Originally Posted by newestnana
UPDATE:
I cleaned the machine thoroughly and did change to a larger needle (it makes sense that the small hole was hard on the fragile thread). This seemed to help. Also changed to my other FMQ foot (one came with the machine and the other was an optional extra...ended up using the one that came with the machine).
In fact I was able to finish the FMQ part of the quilt (main section). Found that the fraying occurred to some degree even when I was straight stitching (walking foot) around the first border. So I guess it's possibly the thread and its fragility. But it's so pretty with the little sheen :-)
Thanks for your suggestions!
I too have used rayon thread for it's shiny appearance.
I took a Bold Needle Threads class by Susan Cleveland this winter and found out about lots of threads that were new to me. YLI makes a silk thread that got a sheen to it. WonderFil (Canadian Co.), makes an Egyptian Cotton that's 12 weight and has a bit of a sheen to it. The main thing with that is it's a heavier weight thread, so it shows up more in your stitiching. You will need to change the upper tension in order to use it properly and use a size 90/14 or a 100/16 topstitch needle. Use a 80/12 topstitch needle with 30 wt silk or 2 strands of 50 wt silk.
Check out your LQS to see what kinds of threads they carry. You might be able to find some new ones to try. Or check online: YLICorp.com,WebOfThread.com,SpeedStitch.com,Wonder fil.net