that helped an incredible lot!! what a fantastic post and thank you to all for the answers; i have had the same sigh omg i can't believe it broke again dammit syndrome and have finally found out that if i use aurafil thread only it helps. ive had too many chicken claws on the backside of my work when doing meandering stitches, or you will sew for 2-3 feet and then hear a pop from the bobbin jumping and look underneath and you have miles of loopies from your bottom thread the entire time. i finally have had to go to a small square and just 'play' for a second before i put whatever it is im working on back underneath the needle to save myself hours of heartache! i seem to slowly be getting the hang of it and this post was great! i did not know there was a certain brand of needle for every machine. i use universals from my lqs size 80/12 i believe and they seem to work okay. thanks muchas! :)
Originally Posted by sewtruterry
Sorry in advance regarding the length of this post but this is something that I deal with on a daily basis with a lot of people.
The most important issue when selecting needles is to know what brand your machine uses. Your dealer should be able to help you on that one. If you do not have the right brand of needle for your machine you will have problems some may be small others may be big. The next issue is making sure when starting any FMQ is to insert a fresh needle. Then if you start out with the lowest number possible for your project and you are experiencing thread breakage check your thread path first to make sure nothing is getting caught where it shouldn't. Then change the needle and if that doesn't help go to a larger eye needle. If you are still getting thread breakage the thread could be the culprit. It may be too old, it could have been stored wrong, or it may be the wrong kind of thread for the batting or the fabric. I have seen a lot of quilters try to use all cotton thread with polyester batting. The batting acts like sand paper and shreds the thread. At that point either put up with the problem by constantly rethreading or change to another type of thread of the same color. Also when FMQ and you are changing directions like a corner or a circle the more drastic the change in direction the slower your hands need to go. in fact hovering for a split second on the corner will give you a nicer corner. Hope this helps.
Originally Posted by union lady
Originally Posted by Elisabethann
I've been practicing FMQ and was getting frustrated. I couldn't get my tension right and the thread kept breaking and the stitches just didn't look right. Then I remembered in a class I took with Judy Irish she said she only uses Microtex metalic needles. For everything, not just FMQ. So, I changed needles and poof... all my problems were gone :) Stitches are more consistant, thread doesn't break and tension is good!
Off to have some more FMQ fun :)
I know this is a basic question for you but how do you know what needle to use in your machine. Do you use a different needle for piecing and one for applique? How about FMQ? I look at the needles and really need some direction.
Thanks a bunch.
Diane