Originally Posted by Amyjojo
I am equally as frustrated. Not only is my top thread constantly breaking but my bottom tension is way too loose. I have tried adjusting all the things suggested on the Yahoo group page and still, wanting to throw this thru the roof. I have spent over 5 hours trying to do a lap quilt for a gift and should have had the binding on and done by now.
I am open to any and all suggestions.
Amy
Take it off the frame and sew like normal with piecing foot and feed dogs up. Tweak any tension settings necessary. Also, make sure you are using the right size & type of needle for the thread & fabric you are using. Once you get it working off the frame then we can figure out what's going on with the sandwich. There are too many variables so rule them out one thing at a time.
Some thread just does not work in some machines. It's too linty, too brittle, too uneven in thickness, too slick, etc.
Does your machine have the 3 hole pre-tensioner before going through the tension dial? Some people only use the first & third hole.
What kind of thread & needle are you using? Is the bobbin in correctly? One step at a time. You will get it figured out.
I was putting together a raggy denim, corduroy & flannel quilt earlier this week and managed to break 5 needles. 5 needles on a tiny little baby quilt! Denim needles don't seem to like corduroy or flannel. Also, the corduroy was causing my thread to fray and snap. I was using Coats & Clark all purpose but I think there is something wrong with this spool or there is a much bigger difference between all purpose and dual duty than I expected. Had I been less stubborn, I would have switched to a machine quilting thread to piece the stupid thing but it was working fine until I started assembling the bigger pieces together. Drag on the needle from the heavy material is what caused most if not all the needle breaks. I also tried a 100-16 titanium quilting needle and that wouldn't even go through the multiple layers in some areas.
Today, I fixed a tear in hubby's barbecue cover using the same type needle (100-16 denim) that didn't want to work on the raggy quilt but I used cotton machine quilting thread top and bobbin and my sewing machine just zoomed right through that chore.