Suesquilts Posted February 6, 2005 Report Share Posted February 6, 2005 I am so frustrated I could just scream. I have been trying to do a practice quilt and my top thread keeps breaking about every few inches. Here are all the details I can think of: I have a Liberty. I was using the needle that came inserted from the factory and the green and peach thread cones that came with my machine to do practice muslins and one old e-bay top. I changed the needle and thread for this quilt and now I am using Signature machine quilting 100% cotton thread, Mother Goose color. I have tried adjusting the needle and the upper tension. The thread seems to be coming through the tension guide very tightly. I tried fiddling with the needle, thinking I might not have inserted it correctly. I then sewed several repeats of the pattern before it broke again (as opposed to breaking every few inches.) I tried adjusting the upper tension and loosening it. It seems to help briefly. I did several passes last night, but not a one without the thread breaking at least once or twice. Today I did a couple of passes. The thread broke at least five times. Now I am down to working only a few inches before it breaks. This is not fun! What can I do so I can start enjoying my machine again? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudyL Posted February 6, 2005 Report Share Posted February 6, 2005 My advice is to keep loosening the top tension. When you say you've loosened the top tension . . have you done it in small increments or a whole lot? My advice would be to loosen it by making a half turn. See if that helps. If you're not getting loopies on the back and the thread is still breaking, try loosening some more. You may want to try loading some plain muslin and batting over on the edge and stitching on that and see if that works. I once had a quilt where the thread kept breaking. I tried several cones of thread and it ended up being either the top or the backing - it was just that one quilt. Let us know what happens. And . . if it makes you feel better to scream . . go outside and scream! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suesquilts Posted February 7, 2005 Author Report Share Posted February 7, 2005 The material hasn't been washed. Could that have anything to do with the thread breaking? I will try loosening the tension even more tonight and try again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudyL Posted February 7, 2005 Report Share Posted February 7, 2005 You just never know. I hate quilting on fabric that hasn't been washed but I would think it shouldn't cause thread breakage. You may want to go ahead and load a little practice piece on an edge of the table and see what happens when you quilt that. If you get no thread breakage there, then you know it's the fabric and you don't need to go doing more tweaking on the machine. If you still get breakage on the practice piece, you should probably call Connie. Whatever problems we have, someone before us has had the same problems so APQS knows exactly what to tell us. Please let us know what happens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
connie hurst Posted February 7, 2005 Report Share Posted February 7, 2005 Hi, The other thing you may want to try is loosening the bobbin tension.. If the bobbin tension is to tight, it can cause the upper thread to break when it is trying to pull the lower thread up.. As Judy said, loosen the upper tension to the point of getting loops and then tighten it a little.. Make sure your fabric isn't rolled up to tight.. Good Luck and call if you need to. Connie Hurst APQS Service Mgr/Tech. 800-426-7233 ext.6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suesquilts Posted February 8, 2005 Author Report Share Posted February 8, 2005 I loosened the top tension way up and sailed down the whole row. I was so relieved. Looked under and saw loopies beginning so I tightened it a half turn. Spent the next hour and a half threading the needle and starting, breaking, etc. getting NOwhere. I loosened the top tension again, and again, so that the knob bumps out from the little spring. No go. When I tug on the thread, it seems to pull smoothly, then tighten up and break. It broke a couple of times with me gently tugging it through the needle when it tightened up. I'm giving up for the night. I have to get up at 5:30am each morning.:( I can try the bobbin tension tomorrow, but if it breaks with me tugging on it on top, I don't see how the bobbin can be the problem. Why does this say I posted at 1:45am???? It is 8:47 pm where I am. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudyL Posted February 8, 2005 Report Share Posted February 8, 2005 When you pull the thread, try pulling from behind the needle and pull straight back. If I pull my thread from the side, it will break too. Did you try making a practice sandwich with different fabric? Have you been able to quilt anything without the thread breaking or is this your first piece? As far as the time, it showed up right on my screen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LynnQuilts Posted February 8, 2005 Report Share Posted February 8, 2005 What batting are you using? Once I was quilting something with a certain batting, and the thread broke constantly. When a different batting was on the machine, it sewed fine. Sometimes, the machine just doesn't like certain battings or certain pieces of material. Just a thought... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maudie Posted February 8, 2005 Report Share Posted February 8, 2005 I have had problems with cotton thread in the past because it was dried out. I spritzed it with water and put in a ziploc bag over night and it reduced the problem significantly. Then the tension suggestions actually helped! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark Posted February 8, 2005 Report Share Posted February 8, 2005 I agree with Maudie. The problem that you are having is not the machine. It is more of a thread problem or batting etc. When you loosened your tension way up, it sewed..but you had loops on the bottom. When you tightened it back up it started to break again. If there was something on the machine cutting the thread, it will do it no matter what your tension. So this is a good way to see if it is the machine or thread. Doing the ziploc baggie trick in the freezer with the thread will really help. Make sure and give us a call if you need further assistance. Gone Quilting! Mark APQS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maureen Posted February 8, 2005 Report Share Posted February 8, 2005 You know, I had a lot of trouble with breakage when I first started quilting. One of my first quilts had a 50/50 poly/cotton backing and it really made things worse. Everyone told me loosen tension. Well, it wasn't until I took the bobbin tension way down that I really saw a difference. It appears that your top tension is too tight. Loosen your bobbin tension more than you think you should then see how the loopies react. You'll have to try a few new top tension settings to get the stitch fine tuned, but you'll be surprised at the difference. Since I did this, I have had no thread breakage...knock on wood . I finally got me a TOWA bobbin tensioner and I am keeping the bobbin tension at about 15 or less. I love this little gadget because when I turn the screw in the bobbin case I can get a reading of just how much or how little tension I am changing on the bobbin case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suesquilts Posted February 9, 2005 Author Report Share Posted February 9, 2005 Thanks for all the replies and suggestions. I haven't had a chance to get back to my machine--maybe tonight--but there is a faculty meeting after school so I will get home late--maybe not. Anyway, as soon as I do, I will post back to let you know what worked and what didn't. This is brand new thread, but I will try the small muslin sampler, water/baggie trick, bottom tension. I think I will put the other thread back on with the muslin sampler also and see it it makes a difference. Bonnie (my Liberty) and I will get this worked out! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BarbWetzel Posted February 10, 2005 Report Share Posted February 10, 2005 I had some of the same problems. But when I changed the needle, my problems dissappeared. It must have had a burr on it. This machine is so full of surprises... Isn't it... Barb Wetzel Ivy Corner Quilting Altoona, Ia. Millinieum owner........... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Linda S Posted February 10, 2005 Report Share Posted February 10, 2005 How tight is your quilt sandwich? If you've got your quilt stretched too tight, it can cause your thread to break too. Do you have a Towa bobbin tension gauge? I make sure I have good bobbin tension, then play with the top tension. Haven't had any significant thread problems (yet!). Linda Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hummingbird Posted February 10, 2005 Report Share Posted February 10, 2005 Linda, In your post, you mentioned a "Towa bobbin tension gauge". What is it and where do you find it? Thank you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sams Mom Posted February 10, 2005 Report Share Posted February 10, 2005 Have you checked to make sure that the there isn't a rough edge on the thread spool that is catching the thread? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maureen Posted February 10, 2005 Report Share Posted February 10, 2005 I got my TOWA at Kings Men Quilting Supplies. The direct link is: http://www.kmquiltingsupply.com/Parts/TensionGauge.asp'>http://www.kmquiltingsupply.com/Parts/TensionGauge.asp or http://www.kmquiltingsupply.com under tools and supplies if that link doesn't take you directly there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suesquilts Posted February 10, 2005 Author Report Share Posted February 10, 2005 Update. I sprinkled my cone of thread with water, placed it in a baggie and put it in the freezer overnight. Today I took it out. I made a practice sandwich strip and put it on my machine. Same batting. It is a very cheap batting, since this is for practice, but since I had used it before was pretty sure it was not the batting. Didn't really think it was the top. I didn't change the bottom tension because it was fine before and when I did the little "let it drop" trick, it was ok. When I put the cone back on the machine to tie the threads together, I noticed the thread had come out of the first guide (it was in during the breakage) so I started to thread it back through and noticed that the screw right next to that guide was loose:cool:. I got a screwdriver and tightened it up, then threaded the machine with the thread from the freezer. I tightened up the top tension (which was way loose) and buzzed around on the practice piece. NO breakage:P:P:P:P Took off the practice piece and started again on the quilt. NO breakage.:P:D:P:P:P:D: I finished that quilt top, did more today in an hour than all this week. I don't know if the loose screw was part of the problem or not, but the thread sure ran smoother after the water/freezer treatment. I now have that thread in a zipped bag and will give the same treatment to any others of my cotton thread that I use in the future. (I bought several others at the same time.) Does anyone know if the cotton wrapped polester needs this treatment? Thank you all so much for the advice and big hugs to all of you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nhintsa Posted February 11, 2005 Report Share Posted February 11, 2005 Susiequilts, All natural fibers have the potential for breakdown and deterioration. Synethic fibers can too be to a lesser degree and over a longer time period. It is recommend to keep cotton thread airtight and out of direct sunlight. If a new plastic wrap needs the "baggie" treatment depends on if wrapped air tight and the plastic type used. To be safe, I would put it in a ziploc baggie. There are a number of longarm and embroidery merchants on-line that sell plastic "thread wraps". If applied correctly and tightly they servce the same purpose, to protect the thread (I don't think they are meant to protect from sunlight, however. You would have to look to see if they are marked as UV protectd). The cost per wrap is minimal. The wraps allow you to keep the thread out in view and also if using a thread rack. Natural fibers should not be stored in sealed non-breathable container for a lifetime. Shorter term is fine but if you have thread for years, you still might have to re-hydrate it. Some folks on this list and others have mentioned they keep have bought a mini freezer to keep their thread in their sewing area. Nancy Duluth, MN Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suesquilts Posted February 12, 2005 Author Report Share Posted February 12, 2005 My longarm area is in the basement and so is our freezer. So, I could just claim a portion of our freezer for my cotton thread. Right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marion Posted February 13, 2005 Report Share Posted February 13, 2005 I have 18 tops that I have to finish somehow. Am I too old at 74 to get a long arm quilting machine? I already have a lot of machines. I use a Minnesota A from 1920 with an 8 inch throat on a sliding mechanism set up over a 10foot frame. I have done about a dozen quilts on this just practicing. I would like to get just a machine with a longer throat so I can quilt more than 6 inches at a time. Does anyone sell just the machine without having to buy the frame? I am trying to use up my stash of fabric. I worked at House of Fabrics three years and always owed them more than I made in the sewing machine department. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suesquilts Posted February 13, 2005 Author Report Share Posted February 13, 2005 Marion, I say, "Go for it." I am 59 and just recently got my longarm. I want to make quilting a retirement business as well as quilting tops for gifts (and to keep a few. ) If you do a lot of quilt tops you might actually save;) money by quilting them yourself. Send an e-mail to APQS or call them to see if they would just sell you a head. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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