littledentist

Hi everyone. My thread is bunching up around my needle while FMQ, and I thought it would be because my needle is too small but this is a denim needle which is huge. My thread is Tula pink thread. Any thoughts??

AprilM

Wish i had something more profound to offer here, but i am stumped on this one too.

I know this seems maybe too simple, but it has helped me more times than i care to admit... have you tried totally rethreading your machine (including taking out the bobbin and putting it back in again)? Maybe your feed dogs are still up? Sometimes the tiniest piece of lint can cause the most havoc - if i am rethreading anyway it doesnt hurt to clean the most obvious parts i can see!

Sometimes you do all that and the problem magically disappears - my only complaint about that is i wish i knew exactly which one of those things i tried was what really helped

If none of the above works maybe switch out needles a couple times to see if that helps. Maybe the jeans needle and the thread combo are a mis-match? For fmq on my domestic machine i have had good results with the Microtex needles.

Hoping the problem doesnt persist too long!

quiltedsunshine

Sometimes it's from the presser foot not being low enough. What kind of machine are you working on?

littledentist

Thanks ladies. I’m workin on a brother 1500. It’s the oddest thing.

themadpatter

This happens to me fairly frequently. It seems to me like the winding of the thread breaks and starts bunching up and then finally the core snaps. Dual duty thread is my nemesis.

KathyJ

This happens more times than I care to admit. So frustrating. So . . . I take a breather & clean out the machine - bobbin area, presser foot area, needle area, thread track, etc. If I can see it, it gets cleaned. Even my thread stand. Sometimes, I even replace the bobbin and/or the top thread. By the time I've finished, my frustration level is a lot lower. I thread back up, take a deep breath & start again but slower. Works for me. Good luck & happy quilting.

littledentist

Yes, sometimes I need to walk calmly away. I forgot to post pics, you can all appreciate them! Sorry for the side photo, not sure that that's about. [ATTACH=CONFIG]615019[/ATTACH]

QuiltE

Thanks for the photo, as now I understand what you are meaning as to what is happening.

Sorry, I am not familiar with Tula Pink thread.
What type is it? and its weight?
It looks very fuzzy.

While you said Denim needle ... what size?

As you suggested, my first thought is that the needle hole is too small for the weight of the thread.

The fuzzy-ness of the thread has me concerned that is where your bunching is coming from,
with fuzz/lint coming off, and building up as it goes through the needle,
and then not letting the thread flow through freely.

Totally guess work here for me ... in not knowing anything about the Tula Pink.

quiltedsunshine

Could be a burr on the hook, which can be easily polished. Or the needle/hook distance is too tight -- hook is touching the needle. The thread that is shredded has already been down, around the hook. When the take-up lever pulls the thread back up, it's catching on something.

Rhonda K

Hard to know what we are looking at with the pics except a thread problem.

Make sure the needle is inserted all the way up into the slot. It can drop down. Try a different thread to see if it shreds too.

Check inside the machine to see if a thread is caught in the thread guides. You have to take off the little screw caps and remove the screws to see inside.

Try a different size-type of needle to see if the results change.

What bobbin thread are you using for the project? Check the bobbin area and make sure it is clean.

Do you have the auto cutter? Check that area for stray threads too.

Hope you find the solution to the thread issues.