuous quilting or at least once 
per quilt. Use HQ Sixteen

™

 recommended needles.  

Always change the needle if the needle has struck any hard object such as a straight pin, etc. 
The tip of the needle can become damaged or burred, resulting in fabric damage as well as 
skipped stitches, thread breakage or shredding. 

Always change the needle if it has been hit, bumped or pulled off center while maneuvering the 
machine about the quilt. A slightly bent needle can be a major cause of skipped stitches. 

Check for the proper size of needle for the work and thread being applied to the quilting 
operation. Some battings and fabrics used in quilting may constrict or impede the thread passing 
through the front groove of the needle. This diminishes the 
loop lift required for stitch formation. Typically, a larger 
needle will solve the problem; however, it has been found 
that certain smaller sizes of needles as well as the use of 
ball pointed needles solve some specific problems. 

Position the needle properly to the needle bar. Inspect the 
position of the needle to make sure the needle is at the 6 
o’clock position (see Photo 16)—If you stand directly in 
front of the needle (facing the bobbin case side of the 
machine), you will see the entire needle eye directly facing 
you.  This is 6 o’clock position.  

Make sure (1) the needle is installed all the way into the 
needle bar to the needle stop hole in the needle bar, (2) 
the long groove in the needle is toward the front (bobbin 
case side), and (3) the scarf/scooped out part of the 
needle is toward the handwheel.   

The needle can sometimes be rotated to 5 o’clock (slightly 
right) or 7 o’clock (slightly left) in order to adjust for a more positive thread loop pickup by the 
hook point.   

Loosen pole tension on the frame. Fabric that is rolled too tight causes the fibers to separate. 

This reduces the needle friction on the thread resulting in a smaller thread loop.  

Loosen top tension.  Re-check top and bobbin tension (see pages 12-13).   

Inspect that the thread take-up lever, thread stirrup or tension spring are all threaded correctly. 

The Needle Breaks 

Corrective Measure 

The needle is bent or not 
installed properly 
 

The needle hits the throat 
plate 

Replace or correctly change the needle. Make sure that the needle is pushed up into the needle 
bar clamp until it can go no farther (visually check that it is up to the top of the stop/sight hole 
above the needle bar clamp screw). Failure to do so can cause damage in the bobbin area and 
throat plate. 

Correctly position the needle, throat plate or hopping foot.  Replace with a new needle. 

Stitches are Puckered 

Corrective Measure 

The hopping foot applies too 
much pressure to the 
material 

The tension is not balanced 

Needle too large for material 

Decrease the pressure on the hopping foot by loosening the nut at the base of the hopping foot 
shaft. Adjust to the proper height. Note: When tightening the nut on the hopping foot shaft, be 
careful not to tighten so tight that it rotates the bar. 

Balance the tension of the needle thread after ensuring the bobbin tension is adjusted correctly 

(see page 12).  

Replace the needle with a size better suited for the fabric. 

Stitch Quality is Poor 

Corrective Measure 

The tension is not balanced 

Bobbin case is damaged, 

corroded, dirty, etc 
 

Moving the machine too fast 

for needle speed selected 

Adjust the tension of the needle thread after ensuring the bobbin tension is adjusted correctly 
(see page 12).  

Since thread slides over the surface of the bobbin case at a high speed, make sure the case is 
free of any lint or foreign matter that could impede thread passage through the machine. 
 

Synchronize machine movement and needle speed to get roughly 8-10 stitches per inch. 
Elongated stitches are an indication of moving the machine too fast for the current speed. 

Photo 16