If in any doubt about the condition of your needle, fit a new one. When thread painting, we tend to use quite fine thread e. If the eye of the needle is too large for the thread, friction occurs as you stitch, leading to shredding.
Conversely, and somewhat annoyingly , if the needle is too small for the thread, abrasion will occur. Unfortunately, there is no hard-and-fast rule about needle size, type e. Some high thread-count fabrics require a size larger needle so that the thread moves through the fabric without shredding or breaking. Check that the needle is inserted correctly in the shaft. The flat side of the needle shank should be towards the back.
While I recommend using machine embroidery needles for thread sketching and thread painting, this is also not a hard-and-fast rule.
Everyone has their personal likes and dislikes. Embroidery needles work for me. When I started out, I tried using quilting needles, topstitch needles, and universal needles, none of which offered me a perfect solution. So I turned to embroidery needles. Then, after purchasing a new sewing machine, I had to change the brand of needle I was using.
It seems my machine has a preference for Schmetz needles and no other! For more information about machine needles, see my article What kind of needle should you use for thread painting?
This is such an easy thing to miss, especially when working with rayon or metallic thread. In most situations, the default tension setting on your machine should lead to great results.
But if problems do occur, then test the tension on a sample constructed with the same fabrics and layers as your project. Experiment by adjusting the thread top tension first. If your thread is breaking rather than shredding, loosening the top tension a little may help. However, if shredding is the issue, then this may not work!
Keeping your machine in good order minimises the need to make adjustments. I rarely change the bobbin tension for regular thread sketching and thread painting. Before making any adjustments to bobbin tension, check that your bobbin is evenly wound and the thread pulls away smoothly. Using the correct spindle on your machine is important. The thread should pull off the top of a cone, while smaller, more conventional thread spools are designed in most cases to pull out horizontally.
Sometimes I get a little over-excited and move too quickly, pulling the fabric faster than the needle can cope with. What happens? Of course, the needle may strike the stitching plate or the internal mechanism of your machine. Working over and over and over the same area in a thread painting eventually leads to a buildup of thread that, eventually, the thread either shreds or breaks, or both.
Thread sketching and thread painting generally involve using stabiliser. Some synthetic stabilisers, or those with a coating or adhesive can make one side of the stabiliser either rough or sticky. I prefer uncoated and non-adhesive stabiliser , after experiencing a problem with thread shredding and breakage a while back. Abandoning coated and adhesive stabiliser gave me a workable solution.
Check timing to ensure the needle is in its correct position and the hook or looper is crossing as close as it should and when it should. Below is an example of a properly timed hook and needle on a Class 7 sewing machine.
Inspect the needle to be sure it is not bent or blunted, and replace it if needed. Check hook tip for deformity, as this can cut the thread.
If it is deformed, it is possible to carefully sharpen it by hand. Do not use a power tool for this job. Review the top thread tension. The needle could be deflected from too much tension causing the hook to strike the thread, rather than grasping. Excessive tension can also cause the thread to flatten out in the tension discs or knot up before the tension discs. It comes in a small clear bottle, like Fray Check. You put some liquid on your thread, then rub it onto your spool, then continue as before and most of the time, it corrects my problem.
Keri wrote: All of the above are my "go-to" issues, plus this one: If using a sticky stabilizer, or if the back of the fabric is rubberized in any way, that can cause an issue. When I first started embroidering I purchased some sticky stabilizer on sale and soon realized it had probably gotten hot and was no longer any good.
Too sticky! It caused my thread to stick and shred. Carolyn wrote: I was having trouble with shredding because I was using the wrong foot.
I was using a quilting foot, not an embroidery foot. Linda suggested: If the bobbin shuttle doesn't have a burr on it, I suggest taking the machine in for a deep clean at the dealer or tech. A build up of dust and lint can cause that, rotten thread, and even the tension. Carol said: Try using Sewer's Aide. Works a lot when having trouble, but just use it a little at a time.
Cindy said: Sounds like the upper tension is out of whack, or too tight. Kate wrote: I have been having this problem lately, too! I just changed the type of spray adhesive, and that is when it started.
Going back to my old Karen said: I slow the speed down on my machine, along with using a needle with a bigger eye. Patty wrote: These are the kind of issues that seem to be hit and miss for me. Last time it happened, the thread tension was too tight and loosening it helped.
Sometimes it just seems the thread has weak spots in an area where the stitching is pretty fast, so I just use another "better" brand. Gigi said: Unthread and rethread the machine, use a new needle, and check your bobbin thread. Patt wrote: Sometimes it's just a bad thread or section of thread also. I usually just start over with new thread, bobbin, and needle. It's easier than getting irritated over it.
If you embroider, it will happen occasionally. Kay wrote: I use Madeira and Floriani, but being slightly frugal, I found embroidery thread that was super reasonable read: cheap. I ordered a few spools to try. Not all colors shredded really bad, but some were awful. Others just so-so. I got rid of the cheap stuff, and have no trouble. Donna said: The thread might be dry as a result of long-term exposure to light and air. A tsp of water in a plastic bag, dump in the spool of thread, seal the bag, and put it in the fridge for a week.
It will add needed moisture to dried out thread. Might help. Sarah wrote: If you've been stitching too long the needle can become too hot and it can shred the thread.
Change the needle! Maggie shared: I have found with the bigger hoops the fabric in the hoop tends to move up and down with the needle, especially with a dense design this is called flagging. This causes all sorts of problems - shredding, thread nests, etc. Viking has a special foot called the Sensor Q Foot which is great, but otherwise I find a top-stitching needle better than an embroidery needle. Apparently the newer embroidery needles have a rounded tip and this is the problem.
Ann Marie said: When it was happening to me, I discovered that there was dust and thread pieces in where the thread gets threaded. Lois wrote: I strip off about 3 yards of it and throw it away.
I clean my tension discs and I always use a top-stitching needle. Annette wrote: I have that problem with rayon thread. Joyce said: After flipping the thread every way I can think of because it may be wound funny on the spool, I use All Purpose Sewer's Aid. It helps make sewing easier. Irene said: Too much adhesive, or tension is wrong, I would say. Paula wrote: There is a product called Sewer's Aid here in the states that helps cut down on shredding.
However, checking to make sure the machine is threaded correctly, and there is a new needle on the machine and that the bobbin is wound correctly and the bobbin case clean and without lint helps, as well. Charlene suggested: Slow the motor down. It helps immensely! Sharon said: Usually the needle needs replacing. I have also heard if the humidity is not right in your house too much static , this will happen.
Karen wrote: Put in an embroidery needle with a larger eye, or a larger needle.
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