There is a learning curve…
If I only knew then what I know now about skipped stitches!
When I was first starting out on my long arm quilting adventures, I had some issues with skipped stitches and frayed and broken thread and I could not figure out the solutions. The internet was no help to me at the time. Maybe, I just wasn’t asking the right questions, but I could not find the answers when I needed them. Eventually, I found some of the answers, to some of my questions but I looked at a lot of different sources. So, I have compiled some of the things I had to figure out on my on and I wish I had known when I was a beginning quilter. I hope it is helpful to someone to have some of the suggestions all in one place.
Loosen the tension on your fabric. One of the biggest mistakes beginners make is to pull the fabric too tight between the rollers. Just how loose should should it be? Looser than you think would be acceptable! You should be able to push up against your fabric from the bottom and grasp that finger to the first knuckle with your other hand. I roll my fabric just barely snug then loosen the tension two or three clicks depending on the fabric. This system helps me keep the fabric tension consistent. Fabric that is too tight will bounce. think of a trampoline! If that happens it keeps the top thread from having an opportunity to form the loop that catches the bobbin thread . The result is skipped stitches.
Of course if that was the only thing that caused skipped stitches, life would be easy. And, life is never as easy as it should be. Next, look at where you are skipping stitches. Take a little time and evaluate the pattern. You may find that the skips are consistently located on a particular part of the pattern. Is it when you move up and left, or sharply down and to the right? Or some other direction? This is good information to know because you can also get skipped stitches if you don’t move the machine smoothly. This doesn’t necessarily mean at the same speed, there are places where zooming just feels natural. (And loops are easier and smoother when you go a little faster.) It is important though to change direction without jerking the machine. Those directional changes need to be made in rhythm with the needle movement so you don’t flex or bend the needle. If your needle flexes it won’t meet the bobbin hook correctly to pick up the bobbin thread.
Speaking of needles, they are so important to the creation of great stitches. If your needle is inserted twisted, chances are it won’t pick up every stitch. Sometimes it won’t even make a stitch. (Frankly, I prefer that scenario to an occasional skipped stitch.) If you are skipping stitches and have recently changed your needle, make sure it is inserted correctly. Are you using the correct needle? Size matters. If the eye is too small for the thread, the thread will shred and break. Different fabrics prefer different needles. Sharp needles (sharps) pierce the fibers of your fabric while ball tips slip between the weave. Using the right needle gives the top thread a better opportunity to connect with the bobbin thread to complete the stitch. One last thought on needles, they need to be in good condition. It’s a good habit to change your needle every time you change the quilt on your machine.
If your thread is breaking, and breaking, and breaking, and then breaking some more no matter what you do; take a deep breath. Your machine is not out to ruin your day, although it feels like it! I’ve been there and felt the frustration! Here is a clue to help you figure out where to start. If the you are having issues on the bottom of your quilt, the issue is in the top thread. If the thread issue is on top of your quilt, you are having bobbin issues. It’s a little counter intuitive.
For issues with the top thread, (the problem is manifesting on the bottom) it is usually easiest to start over. Completely unthread your machine. Before you rethread, take time to look over the thread path. make sure there are not any small bits of thread or lint hung up anywhere. It is a good idea to check to make sure there is nothing caught in your tension disks. A stiff piece of cardboard, like a business card, works great to slip between the disks. Once you have checked the thread path, go ahead and rethread the machine.
With bobbin issues (remember the issue would show up on the top), you will need to remove the bobbin. Look and make sure there are no threads caught anywhere in the bobbin case. Do you need to clean the lint out while you checking this area? Remove the bobbin from the holder. Is there any thread or lint in the bottom of the holder? Check the tension spring by running a straight pin under it to make sure it doesn’t have any lint build up. If everything looks good, reload the bobbin in the holder and replace it in the bobbin case. You should be ready to quilt again!
If these steps have not solved your breakage problem, I have a couple of additional suggestions. First, replace your needle. It may have a burr of nick that is causing the the thread to break. And as a last resort, try a different thread. The thread you are using may be brittle. If this solves your problem, you could use a different cone of thread if feasible. Or you could pull thread off your spool until you get to some that is not as prone to breakage and then try again. Or you could put the cone in the freezer for several hours. I am not sure how it works, but it does seem to remoisturize the thread some of the time enabling you to salvage you your thread. Of course it may just be that the time away from the quilt puts me in a better frame of mind!
Happy quilting!
Laura