2quilter Posted February 7, 2015 Report Share Posted February 7, 2015 On this particular quilt I've got a situation where when the needle hits a seam it will break, but sews perfectly when NOT on a seam. I think it has something to do with this particular quilt top - you can't FORCE a needle or pin by hand into the seams. What should I look for in the future that will give me a heads up on identifying an issue like this with a quilt top in the future? I don't have any other stitch-related issues, it sews beautifully except when I accidentally go through a seam and there doesn't seem to be an issue with the timing or with bad needles, the thread isn't breaking and no tension issues on the back. Need some advice from some of you experts out there, I don't think its the machine or the operator in this instance, I think there is something funky with the top. Its made out of quilt store quality fabric (although it has been sitting pieced & waiting to be quilted for several years) -- is it possible that whatever thread was used to piece the top originally is causing the problems now? I just want to try and figure out how to avoid this situation in the future & avoid all the frustration it has caused me. Thank you to the experts for your time and advice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickenscratch Posted February 7, 2015 Report Share Posted February 7, 2015 This happens when there is too much bulk at the seam. Try to plan your quilting so you avoid those bulging seams if you can Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LisaC Posted February 7, 2015 Report Share Posted February 7, 2015 Teresa is right. Also, dark fabrics require more dye and can also cause bulk. Some fabrics are just courser, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltermidwife Posted February 7, 2015 Report Share Posted February 7, 2015 Bulk in the seams as already mentioned. Although most people press seams to one side, sometimes it is necessary to open seams. Batiks can be harder to stitch through, as can sheeting or high thread count fabrics. Some batting or a combination of all these factors can cause problems. Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GMALKB Posted February 8, 2015 Report Share Posted February 8, 2015 I am doing one now that is batiks front and back and quite a few seams that come together. My machine has stopped a couple times and I had to use the flywheel and manually move the needle up. Pretty tough fabric. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2quilter Posted February 8, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 8, 2015 I gave up trying to do the feathers on the pieced seams; so I tried it on my DSM free-motion and no needle breakage there....very discouraged. Why am I having so many problems??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat C Posted February 8, 2015 Report Share Posted February 8, 2015 I was having the same problem, broke 5 needles on one quilt with thick seams. I had been able to go over relatively thick seams before so, long story short, found out the machine needed to be retimed. It took me a while to time it but there's a great video on timing. It's worked great since retiming but I still avoid bulky seams if I can. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2quilter Posted February 8, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 8, 2015 I have retimed it. Sews fine, but for the pieced seams. I guess what puzzles me is that I sew representative pics on the website and there are a lot of you who SID but how is this possible if the seams don't' cooperate? How do you know/recognize ahead of time when you first start to work on a top if it might be one to give you trouble? Isn't going thru pieced seams something the machine is supposed to do? I've been successful before.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quilting Heidi Posted February 8, 2015 Report Share Posted February 8, 2015 I SID almost every quilt I do custom work on and I've never run into this paper...yes I'm knocking on wood! I wonder if she did something special to her seams. I've actually quilted through tons of layers for things like paperpieced stars and no problems. I do go slow when I know I'm hitting a super thick seams. I use a 4.0 needle. I like 3.5 needles but the needle flex can cause some issues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2quilter Posted February 8, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 8, 2015 I'm using a 4.0 needle ordered from APQS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mercedes Posted February 8, 2015 Report Share Posted February 8, 2015 Just a thought, are the seams sealed with something like Fray check? If you put a lot of this stuff on seams, it makes it hard to sew through. I can't imagine anyone doing this on quilt seams but you may just want to check - you should be able to tell just by feeling and looking at them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2quilter Posted February 8, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 8, 2015 Thanks Mercedes but I don't think that's an issue on this one Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busy Quilting Posted February 8, 2015 Report Share Posted February 8, 2015 IF you are approaching the thick seams very slowly the machine may not be getting enough "power" to push through the seams. Have you tried hammering down the intersection/seams to soften them up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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