Bobbin thread shows on embroidery machine

Quilting is a bit more finicky than regular sewing. Be sure to ALWAYS RAISE the presser foot when threading the top thread. FWIW, I use a separate bobbin case for FMQ that I have tightened the tension to keep the bobbin thread from coming to the top of the sandwich, but I tend to use a finer thread for quilting so adjusting the bobbin takes care of it. In your case, however, it sounds like the top thread is staying under the fabric. I would try tightening the top tension. Also, install a brand new needle--a top stitch, embroidery, or microtex needle seem to work well for me. Test well on a sandwich made of the same fabric and batting and get it adjusted well before sewing on your quilt. Sometimes sewing speed will affect stitches under the fabric, or even on top.

5 Free Motion Quilting Problems and How to Fix Them

Correcting Sewing Machine Tension for Free Motion Quilting NQC

LOOPS Tension or Speed

https://www.generations-quilt-patterns.com/machine-quilting-thread.html

https://www.generations-quilt-patterns.com/sewing-machine-tension.html

https://www.generations-quilt-patterns.com/machine-quilting-tension-problems.html

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The bobbin thread is being pulled too hard by the top thread. The idea is to get an even pull similar to a tug of war. When it is even the thread will form a knot in the middle of the fabric.
To fix this so the top thread isn't pulling too hard lower the tension of the top thread. This should fix it.

bobbin thread is too high pressure or too low pressure on teh top adjustment!

remove bobbin and turn tension screw about 1/8turn left (anticlockwise) check if still grabbing, if so - top thread turn about 1/4 turn (at embroidery ir should do automatically, but sometimes need kick...).

check if it is still grabbing on the bottom, do it grab during straight? zigzag? double zigzag? if do not - setting on the pattern need to be look at. if it tangle as well on these three - need definitely servicing...

follow manual how to adjust.

Check your bobbin case if it looks like it has and feels like there are barbs on it they catch the thread time for a new bobbin case. I had mine less than 2 months and had to get one my machine sews and embroiders great now

With the embroidering, some of the bobbin thread is SUPPOSED to show on the top of your embroidery-the machine isn't doing anything incorrectly. You'll need to thread your bobbin with the same thread as you are using with the top. I had the same "problem" when I first got the machine and took it to a wonderful local technician whose helped me with a lot of things who informed me that this is perfectly normal on embroidery machines.

This annoys the heck out of me, cause it happens a lot more than it should. There can be some valid reasons as to why it happens, though.

Your top thread could be broken or about to break; your bobbin thread could be broken, about to break or empty/about to become empty and is loose around the bobbin; you could have a birds' nest (a mass of thread just under the fabric/presser foot and/or within the feed dog and bobbin) forming and causing a jam; or it could be your Futura having a little bit of a hissy fit. Obviously, if you've checked for broken thread you need to move on. Check for a birds' nest by removing the fabric and clip your threads. If you find one, clear it, rethread your bobbin and begin sewing again. If there's no birds' nest, then place the fabric back in and try sewing/embroidering again. If the machine acts up again, I recommend removing the fabric/hoop, rethreading your top and bobbin threads, replacing fabric/hoop and resuming where you left off. If the machine still gives you trouble, try hitting the start button for a couple of times and seeing if the problem doesn't simply resolve itself. When you're embroidering areas that have a few small, short stitches only, the machine seems to act up a little and then behaves fine once you bypass the area. Be sure to take all of the other steps first, though, because a birds' nest will RUIN a beautiful seam or embroidery.

1. What do I need to get started at free machine embroidery?
   • A zigzag sewing machine with a drop-feed control. (In other words, you have to be able to lower the feed dogs so they don't try to feed the fabric.) It's nice if you can vary the width of your zigzag stitches too.
     
   • An embroidery foot or needle with embroidery spring. An embroidery foot helps by holding the fabric down against the throat plate while nevertheless being minimal - it lets you see what you're doing because it has very little surface area. You can alternatively get a needle that has a kind of spring built into it, and the spring holds the fabric in place. These can be nice in that they're even more minimal than an embroidery foot, but they're also relatively expensive and if it breaks you have to replace the whole thing instead of using an ordinary cheap needle with the special embroidery foot. If you use the needle with spring, you don't use a presser foot while you embroider.
     
   • An embroidery hoop. There are two primary kinds of embroidery hoops on the market. The old-fashioned kind, usually made of wood, has an outer ring and an innter ring. You loosen the outer ring, separate the rings, place the fabric over the inner ring, place the outer ring over the fabric, tighten the outer ring, and pull the fabric tight in the hoop. With the modern type hoop, you squeeze a pair of handles on the inner ring to remove it, place the fabric over the outer ring, place the inner ring (still squeezed) into place and release the handles. The more modern hoop is faster and easier. The old-fashioned hoop provides better tension on the fabric.
     
   • Stabilizer. This helps prevent puckering and slipping while you're embroidering. There are a variety of types out there. Some are papery and are torn away from the embroidery when you're done. Only use that on the back side of the embroidery, as it's almost impossible to get it all off. Others are also papery and also tear away but are dissolvable in cold water, leaving only a few easy-to-remove fibers in the embroidery. Your authors like this type of stabilizer. There is also a transparent plastic-like stabilizer which dissolves completely in water. Your authors have this but haven't tried it yet, but hear it's very nice. It's expensive though.
     
   • Fabric... of course. Make sure that your embroidery hoop fits on the piece you're going to embroider on. If the piece is to be small, you may want to embroider before cutting the piece from the fabric.
     
   • Thread. Contrary to popular belief, you can use ordinary polyester all-purpose thread to embroider, but it can weaken the fabric you're embroidering on. (If you do use polyester, you may want to fuse some interfacing to the back of your embroidery when you're done.) There is plenty of gorgeous 100% rayon embroidery thread available.
     
   • Thread for the bobbin. This won't be seen on the surface, so you can use anything you want. Trying to find a way to get rid of that day-glo orange thread you can't remember why you bought? Stick it in the bobbin when you embroider. Some embroiderers feel that it's best to use a softer thread (like 100% cotton) in the bobbin so as to reduce the possibility that the bobbin thread will break the embroidery thread, but your authors haven't had a problem with this to date.
     
2. How do I prepare the machine and fabric for free machine embroidery? Drop the feed dogs and set the stitch length at zero. (If you can't set the stitch length at zero, don't panic, it's not that important.) Install the fabric in the embroidery hoop (with any stabilizer[s] you intend to use) so that the surface of the fabric is at the *bottom* of the hoop. (Note that if you're used to embroidering or cross stich by hand, this means you're putting the fabric in the hoop backwards.) When you place the hoop on the table such that the fabric surface rests on the table, the right side of the fabric should face up. Install the embroidery foot or special embroidery needle with spring on the sewing machine. If you're using the special needle, remove the presser foot. Place the embroidery hoop in the sewing area. (Some machines can't lift the presser foot enough to admit some hoops - you may have to remove the presser foot temporarily, position the hoop, and then re-install the presser foot if you're using one.) Set the sewing machine for a straight stitch. Reduce the upper tension until stitches interlock below the fabric instead of above or inside it.
   
3. How do I lock the thread at the beginning and end of my embroidery so it doesn't begin to unravel? Make several stitches in place to lock the thread.

Be sure when you are threading the top thread that you ALWAYS RAISE the presser foot. This releases the tension disk and allows the thread to seat properly.

Have you gone back and re-tested on your test fabric? Does it work okay on the test fabric? If so, then there's a suspicion that it has something to do with the fabric, needle & thread of your project. Is your project fabric very dense, heavy... Are you using a stabilizer? A hoop--is it taut, not stretched? Make sure the fabric is not trampolining. Could be an incompatibility. The needle & thread may be having difficulty piercing the fabric. Try a different weight needle, perhaps a microtex or embroidery needle.

Hi, and welcome to FixYa. If I understand your problem, the needle goes in and out of your fabric, and the embroidery hoop moves, but the machine does not actually start embroidering your design right away....did I get it right? If have time to answer a few questions, I can give more accurate instructions.

1. How long have you had your machine?
2. How long have you been doing machine embroidery?
3. Do you have a manual for your machine?
4. Look at the back side of your design - do you see lots of bobbin thread, or hardly any?
5. Have you taken lessons for your machine or for embroidery?
6. When your design is finished, can you where the machine skipped stitches?
   

Here a couple of things you can try (if you have already):

• Make sure you use an embroidery needle, not a universal. In most cases, you should use a size 90. Change your needle after each project. A blunt need can cause your machine to skip embroidery stitches anywhere in the design.
  
• Rewind or replace your bobbin. Make sure you use bobbin thread in your bobbin when you embroider - it is thinner and gives you better tension. If pre-wound embroidery bobbins are compatible with your machine, I recommend that you try one and compare the result with designs sewn using the bobbin thread you've been using.
  
• Normally, you should loosen your tension a little bit when you embroider. When you look at the back side of your embroidery, you should see more bobbin thread than embroidery thread.

I owned an embroidery business for several years, and I have six different embroidery machines of my own - so with a little more info from you, I think I can help.

It sounds like the machine needs to be timed, seek out a sewing machine repair shop for this service.