Chris from SE Posted March 6, 2011 Report Share Posted March 6, 2011 Hi, Suggestions?? Please? I am a new owner of a Millie, which I love but we appear to be having a "spat". I've done 5 quilts on her, loaded the sixth but it's been #$*@! The top thread keeps breaking! Why? She worked perfectly for the first 5 and from the get go on the 6th the thread has done nothing but break. I've changed the thread, when the next spool did the same thing I switched to the thread I used on the previous quilt, rewound the bobbin, cleaned the bobbin case, changed the needle, rethreaded over and over and over, changed the speed up and down, tried moving faster and slower, nothing seems to work? I don't understand? Any suggestions? I'd appreciate your help! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
witha'K'quilting Posted March 6, 2011 Report Share Posted March 6, 2011 Is there any thread wrapped around the bobbin area perhaps? Is the quilt sandwich too tight on this next quilt?..or is the fabric/batting so different that that could be the problem? Trying to think this through with you. What did you change on this quilt compared to the last? Give us more particulars...and we can figure this out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris from SE Posted March 6, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 6, 2011 I don't see any stray thread anywhere. When I cleaned the bobbin area there was nothing. This quilt was made by the same lady, she used the same batting and everything. That's part of the reason I don't understand what's going on. Nothing is different other than the thread color and even that, I changed back to the color I had used on the quilt previous to this one and it does the same thing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris from SE Posted March 6, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 6, 2011 I'm going to try backing the tension off the top and bobbin and slowly tighten it up but I'm not too optomistic. I'll check back later for other suggestions. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
witha'K'quilting Posted March 6, 2011 Report Share Posted March 6, 2011 can you tell if the thread is being stretched and then snapping...or breaking quickly like a burr is catching it? That would make a difference. my thread has caught before on a screw and stretched before breaking. It liked to keep jumping its thread path off the l shaped guide. Try this: put a thread net around the cone and see if it helps keep the thread from whipping around so much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris from SE Posted March 7, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 7, 2011 I tried backing the tensioin off and it's helped, I can go 1/2 a row without breakage but I'll try the thread net too. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quilting Heidi Posted March 7, 2011 Report Share Posted March 7, 2011 Try adding some thread lubricant to your thread. That usually helps when there is no explanation for breaks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meg Posted March 7, 2011 Report Share Posted March 7, 2011 Almost everytime my top thread breaks it's because i forgot the thread net or it has somehow become unthreaded from one of the guides. Really carefully check your thread path cause it can become unthreaded without you knowing it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RitaR Posted March 7, 2011 Report Share Posted March 7, 2011 Check under the finger on the bobbin casing too. Barely raise it with a very small pin, don't scratch it, and then blow it out. I too often find a very tiny clump of lint dust there.. Not even as big as a large headed pin. Lubricating the bobbin thread the spool thread, double checking the thread path about 4 times, making sure it is only around the tension device once, etc, etc, etc, nearly always finds the problem. Those threads can be mean little worms. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quilted charm Posted March 7, 2011 Report Share Posted March 7, 2011 Hi, I'm a new quilter too, so this may not help you, but when my milli was breaking I finally realized, the fabric I was working with was a whole lot thicker and the hopper foot was too close, so it was wearing through the thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Linda S Posted March 7, 2011 Report Share Posted March 7, 2011 The first thing I do when my thread starts breaking is to totally unthread and rethread the machine. Sometimes there's just a little something in the thread path that you can't see, and that generally takes care of the problem. I also tend to use mostly Glide thread, and it's very strong and doesn't break easily. Linda Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris from SE Posted March 10, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 10, 2011 Thanks for the suggestions, I will try them all!! Something has to work! I'm starting to panic 'cause the backlog is building up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
witha'K'quilting Posted March 10, 2011 Report Share Posted March 10, 2011 i had another thought...move the needle screw onto the other side of the needle bar. I have been breaking thread all day on my liberty...and then moved the needle screw...and it seems to be fixed! didn't change anything else but that! looks like the thread was whipping around and catching on it! let us know what works. it can be most frustrating. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnnHenry Posted March 11, 2011 Report Share Posted March 11, 2011 When my machine was new and I was breaking thread every five minutes, I finally noticed that every time the thread broke, the machine re-threaded itself. So rather than just inspecting the thread path and accepting that it looks right, re-thread from the very beginning. Or, it may be that you have an entire package of bad needles. . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zora Posted March 11, 2011 Report Share Posted March 11, 2011 Make sure you have your bobbin in right. Millie is opposite of my DSM and I've popped the bobbin in the wrong way a couple times. Seems to me cotton batting on a humid day will break thread, too. Thread lubricant is a true miracle worker, and a glass of wine helps, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris from SE Posted March 14, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 14, 2011 I tried everything, I thought but finally called Dawn. She had me rethread the machine with less pre-tention and it's worked like a charm since! Thanks for your help! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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