I am doing something very wrong. Every time I stop sewing and then restart, I have to rethread my sewing machine. I am a patient person, but this is getting to be a bit much. I have the tension set at what the sewing manual directions suggest. I have the machine threaded correctly. What could be causing this? Please help my sanity!

WHat happens when you start again? Sometimes I have to rethread the needle when the end is too short and jumps out. On one of my Pfaffs, the thread jumps out of the uptake lever - but not consistently. So it's hard to answer your question.

Do you have the top thread pulled out enough to the back ? And hold it when you do the first couple stitches ?

It sounds like you are not leaving enough thread end when you cut your thread. I leave about 6 inches from the needle to the end of the top thread.

One question - do you have to rethread because the thread is breaking? Silly as it sounds, this happened to me once and I eventually cured it by turned the spool of thread upside down so it rotated in the opposite direction. I can't figure out why this would make a difference, though. Maybe I did something else different at the same time that really fixed up, but this is the only thing I remembered doing?

PS: I had not been drinking wine at the time.

do you have your needle in the down position when it stops.
This will cause the needle to come unthreaded unless you use a very long thread tail.
Also become accustomed to always leaving a long thread tail.

Sounds like your cutting the thread tail too short when you stop. When you stop, snip top & botton threads at the fabric & then leave a couple inches (lay behind the needle) before starting to sew again.

Sounds like you are threading it wrong. What kind of machine is it? Old Singer's thread left to right, FW right to left. When you stop sewing pull your thread to the back, left about 4-5 inches andcut close to your work. Always leave your tails to the back of machine. That gives enough thread when the needle goes down to not pull out.

Do you use a small piece of "leader" cloth to start and end your sewing?
It saves thread, your machine doesn't "eat" the cloth and your needle won't
get unthreaded. You can reuse the same piece of cloth several times. Amma
did a little demo in tutorial if you are interested.

I was always taught to hold the thread when you start sewing because the thread will invariably come out. Using leaders is good too. I have a Brother that I don't have to hold the thread but every other machine I've used you have to hold the thread or use leaders. Depends on your machine. Is this machine new to you?

Always start sewing with the needle in the up position, so it isn't going up and pulling on the thread. I have this trouble with my old machine, used to be my mother's. I forget to make sure the needle is all the way up. The new machines do this automatically.

I swear by leaders and enders. Bonnie's quiltville website will tell all about them too. I always save the ears from my Flying geese units and I have tons of little HST now! Getting into the habit of leaders and enders will most likely solve your problem of the machine coming unthreaded.

I have the same trouble with mine any time I don't make sure that the thread pulled to the back and securely under the presser foot before I start stitching. If I get in a hurry and it is out to the side, it comes unthreaded every time because quite often the uptake to complete the stitch is not at it's highest point when I stop, so it pulls the thread up and out of the needle.

Well...I figured it out..it was so simple that I overlooked it. I did not remember to put th elittle cap that goes over the end of the spool on and the thread was catching on the end of the spool where the little slit is for you to stop thread from unwinding. I get the "DOH!" award for the day!

try pulling your end thread out further and cut it longer so when you start again you have a longer start piece and hang on to it when you start stitching.

That's ok! We're all allowed a few of those "DOH!" moments! LOL! :thumbup: