Thanks for making a guess Cari-in-Oly.
Actually, the size 11 needle is a good size for the thread. The thread is fairly fine for a metallic. The spool says that it’s “metalized Polyester+Polyamide” made in West Germany. It’s a fairly recent-made spool I think. It has the grooves in the rim of the plastic spool to trap the thread end during storage similar to the new C&C XP thread spools are made now.
The needle is somewhat involved in the problem, but not the cause. There’s more to it than that....
Hint: The wife was quilting a big stack of small Mugg-Ruggs.
CD in Oklahoma