jkw Posted January 7, 2011 Report Share Posted January 7, 2011 Do some needles run cooler than others? I was working on a t-shirt quilt. I was using a SNF MR 4.0 Ball needle which I have used numerous times with great success. Everything was going great as usual. My monofilament thread wasn't breaking. Then I got to a "white" t-shirt. My machine started sewing across "vinyl" cut lettering and it looked like something black was all over the thread, t-shirt, and backing! After stopping, I tried sewing on a scrap and there was no oil. The stitches were clean. I looked back at the quilt and I could tell that it was coming from the lettering. I have probably done 30 t-shirt quilts and have never had this problem before! The ball needles are great because you never have a skipped stitch in the heavy screen printing. I would very much appreciate any suggestions on what needle to use or how to get the black out of the t-shirt. Jackie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lindasewsit Posted January 8, 2011 Report Share Posted January 8, 2011 Don't know the answer, but am anxious to hear from others! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quilting Heidi Posted January 8, 2011 Report Share Posted January 8, 2011 I don't know the answer either. I've never had that problem. I wonder if it was something in that particular t-shirt. The really rubbery ones like to cling to my hopping foot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnmach Posted January 8, 2011 Report Share Posted January 8, 2011 Jackie -- As you guessed, it was the lettering that caused the problem. The lettering was "HEAT SET", not screen printed. Screen printed shirts are cured which sets the ink, your lettering was applied with heat which melts the film into/on to the fabric (heat it an additional time and it will re-melt). Your solution will probably be to let the needle cool down (give the machine a "time out" so it can have an "attitude adjustment") or change the needle when you get to that shirt. To answer your other question, yes, there are "cool" needles made for some applications, but I am not sure that they are the size or system for our machines. I have used them in embroidery machines. They are Teflon coated. Johnmach Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkw Posted January 8, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 8, 2011 The quilt is done! Yea! There were 2 blocks with the vinyl lettering. I put a new needle in and tested in a tiny area of the second block and it did the very same thing. Luckly I have a friend with a cutter. She made me a sample to try and her lettering worked fine. So I ripped out the quilting, replaced the blocks and quilted it again. I am very relieved everything worked out. It had to be the quality of the lettering. I appreciate your comments. Jackie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustSewSimple Posted January 8, 2011 Report Share Posted January 8, 2011 Yes, you had heat transfer color from the vinyl. I never use a 4.0 needle on T-shirt quilts. I always use a 3.5 and I slow down really slowly across vast areas of vinyl. Don't the T-shirt quilts turn out nicely. I have helped pay for my machine doing them and they always turn out so nicely!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RitaR Posted January 8, 2011 Report Share Posted January 8, 2011 When you run into sticky things like the T-shirts, it helps a lot to spray it lightly with silicone spray.. It lets it stitch much smoother, and very little film transfer.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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