SoftBlockLady

hello ladies........here is my problem.....i have been using a cone of thread all week........no issues..........all of a sudden the thread is bunching under the fabric.........i took the machine apart, cleaned it, put a new needle in and adjusted tension........no good.........i changed thread..........it works just fine............could the cone of thread be bad part way through the spool????????????

Quiltwoman44

I tend to get a tiny bit of fraying or something. Most frustrating but after dealing with that it is fine for a good while again. Where is your cone placed?

Tartan

Check to see how the thread is coming off the cone. Sometimes the thread will get hung up as it gets close to the cone. Do you have a cone holder with the little loop above the stand for smooth delivery?

Synnove

I had the same problem with a beautiful cotton thread. It did fine for a long time then started making a mess, skipping stitches. I did all the usual steps . . . no help. Switched to polyester thread -- did fine. Go figure. It seemed like my sewing machine decided to not like the thread halfway through. My solution was to just stick with poly thread. That wouldn't be my first choice, but it has certainly reduced my frustration level.

mkc

Not sure if this is for a sewing machine or a longarm, but if by "bunching" you mean lots of looping below, that's usually a sign of a top tension issue. Maybe the thread slipped out of the tension disks.

quiltedsunshine

Cone thread should be positioned so the thread pulls straight off the top of the cone. It also has to be held into the thread guide that's just before the tension disks. Sometimes it helps to guide a cone thread through a paper clip that's taped to the back of the machine, if your machine doesn't have a cone thread guide on top. Otherwise, the thread can slip in and out of the tension.

What kind of machine do you have?

sandy l

I've had that happen. Part way thru a spool, started having problems and after trying very thing like you did, I said *************** and thru the spool away.

kalady

Thank you for this insight to cone thread success. Very helpful.

QuiltMom2

Just recently, I had a navy blue spool that machine did not want to work with at all. I too said a few choice words under my breath and finally just discarded. Waste is one thing, but frustration another especially when working to a deadline.

Fabric Galore

I love the idea of using a paper clip to guide my cone thread. Thanks for the tip.