quilter53

I am really getting desperate now. I stayed up late last night working on my pinwheel blocks doing QAYG. I can't keep the thread from actually raveling and then break. I think the fabric for the background is some kind of polished cotton, maybe. Oh, hopefully never again to use. I have tried everything I know. Help! Please.
Also, when I loosen my top tension so the bobbin thread won't show on top, which is red, the top thread, which is white, shows on the backing, which is red. Is there a way to tighten the bobbin. Don't want to tighten the little screw. Iknow I would totally mess it up. :lol:

BKrenning

Tightening the little screw on the bobbin casing is how to tighten the bobbin tension. Turn it right to tighten, left to loosen--righty-tighty, lefty-loosey. Just turn it a tiny bit at a time and try it.

You've also discovered why many people always use the same color thread on top & bobbin. Some of your pokies will get sucked up or down into the quilt when you wash it but not all. I don't worry too much about pokies myself but I don't make quilts for show.

If your thread is ravelling and breaking though, I would try a larger needle or a topstitch needle before messing with tensions. The eye is bigger and lets the thread flow through more smoothly. I would also run some lines of sewers aid down the spool or cone you are using. That will lubricate the thread and help it flow through the machine more easily.

I have had batting that caused my thread to shred and I have had fabric--corduroy & a poly/cotton sheet that would shred it if I went very fast. The batting had dirty spots in it and you could hear when it hit an area and just knew the thread wasn't going to make it through. It would hit those spots and bird seed looking stuff would fly up out of the quilt! The poly/cotton sheet seemed like an excellent backing at the time but I think it was too tightly woven (too high thread count).

PaperPrincess

I FMQ with a Designer I also. What size needle are you using? I have found a top stitch needle works well. I have also had success with a metallica needle. this is a needle designed for metallic thread and it has an extra large scarf. This protects the thread more and minimizes raveling. the thread actually goes thru the fabric several times before it's actually incorporated into a stitch, which is why fabric and batting can play a role in thread problems.

Shiloh

I have the D1. Some spools should be horizontal, others vertical. Also, I would take a piece of the top fabric, the batting your are using and backing and make an 18" quilt sandwich "sample" and use a different thread and see if it is still a problem. Process of elimination in the works. Then add the top thread and try again. Then the bobbin thread. A new needle, of course, and take the plate out and clean the bobbin & teeth area. Good luck. Gerry

quilter53

I have used a size 12 and 14 needle. I am wondering if it could be the batting. It is cotton/poly batting. I am going to look for a topstitch needle and try it.
Making a sample to eliminate each thing is a good idea. I had thought about doing that.
Thanks to all of you for your help.