KerryM Posted May 21, 2008 Report Share Posted May 21, 2008 Hi gals, Sounds like everyone had a great time at MQS, the pictures were wonderful and much appreciated. Thanks for sharing thiem with those of us that couldn\'t go, almost as good as being there. I was working on a quilt of my own these last few days, just a practice quilt, nothing spectacular, Things were going along great, and then today my thread started breaking. I\'ve changed the bobbin, the needle, cleaned everything out, made sure it was threaded right, slowed down the the motor, moved the thread guide above the cone, and even changed my top tension. Nothing seems to make a difference. I\'m stitching the borders at the bottom, I\'ve already used this pattern on the top borders.............Any suggestions what else I might try??????????????All suggestions would be much appreciated. Kerry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaelalan Posted May 21, 2008 Report Share Posted May 21, 2008 :)Have you broken any needles or nicked your plate? if so look for burrs on your needle plate or hook.;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nadia Wilson Posted May 21, 2008 Report Share Posted May 21, 2008 Hi Kerry, Is your quilt sandwich too tight? Rethread your machine to make sure your thread is going between the tension discs correctly. What thread are you using? You may have to loosen up your top tension even more. When you changed the bobbin, can you still do the "drop test" with it? The drop test is...bobbin in bobbin case and hold onto the thread tail...the bobbin case should drop a few inches and stop...if it goes to the floor you need to tighten it, if it doesn\' move you need to loosen it (the screw on the case). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quilting Heidi Posted May 21, 2008 Report Share Posted May 21, 2008 Kerry, Odd that you would be stitching and then start having thread problems. Did something happen right before the problem? Such as did you break a needle, change your bobbin or roll the quilt? I would agree with Michaelalan that if you broke a needle you might have a burr or Nadia could be right that your sandwich is too tight. You might also think about unwinding a little thread and starting again. Perhaps you just hit a bad spot of thread or something. I\'d also check tension disks and bobbin case for fuzz. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marion Posted May 21, 2008 Report Share Posted May 21, 2008 Okay! Now I have a question about metallic thread. It breaks at about every foot. Am using a piece of felt on the hook on the bottom of the Millenium with sewers aid on it which a woman at the quilt show in Lancaster said it would prevent this. We have changed the needle checked the bobbin slowed the machine but it is very frustrating. I did some quilting with gold metallic and did not have this problem this variable metallic is just driving me nuts. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quilting Heidi Posted May 21, 2008 Report Share Posted May 21, 2008 Marion, When I use metallic (love superiors) I just keep loosening the tension until I have no more breaks...way more than you think. I also skip one of the holes in the pigtail before the tension disk, either going through just 1 or 2 at most. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaelalan Posted May 21, 2008 Report Share Posted May 21, 2008 :cool::cool:I don\'t use my tensinon disc with metalics, I also spray a small amount of thread sylicone on the spool, ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marion Posted May 21, 2008 Report Share Posted May 21, 2008 Thank you for responding so quickly. I am going next door now to do your suggestions about loosening the tension and see if that helps. The thread cost $30.00 so it better work. It is an oriental design quilt and just begged for metallic threads. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Belbelle Posted May 21, 2008 Report Share Posted May 21, 2008 This information came from Dan Novak at MQS, thought I\'d pass it on because I sure didn\'t know it. The dyes used for variagated threads, especially the darker colors, will create weakness in the threads. So you\'ve got different levels of strength within the same thread. Perhaps the breaks are occurring within the same, i.e. darker sections of the thread? He also said you can sometimes try running a second, obviously thinner thread with the metallic to provide additional strength. Are you using a needle with an eye large enough to accomodate this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KerryM Posted May 21, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 21, 2008 I am using Rainbow on the top and Bottom Line in the bobbin. Nothing changed that I am aware of, I didn\'t break a needle, or hitt he plate, I have defuzzed the tensionguides on the top, cleaned the bobbin of fuzz. I thought it was just a bad bobbin. I was 2/3 of the way through the bobbin when it all started. I\'ve had bobbins that just won\'t sew out to the end, and once I change it, it works fine. Not this time. I will try loosening the bobbin tension, and the sandwich, maybe even the top tension more. Thanks everyone fot the great advice. Kerry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quilting Heidi Posted May 21, 2008 Report Share Posted May 21, 2008 Kerry, Oh how frustrating! I\'ve actually had that happen before and it makes you want to scream! Mayb try a thread net on the Rainbow thread...it can be a little slick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs.A Posted May 21, 2008 Report Share Posted May 21, 2008 This may or may not prove helpful to you, Kerry, but I learned something new in a workshop last week with Wendy Butler Berns. The class was on embellishing (on domestic machines) with tricky threads. Several of the participants tried Sliver (the flat metallic thread that is like tinsel) in a variety of machines with no success. Then one gal threaded the Sliver and a same-color rayon thread through the guides and needle together and voila! She sewed the metallic with no problems. Haven\'t had a chance to try it at home yet but it could certainly work on a longarm. Good luck! Nancy A. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark Posted May 21, 2008 Report Share Posted May 21, 2008 If all else fails Kerry, be sure to try another cone of thread. The cone that you are using may have gone bad. That can happen right in the middle of a cone. And Dan from Noltings is correct too in saying that the darker the thread, the dye used can weaken the threads. Most of the thread companies have gotten better about the whole dye thing, but it can still cause a problem. If you can get another thread to sew ok then you are not dealing with a burr cutting your threads. Call us also if you need anything! Take care, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marion Posted May 21, 2008 Report Share Posted May 21, 2008 I do remember some time ago about black embroidery thread being made from all the leftover threads and then dyed. I wrote to Coats & Clark and they claimed it was not true and sent me a new spool of black embroidery thread, it gave me the same problem. I have since learned that some threads can be very old. However I have threads from 1940 to 1945 that work a lot better than the newer threads I have bought over the years. I guess quality control was better in those years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliagraves Posted May 22, 2008 Report Share Posted May 22, 2008 You also want to go a lot slower when you stitch and have a very loose tension. The metallics heat up and actually can melt if you\'re going very fast. Sewer\'s Aid on the spool also helps. Good luck - Julia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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