Have I been using the wrong thread?
 

My sewing machine (2 years old) would break thread every single time I sewed on it. Every 5 minutes. It was horrible. Then about 2 months ago I bought Gutermann's cotton thread in a cone. It has not broken since. Praise!!! But, I was looking on Google to order some more and found out that what I am using is machine quilting thread. I've been using it for piecing. What should I do? Should I try some other brand in a cone? This was the first time I tried a cone and I don't know if it's the cone or the thread or both that made the breakage stop, but I don't know if I should be using quilting thread for piecing. It's working though. I was thinking about trying Masterpiece thread by Superior Threads, cotton cone, in its place. They are $25, so it's a pretty big investment. I can't try a small spool because my machine doesn't like spools, that I do know. Help!!!!

There is a pretty good chance its not your thread .. its your needle. Thy the same old breaking thread with a bigger needle. Ad for spools, it could be the way you are using the thread holder , or the direction its coming off the spool. If you had a photo of a spool threaded on your machine , it would be helpful to solve this problem. Your machine should be able to use spools.

I use machine thread for piecing and have never had a problem! It used to be just thread now everything is a speialty!!

As long as it is not hand quilting thread it's fine to use machine quilting thread on your machine for any sewing. The main thing is the size of the thread. 3ply 50wt needs a size 90/14 needle. 50wt 2ply needs a size 80 needle. The higher the wt of thread the smaller the needle size. I wouldn't piece with anything over 50wt 3ply and that is too thick a thread for me for piecing but just right for machine quilting. It takes a lot of experimenting with thread size, type, and needle size to understand how important thread and needles are to quilting.

Machines are sometimes picky about thread and needles. You have to find out what works for you.

I say if it is working for you, use it! Less stress! :-)

As is oft said ....... there are NO rules in quilting!
Well, actually there is ONE rule .... Do what works for you ... and that's the ONLY rule!

what brand of thread was breaking? my viking 350 hated C&C with a passion, so i just then never bought any. my new tribute seems to really like mettlers (which is very linty to me) or the connecting threads thread. which at $1.75 a spool is a bargain. i don't know that i would spring 25- for a spool of thread if i didn't know that my machine LOVED it. i would try a different needle, ect.

I found out the hard way to try out a new kind of thread or spool before buying very much. If the thread doesn't flow properly off the spool while sewing, you need a new kind of thread, spool, or spool holder.

I was reading the manual to my DD's new Babylock, and noticed the recommendation that horizontal spool pins require the crisscross-wound spools and the correct size of spool cap to function properly. It even showed that some types of spools need a small space between the cap and the spool. This is all new to me since I only sew on vintage machines.