pumpkinpatchquilter

I am having a heck of a time with skipped stitches. I am free-motioning with monofilament thread and poly in the bobbin, I have done everything I can think of and am STILL getting skipped stitches. Have you ever gotten an entire batch of bad needles? Is that possible? I bought some really inexpensive needles at Walmart, could that be the problem? I usually use Shmetz, I don't even know what brand these are. I just don't know what else it could be.

Grandma Mary

Check to be sure your machine is threaded properly. Also, with monofilament, it tends to come off the spool sporadically...not evenly. Watch the spool as you sew a sample piece and see if yours is coming off correctly.

pumpkinpatchquilter

Thank you Mary - right now I'm using the jar and safety pin method which is working pretty well for that part. I have had the same issue with three different needles so I guess it's got to be tension or thread. It's just so frustrating!

4dogs

I would try changing everything....the top thread, the bobbin, and the needle.......and if that fixes it, then you gotta know one of them was not ok for your machine.

Lori S

I use a very small needle size when using monofilament thread ( 70 or 65 ) . I had many issues and found a small needle size really helped alot. Some say to use a top stitch needle but it was frusrating , till I went smaller not bigger.
One note do make sure the thread is a good distance from the machine it needs to relax before hitting the tension disks.
You may wnat to test the needles with regular threads , you could have gotten a bad batch that are off my a millimeter... just enough to give you ....headaches.

pumpkinpatchquilter

Thank you - I have no problem with skipped stitches when I'm using cotton in the top and bottom, it's only when I'm sewing with monofilament or poly. It doesn't matter if I put cotton in the bobbin either. I'm using a size 14 needle if that makes a difference. I hope this doesn't mean that I simply cannot use invisible thread for free motioning on this machine, I will be sad! :(

gramajo

When I got my machine it came with a little tube made of some kind of mesh material. The manual says it is for over the spool of thread. I'd never used it, but after a lot of frustration like you are experiencing, I put it over the spool of polyfilament. That helped although it did not solve the problem entirely.

ckcowl

if the stitches are good with regular thread- and not with monofilament- then it's the thread not the needle-
some machines are picky=and just do not like some threads- you could try a different brand of invisible thread- there are some good ones on the market= or try a silk thread that pretty much disappears because it is so fine-
i gave up on using monofilament years ago- just not worth the aggrivation.

PaperPrincess

Did you try to just straight stitch with the monofilament? If that doesn't work then try making adjustments to get the straight stitching to work before going back to FMQ. When I took my FMQ class the instructor said that some machines would not sew with it.

BellaBoo

If the mono thread is nylon it stretches and not worth using. I threw all my mono nylon away, it was nothing but frustration on a spool. The newer mono threads are great. The poly mono is much stronger and won't melt when ironed or turn yellow and get brittle as the nylon will. If the spool has "polyamide" on it, it's the chemical name for nylon, not polyester. The recommended needle size for poly mono is Topstitch #80/12 or #70/10. Turn the top tension to 0 and go up a mark at a time until you get perfect tension.