Boston1954

Sometimes when the machine is going at a certain speed (fairly slowly), and the thread take up lever is going down, the thread will wrap itself around the shaft of the needle and immediately snap off. It's irritating to have to stop and re-thread three or four times in an hour. I have a Brother SQ9000, but I do not think it's my machine. I do believe it is the thread. This spool is more than half used and I wonder if it is getting curly or something. I do not want to waste it. Has anyone else experienced this, and were you able to resolves it?

Macybaby

sounds more like your tension spring is not working correctly. That should keep the slack out of your thread as your takeup lever starts to go down to make the next stitch.

The only problem I have with "curly" thread is when it wants to loop around and twist on itself, and then the loop pulls through the tensioner, and once on the other side, I've got way too much slack in the thread and then I'll get a tangle on the underside, and sometimes a thread break.

I'm currently using some thread that is over 30 years old, and don't notice it wanting to "curl" any more than new thread. The cotton I got from Connecting Thread sure likes to curl though, enough that it will pull itself out of the needle when I use the thread cutter. So when I use that, I cut my threads the old fashioned way so I have longer tails.

Pennyhal

I've had this problem and it took me a year to figure out what I was doing wrong. I was cutting the thread at the spool instead of at the machine.

When I was sewing with a cross-wound spool, I'd take the long thread tail...usually at least a foot as I was using a thread stand...and wrap it around the spool. In essence, I was winding the tail like toliet paper on a cross-wound spool.

So, when I threaded the machine the next time and the thread pulled off the top of the spool, a twist was added in the tail that I wrapped around the spool. This twist builds up and makes the thread curl up around itself and causes all sorts of problems like twisting around the needle, breaking needles, shredding the thread, making loops.

Now I cut the thread at the spool. The little tail will be taken up pulled off when you thread the machine so that you are actually just stitching on thread that is cross-wound.

To test if this is your problem, try sewing with a spool that is rolled like toliet paper instead of cross-wound and be sure to pull the thread off the side instead of the top. If you pull the thread off the top of a rolled thread, that would cause a twisting problem too. If don't have the twisting problem with the rolled thread, it is possible what was happening to me mayb be happening to you.

If you still have the problem afther checking how the thread comes off the spool, then your problem is not the same as mine.

true4uca

I'm having this problem as well. I'm sure it's the thread as I always use the same brand and of course I bought 6 spools. Have you notice how long thread you don't like lasts. It's now designated as bobbin thread, only half a spool to go. LOL.

Kwiltr

Yes I've found that I get more breakage as I get down to the end of a spool of 50wt aurafil as it is curly and lighter weight it just doesn't come of the spool as smoothly. I wonder if sewers aid would help with that?

NJ Quilter

Perhaps there's a wee tiny bit of thread stuck somewhere that's not allowing your tension mechanism to work correctly. I wonder if 'flossing' your tension discs might help alleviate the problem as well.

tessagin

If your thread is in a horizontal or upright position that could make the difference especially if it's straight wound or cross-round. i'm looking for a reference of a video that was posted a couple months back maybe.

Boston1954

Thanks for the comments. My machine makes the spool stand up. Also, I noticed that is not snapping when I am well into the piece of fabric. It's just when it starts. Sometimes I like to chain piece, and it happens just when the next section of fabric is about to go under the needle. I have tried advancing the fabric by hand turning the wheel, and even setting the machine on its slowest speed. That works for a little while, and then it happens again.

True4uca I wonder if I should just use the rest of this spool as bobbin only, and open a new spool.

Macybaby

I know many vintage machines that will snap the thread if you are sewing without fabric under the needle. So you almost can't chain with them unless you are very, very careful to butt the next piece right up close to the last piece. Usually one stitch without fabric was OK, but the second or third and the thread would break. I learned to stop before going off the fabric, Pull it out a bit to get some tail, then put the next piece under the foot so the needle would come down into the fabric, and then sew. Never sew on and off the fabric.

I was rather surprised the I can sew several stitches between pieces with my Juki 2010 and not have it break the thread. My first brand new sewing machine in 35 years (not counting the LA).

Reminds me of a friend that got a vintage machine, and was complaining about how it kept knotting up and break thread when she started a seam. She never learned about holding the thread tails, as she learned to sew on new machines that didn't require that. When I learned, holding thread tails was a given.