Why Is My Thread Breaking?
Troubleshooting for answers and solutions. Take the stress out of quilting with these helpful suggestions.
Whether a sewing machine weighs 12 pounds or 40, all quilters would happily toss their beloved machines out of the window at times. One of those times is when the thread keeps breaking while we are trying to machine-quilt. Machine quilting can cause enough stress without the thread working against us as well!
On the days when the thread insists on breaking and making my life miserable, I take a break. Usually I walk away and have a cup of tea. Once I have calmed down, I return to my machine and try to figure out why the thread is breaking. I work through this checklist until my thread stops breaking.
1. Unthread, clean & rethread
Unthread the top thread and bobbin. Dust off the machine. Look for any lint hanging around the thread path. Get out the owner's manual and follow the directions for routine cleaning of the machine. Check the threading diagram in the manual and carefully rethread the top and bobbin. In my experience, this solves the problem 90 percent of the time. I will never know exactly what the problem was, but the problem is gone.
2. Change the needle/ correct the needle size
Over time and with use, a needle can develop a rough spot that can break the thread. This spot is too small to see, so you need to insert a new needle to diagnose the problem. If the thread stops breaking when using the new needle, the needle had a rough spot. If the thread keeps breaking, the cause is likely not the needle.
Did you know that different sizes of thread work best in different size needles? If the eye of the needle is too small for the thread, it can cause the thread to shred or break. My students have asked, “Why don't we just use the largest size needle all of the time?” That's an excellent question, but while using an oversize needle will cut down on thread breakage, it will also leave a large hole in your quilt for each stitch. If you hold a quilt like this up to the light, you will see the lights twinkling through each needle hole. When choosing needle sizes, it is best to use the smallest size needle possible to leave the smallest hole in your quilt while using a needle with an eye large enough to not shred the thread.
The chart below will give you a place to start when choosing the right needle for your thread. You may have success using needle/thread combinations other than the ones listed in the chart; this is simply a guideline.
3. Confirm that thread is unspooling properly
Once the machine is clean and has a fresh, correctly sized needle, check to see how the thread is unspooling. Some threads are wound to unspool from the top and some are wound to unspool from the side. While it is possible to get them to work when unspooling in the incorrect direction, it is best to correct the orientation of the spool if the thread is breaking.
When thread is wound with the threads going straight across the spool, have the thread unspool from the side.
If your machine only has one spool pin, purchase a free-standing thread stand that allows you to position the spool both horizontally and vertically. Set this stand on the table next to or behind your machine and thread the machine as you normally do.
When thread is wound with the threads crossing the spool diagonally, have the thread unspool from the top.
4. Adjust/loosen the tension
If you have a clean machine, the correct needle and the proper threading, it is time to check the tension. If the top thread is snapping, it might be due to tight tension. Is the top thread lying flat on the surface of the quilt? Is it pulling up the bobbin thread? If so, loosen the tension one number (or more).
5. Check the speed
If you are free-motion quilting when your thread is breaking, check your speed. Stitching too fast can cause thread to break, as can inconsistent stitching (fast then slow then fast then slow). Stitching in one place without moving the fabric can also cause the thread to break because the needle stitches through the same hole many times and can stitch through the thread.
6. Check the weather
In a dry climate, the weather isn't likely going to be an issue. But I live in the northeast United States and we experience all four seasons—sometimes in the same day! I live in the woods, have no air-conditioning and use a woodstove for heat. My house qualifies as a “lack of climate control test case” for threads.
I have checked, re-checked and then triple-checked everything on this list and still had serious thread breakage problems. Then I gave up for the day. When I tried again the next day, my thread no longer broke when stitching. Only then did I realize that the thread breakage was during a period of high humidity, a thunderstorm or some other weather event. When the weather cleared, my thread stopped breaking. This was the height of frustration, but I was happy to be stitching easily again in less than 24 hours.
7. If all else fails…
Change your needle again. I have occasionally (rarely) had a new, directfrom-the-package needle have a rough spot on it. Replace the needle a second time if steps 1– 6 on this didn't solve the thread breakage problem.
Switch to another spool of the same thread if possible. Once or twice I have found that a spool or cone of thread was wound improperly. Switching to another spool of the same thread will let you know if the thread was the problem.
Try quilting with a different quilt. Make a sample of a different top fabric, different batting, and different backing. If the thread stops breaking, the problem could be with the original fabric or batting.
8. Take your machine in for service
If all threads break in all needles on all quilts, it is time to take the machine in for service.
Thread occasionally breaks; it is part of the quilting life. Repeated, nonstop thread breaks cause quilters to doubt their commitment to the project. Be patient and take the time to diagnose why the thread is breaking and correct the problem. As this checklist becomes part of your quilting life, you can stop those thread breaks before you reach your breaking point.
Happy quilting!