Best needles for decorative stitches and FMQ
#1
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Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Upstate, SC
Posts: 887
Is there a better needle to use for these things? Just bought a Janome 8050, and thread kept breaking on the decorative stitching on my quilt. I brought the tension all the way down to 2.5, and was still breaking. I was using thread from connecting threads, then I changed to Coats and Clark, still having too much breakage. Was using the needle that came with the machine...think they are called piano needles #14
#7
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Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Michigan
Posts: 11,276
Can you tell if the thread is breaking, which is a tension issue, or shreading, which is a needle problem? My favorite needle for decorative stitching is a metallic (metallica) needle. the hole is designed to minimize shreading of the delicate metallic thread and works well to keep other threads from shreading as well. I used a top stitch needle for FMQ.
You can also try putting the thread on the spindle so it comes off the spool in the other direction.
You can also try putting the thread on the spindle so it comes off the spool in the other direction.
#8
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Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Upstate, SC
Posts: 887
It actually seems to be shreading. I thought it may be a tension problem, but dropped the tension all the way to 2 and that didn't solve it. It makes a noise, and then I know it's about to break. Looks like it shreds and forms sort of a knot, then breaks.
#10
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Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 15,639
Some machines are persnickety when it comes to thread. Did you check that the needle eye isn't too thin for the thread? Maybe the needle has a burr in the eye which causes breakage. I usually use universal needles for most everything.
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