Aurifil thread and new issue with machine?
 

Quick background. My wife use to piece and quilt on a 25 year old Singer with Coats and Clark. We didn't know any better. Then there was the machine research followed by thread research. She started with Madeira 50 wt Cotona, a quilting thread that ran beautiful through the new Brother NQ1300PRW. After more research we invested in Aurifil 50 cotton.

The machine has a program where it will do a lock stitch at the beginning and end of a stitch if you so choose and then cut the thread and finally automatically lift the presser foot. All of this is done when you start and stop the stitch automatically. She finds this to be a nice time saver.

This issue is when we changed to Aurifil, the auto cut feature cuts the thread perhaps too short, since when she starts back up the thread balls up at the beginning of the stitch if she doesn't pull more thread through the needle manually.

I'm looking for solutions to the problem. I don't think it's the thread, since many people use Aurifil 50 successfully. First thing that I thought of was needle size. She uses a Schmetz 80/12 now and since the Aurifil is finer than the Madeira perhaps she needs to go to a 75/11? Maybe it's a bobbin issue? Maybe a machine issue?

Anyone else having issues with the start of their stitches when switching from a little heavier 50 of something else to Aurifil and what was the solution to the issue?

i am 98.75% sure that the little wad of thread at the seam start is something most/all machines do - at least if they have the top/bottom thread cut feature.

i don't think there's anything you can do about it.

that used to drop me batty because it's unattractive. then i realized two things:
1. it's on the back where it won't be seen anyway; and
2. it secures the beginning of the seam. this comes in handy when using a machine that doesn't have a convenient lock-stitch feature.

That can be prevented if before you start sewing, you bring the bottom thread up through your work to the top first. I have a Brother Innov-is, NX-2000 and have the same problem when I don't do that little step. I hope this helps. I too use Aurifil and Essential threads.

This is Clay's wife, Loopmaster. I use the auto cut function after each pieced unit. The actual issue is when starting to sew. If there is just two pieces of fabric being sewn together, the thread won't catch until I get to a seam. Then it sews just fine to the end. If I pull out additional thread before I start sewing, it works just fine. Bugs me when I forget! Any suggestions?

2 things -

Look at the Aurifil thread after you use the cutter. See if the thread looks curled. If thread is curled, the spool could be feeding wrong or tension is set for the heavier thread.

What does the tie-off stitch normally look like? My Pfaff 2170 has tie off stitches and they make a figure 4. The machine might not be getting enough thread to start with a tie-off.

You can also use leaders and enders. Start on a piece of scrap and end on another piece of scrap. If you are just piecing, you usually don't tie off the seams on piecing since the seam is usually crossed over. Most people chain where they can.

Spools do have certain ways to put on the machine so they feed the thread right. Are you using a horizontal spool holder?

Are you using a single hole plate or a zig zag? If the latter, you might try the single hole plate, that usually "cures" the problem.

I always start machine quilting off the edge so any nest that are created will be cut off when I trim the quilt. I do a tiny backup stitch when I am on the edge of the quilt. I just bought the special value of the day that was a three pack of Aurfill from MSQC and going to try to see how it works on my Bernina 1530.

Sorry no help here, I do use the auto thread cutter sometimes too, but it can be really frustrating as the bobbin thread only leaves about ¼ " of thread sticking up so not able to pull that through to the top.

My Bernina Artista 730 does the same thing. I had it in the repair shop, and they told me nothing was wrong with my machine, and nothing could be done.

Someone told me to start using leaders and enders. But that's why I paid for an automatic thread cutter! I have since moved on to using a Babylock machine, with no problems using Aurifil.

If you find a solution that works, I hope you will post it. My Bernina just sits waiting to be used....

My thread was curling. changed tension and matche thread to the needle. Good to go. Thanks Weezy Rider

My Brother 1500 will do this when I use the thread cutter. I figured out it doesn't matter as long as it's on the back. When I am doing machine quilting where the back will show, I don't use the thread cutter. If there is a Brother dealer nearby ask for a demo of how the thread cutter operates and how it sews. Don't say you have one. Most dealers will make excuses why it doesn't work if you didn't buy the machine from them.

Again, the issue did not happen with the slightly heavier Madeira, Cotona 50, just the Aurifil 50 cotton. We just bought 18, 1422 yard spools of Aurifil, so I hope that we can get this worked out. Frustrating !

Also, the issue isn't the ball of thread at the beginning. It's that it doesn't lock stitch the first few stitches. Will have to call the dealer and see if they have any ideas.

With 50 wt thread a size 7/11 needle is recommended.

As purly a layman and trial and error, I think the problem with my machine is a timing issue, even that could be the wrong term. Anyway, when the machine is running and then stops, I think the uptake lever should stop just past totally up. No one has ever confirmed this. Like someone else said, repairmen don't believe me.

These were some really solid ideas. I finally made it home from work and the first thing that I did was check the board on a full size computer and not on my crazy phone.

I want to thank everyone who pitched in and tried to help us out. We are somewhat embarrassed in that it was a simple mistake on our part. When we put the Aurifil on the machine there is a Thread Spool Insert that goes on the mini-king cones to hold the thread onto the horizontal spool holder. When we looked at the owners manual (imagine that, when all else fails actually read that thing), that Thread Spool Insert was the wrong one for the Aurifil spools. We were suppose to use the small spool cap instead of the Thread Spool Insert which is used for the mini-king spools.

As another poster mentioned, if your machine has an auto cutter and a feature which does an auto lock stitch automatically, is sure is nice to be able to use the features that you paid for. When the machine does it without any extra hand motions it really does save time.

Embarrassed but glad it was a stupid mistake on our part. The machine and my wife are both happy again.

If nothing else today, I was able to get her to type on the forum for the first time and explain the issue a little. I would like her to set up her own account and contribute and share and learn a thing or two as well. Thanks again everyone for the support. Clay

Aurifil is 50wt 2 ply. Most 50wt threads are 3 ply. The Aurifil is thinner the other 50 wt threads. Adjusting the tension and finding the right needle size your machine likes will take experimenting.

I know that the above post was too long. Again, thanks for the help everyone and it was just a matter of which of the 4 spool caps to use, which in turn affected the tension.

I would suggest using a piece of scrap at beginning and end and then use the lockstitch function manually when it gets to the actual piecing

Depending on the brand of machine,.....on Janomes, you need to leave the needle down when using the auto cutter....that usually fixes the problem with the thread coming out of the needle when starting up again.

Ugh! Know what you're going thru. I have a BL and it did the same thing..drove me crazy..I paid for this "added" feature and it gave me grief...I was ready to throw it out the basement window(still do some days).... Packed it up and took it to the dealer/tech...told him fix or put it in the middle of the road and let a semi smash it.....well yes, he fixed it...I guess there is a way they can. It now leaves enough thread to begin again....I still am not "thrilled" with the hairy knot it makes but better than having to manually (auto) re thread! And I paid for all this technology!

If you can manually turn your wheel toward you so that the needle is just above your work before you start sewing, it will stop that 90% of the time. The problem is happening because when you stop with your needle in it's highest position, the machine makes a full revolution before it gets to the fabric, and uses a good 2 or 3 inches of thread to get there, so if your machine cuts it with only an inch left, it can't start and complete a stitch with that short thread.

I have the NX-2000 Also and have that knotting problem as well.

After I do needle down and then up to catch the bobbin thread, I have a habit of pulling the bobbin thread to the back under my presser foot with a right angle tweezer tool. Never a problem.

Thanks again for everyone's thoughts. The problem is RESOlVED. There is NO Issue with Aurifil, it was a mistake we made with the spool cap, that's all. The auto cutter works beautifully, the auto lock stitch works perfectly and the machines runs beautifully when we put the right spool cap on.

My wife loves the auto lock stitch at the beginning and end of sewing, the auto cutter and the automatic foot lifter. Features that we paid for and are enjoying. She has no desire to do it manually when the machine works so well as long as we use the correct spool cap.