thread breakage

[psvenn]

Hi,

Well yesterday was the first day with my new Millennium and the thread keeps breaking. I first used the spool of So Fine that was included and in threading the machine it seems the thread catches and isn't smooth. When I had a lot of breakage I switched to the spool of Lava and same thing. Then I changed out the installed cardboard bobbin for the metal bobbin from the bobbin winder. I was able to go a while but the stitches looked very bad especially in trying to do small circles (bobbin threads were long and laying on top). Reluctantly I started changing upper tension, with really not much success. Thread continues to break. After an hour or so of disappointment, I put her to bed.

Thanks for any help...

[Quilting Heidi]

Pamela,

These tensions are much different than your other machines. YOu have to make complete turns to really affect the tension much. If the thread is laying on the back then you need to tighten the upper tension. I usually tighten until I see the bobbin thread coming up and then back it off a little (about a 1/4 turn). I think I would first loosen the bobbin thread since you are already experiencing breakage of the upper thread which means that if you tighten it more you will only get more breakage. I adjust my bobbin a little looser. I will loosen it so that when I hold the bobbin case in the palm of my hand and pull on the tail it will attempt to lift the bobbin case up but it can't lift it completely. Then tighten your upper tension until you get pretty stitches. Don't beat yourself up this is the hardest thing to get a handle on!

[sewlinzi]

Read Dawn's article on tension on tne apqs front page, listed under quilt talk...

Make bobbin thread creep out like a spider (Shana's description), loosen top tension right off, stitch some wiggles on an edge or scrap, then gradually tighten tension and do a test few wiggles until stitches look neat. so Fine and Lava should behave, put So fine in bobbin, don'tbe scared to adjust!

[psvenn]

Will give these suggestions a try. Thank you both!

[meg]

you mention that in threading the machine - it catches. i'm wondering could you have a burr somewhere?

if you could isolate where it feels like its catching, then maybe you would find something that was not completely smooth.

[yankiequilter]

The thread pulled hard and seemed to catch on my new Millie and what I did to overcome it was to change the threading in the guide above the tension disk. Rather than wrapping the thread hole to hole I come up in the first hole, down in the second hole and into the tension disk, bypassing the last hole. This seems to be working for me so you might give it a try.

[psvenn]

Thanks again. If there is a burr, how do you get rid of it?

[psvenn]

After trying the above suggestions...things are working much smoother now...only 1 thread break in two bobbins-full of practicing. You guys are great!