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    Old 04-20-2009, 10:08 AM
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    QuiltyLisa's Avatar
     
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    My top thread keeps breaking while I am practicing my machine quilting.
    What am I doing wrong here. I am using Coats and Clark 100% cotton machine quilting thread. I am stitching along and my stitches are looking even most of the time. just doing some basic loop-de-loops and stippling and then boom the thread snaps.

    Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

    Lisa
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    Old 04-20-2009, 10:14 AM
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    Also i checked the manual and everything they said, a scratched needle plate (needle plate is fine) scratched bobbin (bobbin is fine), scratched needle (new needle) so was wondering if I am putting to much pressure or moving the fabric too fast?
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    Old 04-20-2009, 10:25 AM
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    Thread breakage is the worst problem I have with free motion machine quilting. I change needles, thread, tension and and sometimes that solves the problem and sometimes it doesn't. What works one time won't work the next time. :evil:
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    Old 04-20-2009, 10:30 AM
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    I have a long arm and I have the same problem sometimes. What I found is.........it is the thread itself. I change threads and....voila....... all is fixed. Sometimes you can just have a bad spool. I was getting so frustrating when mine kept breaking so I changed the thread and it stopped doing it.............

    try using another spool of thread.

    Barb
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    Old 04-20-2009, 10:53 AM
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    i agree with barb - its the thread. its could be a bad batch or maybe its old. even if you bought it just the other day it could be very old.
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    Old 04-20-2009, 11:42 AM
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    If it's old thread, I've heard that placing it in the freezer (in a baggie, I think) is supposed to re-hydrate it. Haven't done that myself.

    You might try switching to a larger needle and perhaps loosening the top tension slightly, to reduce friction on the thread.
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    Old 04-20-2009, 12:06 PM
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    I'm with everyone else thinking it's the thread. I tried using the Coats and Clark 100% cotton thread, and it drove me NUTS! My machine hated it. I switched to the Red Star thread and haven't had a problem since. (And it's a little less expensive than some of the other name brand threads).
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    Old 04-20-2009, 12:09 PM
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    Somewhere on this board is a thread about thread. I seem to recall that C&C didn't fare well in the discussion. Red Star and those from Connecting Threads did much better.
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    Old 04-20-2009, 12:12 PM
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    I too, agree with the other girls. Your thread must be the problem.
    I have had it happen to me also & I know how frustrating it is.
    Try buying another brand & see if it works better.
    Good Luck sewing!!
    :D :D :D :D
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    Old 04-20-2009, 12:18 PM
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    I had that problem all the time when using Coats and Clark thread. I switched to Connecting Thread Essential thread and all was fine. ( well with the thread it was fine, I still need more practice with free motion quilting. ) I still use C&C for piecing.
    littlehud is offline  
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