Can you help me with a LA question?
 

I'm wondering if anyone here has had the problem of their thread breaking and breaking when doing a LA project.

I loaded a quilt onto my LA and put a new needle in. The thread I was using was Superior Omni, the kind I mostly have and selected a design on the computer to do a stipple over the entire quilt. It's a full sized quilt. The thread kept shredding and breaking causing me to have to locate the spot on the design and re-start the stitching several times going across the quilt. Only one time in the entire quilt did it stitch across without breaking.

It seems like the needle's eye was causing the shredding so I adjusted the eye several times so it was perfectly straight. That didn't help at all. Has anyone ever had this happen? Any suggestions? I guess I could have just changed the needle again to see if that would help but I didn't. HELP!

I hate throwing out this cone of thread. It's not cheap to buy cones of thread for the LA these days.

I would:

1: Change the needle, its a cheap alternative to being frustrated.
2: Check to see if the quilt is loaded too taught or too loose.
3: Try another design and see if that design stitches ok, I have had issues with some designs in the past.
4: Try another thread to see if it indeed the thread.
5: Turn off and to a complete reboot of your longarm.
6: Delete and reprogram your design.
7: Is your backing regular quilting cotton? I have seen issues where someone used a high thread count sheet and had issues with quilting it.

I am sure others will be along with more ideas, it can be frustrating at times.

Thanks, Tallchick. Of all your suggestions, the only one that might fit would be to change the needle or change the thread. I have another smaller top to load today. I'll try both those things and report back what I find.

Check the size of your thread and make sure you are using the right sized needle for the thread. If I recall correctly, OMNI is size 40 and I use a 4.0 needle on my APQS with that thread. this is the same as an size 18 or 110. Don't know what type of machine you have but sometimes a burr or groove will develop in the stitch plate or one of the needle guides and will also cause shredding. I really haven't had problems with OMNI shredding. Also just recheck the threading of your machine to make sure you haven't missed anything. The few times I have had problems on my machine, I have taken out my manual and gone step by step because, yep, I think it is right, but nope, I missed something.

My longarm (Tin Lizzie) likes the needle with the hole turned slightly to the right. Putting your needle in so it faces forward could be the problem.

Size 18 needle.
Turn the needle slightly to 5:30 (imagine a clock).
Rehydrate the cone - dip it in pharmaceutical grade mineral oil, let it sit, wipe off any excess. No, this will not leave oil stains on your quilt.
Loosen your quilt sandwich.

And if all the above fails, give the thread cone a good spray with silicone. I get mine from the hardware store, it will not damage your quilt.

I agree with the others who said to turn your needle slightly to the right. It helps with the physics of a rotary hook.

Tallchick offered all the suggestions I would. It is not out of the realm of possibility you got a needle with a burr in the eye right out of the package. When I am having issue with breakage or thread shred, I usually up the needle size. I usually use a size 16 but I will up to an 18 if I am getting a lot of breakage and that usually solves the issue for me. If none of these things work, you could check your entire upper thread path for any burrs on any of the thread guides. Running a small bit of pantyhose material along them or through them will alert you if you get a snag on the pantyhose anywhere. Even just the knee high panty hose type sock will work, you just want that fine knit of stockings to snag if you have a rough spot. It is also possible you got a bad cone of thread. Superior's quality-control took a dip when they sold several years ago. Please let us know how you make out.