Was it polyester thread? I had a terrible time with my Superior Threads Rainbows shredding and breaking. It was such a pain. I just put the quilt away in frustration. But then the fair was coming up, so I tried a metalic thread needle. No more shredding! Why didn't I try it earlier? I was 3/4 of the way done when I switched types of needle. Of course that doesn't solve the needle threader problem. Sounds like that part is taken care of, though.