Joy Higdon

I am totally out of my league. I'm trying to quilt a wall hanging and my thread keeps breaking. Cleaned the bobbin area, changed needles, using the same thread on the top as in the bobbin. I would like to know if anyone might shed some light as to what is wrong. I don't have this problem hand quilting but it sure is slower.
Thanks for any advice.

QuiltE

Did you try totally unthreading the machine and starting from scratch? Sometimes that's all it takes! :)

Prism99

Try a different thread.

What thread are you using? What size and type of needle? Are the stitches that you make before thread breaks looking good?

Also try reducing top tension a little.

maine ladybug

Sometimes a needle will have a burr and it will keep cutting the thead. You could try a new needle.

annthreecats

Not sure if this will help, but did you lower your feed dogs and set your stitch length to 0?

QuiltE

Another thought .... go back to regular stitching. You're more familiar with your machine in that mode, and can trouble shoot from there. If it's working fine there, then move onto trying the FMQ again and see if you have any better luck.

Joy Higdon

Thanks ladies. I will try all of this. I am using Coats and Clark all purpose thread right now. Was using CT Essential cotton. I am using quilting needle 90/14. My stitches look ok but it just frays and breaks.

QuiltE

Try a higher quality thread ... I was at a class at the sewing machine shop the other day, and they were discussing the number of times that problems with machines were resolved with a higher quality thread than was being used.

Lisa_wanna_b_quilter

My suggestion is to slow down. I've had the same problem a dozen times and tried everything under the sun to fix it. When I quilt more slowly the problem either goes away or at least gets better. Apparently, my machine does not have to go 100 mph to FMQ well.

QuiltE

This suggestion made me think of another possibility .... with the speed, are you perhaps moving your fabric faster than the machine is stitching, and thus, causing tension which then is giving a reason for the thread to break?