Thanks everyone for the suggestions.

Peckish-- it's mainly on the top and when it happens I can see that the thread has either: 1-wound itself around the takeup lever, 2-wound itself around the needle, 3- wound itself around itself between the cone and the three hole pre tension bar or all 3 at once. I'm pretty sure that placing a piece of fluff to work as a pre-pre-tensioner is the solution.

Patricia- yep, tried both a 90/14 and 100/16 topstitch needle, my upper tension is very loose, and in addition to tightening bobbin tension I went to 50wt aurifil cotton in the bobbin. These all helped some. I did try only using one guide hole, but that made the problem much worse whereas using all three and running the thread through the three holes backwards helped quite a bit-- that's why I'm thinking that the bit of fluff in the very first guide off the spool may add just that little bit of extra pretensioning it needs to behave.

Rob

I am new to 100wt. thread, too, and had this problem only when I realized I forgot to change out my piecing needle (75/11) for the Microtex 70/10 needle I bought specifically for 100 wt. microquilter thread. As soon as I put in the microtex needle, I started having occasional thread nests that required cutting out and restarting. I didn't have that happen once with the piecing needle. The solution for me was to wind the top thread a second time around the little button you have to go partway around early in the top threading. Now instead of going around the button partway, the thread goes around a full turn and partway. No more thread nests underneath. Good luck to you. I hope you find something that works for you.

If it works from the small spools, and after you' ve tried everthing possible to remedy the problem, perhaps just give up on the cone ,and wind some on a spare bobbin ,use that instead. Or , just buy the small ones from now on, and use the cone just to wind bobbins...probably a lifetime supply,lol.

Needles have been mentioned ... keep in mind that the smaller the thread the smaller the needle.

I have done miles of microstippling with 100wt invisafil (bobbin and on top) using embroidery 12 needles.
I guess I have been lucky ... and no problems ... other than the operator created! :)



Stitch678 ... If winding by hand, it is hard to get a consistent tension on the spool or bobbin. It may work for shorter stints of straight quilting or stitching, but would probably create problems with FMQing. Likewise, winding from a cone down to a small spool defeats the ability to keep on quilting. We have to change bobbins all too soon, as it is. But it it works for you, then go for it!

I always thought that the smaller the thread the smaller the needle. But this last project really turned that idea on its head LOL. The size 12 was hopeless with the Invisafil ... but the size 16 worked! If that's what my Juki wants, that's what she'll get.

I've always had good luck with this on Bernina. Of course, I did use a smaller embroidery/top stitch/metallica needle. Unversal needles IMO are useless for a lot of applications. I never buy them. I use Microtex for piecing and general sewing and the embroidery/top stitch/metallica needle for quilting.

I have a different thread problem. I bought a set of 3 Aurifil spools. Two were fine, but the third one was tangled at the top and I can't find the leading thread anywhere. Every loose thread I find ends up coming from inside a few layers. I don't remember where I bought it. Probably Superior Threads. Any suggestions?

I highly doubt you purchased Auriful thread from Superior; they are competitors. Superior sells only Superior brand threads.

Since you can't remember where you purchased it, I think you're stuck with it. I'd keep trying to untangle it.