MaryKatherine

I guess this is really directed at the Long arm owners.
I'm trying to embellish and I've run into breakage. This was not unexpected but before I start playing with the tension on my machine, has anyone had experience.
I'm using a premium embroidery thread from Brother. Cotton in the bobbin. Considering the speed at which embroidery machines operate I assumed I could quilt with it. Any insight?
Thanks
MaryKatherine

amma

Some embroidery machines need to be slowed down to embroider with this thread.
Also, using a metallic needle may help, the eye is made for these threads :D:D:D

hobbykat1955

I have tried on numerous occasion to use it in my embroidery machine...too no real success...For short bits OK but anything long and involved breakage...So I mainly only do accents nothing too involved...I've tried all recommendations which is have the spool standing upward, of course mettalic needle to no avail...

sewcrafty

I don't know if this will help or not, but when I use metallic thread on my DSM I use a topstitch needle. Has worked for me, very little breakage.

Tolelady53

I have done several quilts with gold metallic thread and everytime I swear it will be the last! The last time I was doing a quilt at Christmas (7,000 ft. of gold metallic thread) about a quarter of the way through I was ready to pull my hair out. Hubby came to the rescue (again) and said, "there must be something that will let the thread flow smoothly." I told him I had seen a product called Sewer's Aid but didn't know what it was. So we looked it up on the internet and it's silicone!

So he went to his shop and got me a spray can of silicone...which will not hurt the thread or the fabric...and I sprayed the bobbin AND the thread spool! I used the biggest needle I had (18) and cotton thread in the bobbin, and WOOHOO it worked! I sprayed the bobbin heavily every time I changed it, as well as kept the thread spool sprayed, and I still had some breakage but not nearly as much as before nor as frustrating.

I have not used other colors of metallic thread, but I can't imagine it wouldn't work on them as well. I haven't confirmed it, but I understand that the quilter that won Best of Show at Houston this year, Sharon Schamber, uses silicone by the "bucket." Good Luck!

MaryKatherine

Someone on another board suggested I skip the last thread guide before the needle. I had heard of that before. That plus backing off the tension seems to have done the trick!
Thanks for all your suggestions.
Mary Katherine