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    #1

    needle breaking

    Ok i need some advice here. I just finished fmq a small quilt with no issues. Started to work on another, same type fabric, same thread, same set-up. i have broken 5 needles so far. I've checked everything I can think of, rethreaded each time, made sure the thread isn't hanging up anywhere and yet after about 10 inches of sewing-SNAP. Did a test run on a scrap, sewed fine. Started in on the quilt again, another needle bit the dust. It is a bigger quilt, but the weight is supported so it shouldn't be pulling but this is the only difference i can think of.
    Any suggestions/ideas out there? i can stitch in the ditch instead of fmq if I have to, but since I(was) feeling good about my fmq I wanted do that instead.
    “What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others and the world, is and remains immortal.”

    ― Albert Pine
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    #2
    Re: needle breaking

    I am at a standstill on a project myself cause I keep breaking needles - rethreaded, tension - everything checked. Same story as yours - same thread, same fabric, etc. just keeps breaking! Very frustrating. Even cleaned out the bobbin case.
    Hey - we could yell together and maybe our machines would listen to us.

    Hugs,

    Comment

      #3
      Re: needle breaking

      I had the same problem a couple of weeks ago. I have a singer, 1 year old. I broke about 5 needles in a 30 minute time span. I had my husband look at the machine (thankfully he is a mechanical engineer and can fix almost anything), and after he played around with it for a while he determined the shaft the needle slides on had shifted. My needle was actually hitting the face plate and also the FMQ foot. He adjusted the set screw that positions the shaft the needle slides up and down on. He had to take the cover off the machine head to do this.

      Don't know if this is your problem as well. Look for a little hole the needle is making either on your foot or the face plate.

      Good luck getting it working again!
      When life throws you scraps, make a quilt! :icon_bigsmile:

      Comment

        #4
        Re: needle breaking

        Sounds like the needle is hitting something so Martha might have something there. Check to be sure your bobbin case is in all the way and secure.
        Susan

        Comment

          #5
          Re: needle breaking

          i'll have to check that out. I don't know what else to look at.
          “What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others and the world, is and remains immortal.”

          ― Albert Pine

          Comment

            #6
            Re: needle breaking

            Maybe the timing is off, so when the needle goes into the hole, it hits the bobbin case instead of where it should.

            Comment

              #7
              Re: needle breaking

              I'm hoping it's not the timing, bu that is another thing to consider. I had that problem twice with my old machine, which I can get back out if i need to. The newer one does a nicer job though. I'll be checking it out later today.
              “What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others and the world, is and remains immortal.”

              ― Albert Pine

              Comment

                #8
                Re: needle breaking

                Well I took apart everything I could and found: no marks on the plate where the needle might be hitting but the bobbin race(?) seemed wobbly. I removed it, brushed off some lint, removed an unbelievable amount of lint from under the plate and replaced everything. While I had it off, i slowly turned the wheel to see if anything was rubbing or hitting, seemed fine. after I put the race back I did the same and all looked good. Tried sewing and all seems fine now.

                I think "maybe" what happened: at some point the bobbin race became unseated, maybe from the original break(or a later one), maybe the thread WAS hung up and i didn't catch it. Combined with the extra lint from the minky it threw the machine off sync a bit. I'm good about cleaning out lint after sewing with fleece/flannel-anything linty- but maybe I underestimated the amount i would get from the minky.
                I'm going to set the quilt aside for now and work on something else, just to see that all continues to go OK. I may finish this quilt with SID just in case my machine acts up again. I can always finish it on my old machine it it does. Thanks for all your suggestions. I hope what i found might help someone else. Back to sewing now!
                “What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others and the world, is and remains immortal.”

                ― Albert Pine

                Comment

                  #9
                  Re: needle breaking

                  What an easy fix, but so overlooked. I am always amazed how linty just sewing can be. Glad you are back to sewing. Hope that fixed it.

                  Comment

                    #10
                    Re: needle breaking

                    Glad to hear that you fixed your machine. ))
                    I took my bobbin cover off and the plate and cleaned lint out and was sewing beautifully. I think the problem is the backing fabric of the quilt my girlfriend is using. When you feel the fabric - you think - is this a flannel? Then think - no, it's a cotton. But, it doesn't feel like a cotton and it doesn't feel like a flannel. It feels waxy. And it seems that with the waxy feeling that it is causing it to not want to slide at all so it pulls the thread and breaks it. So, trying to figure out how to get it to slide easier. I don't have one of those slide easy covers so that's not a solution right now. Can't wash the fabric cause the top is all together and layered and I have about 1/8th of it quilted. I don't want to ruin it. I'm thinking I could put it in the sink to sit there to perhaps wash out the sizing? Do you think it would ruin it if I don't agitate it and let it air dry?
                    What do you think?

                    Hugs,

                    Comment

                      #11
                      Re: needle breaking

                      i would be a bit afraid to try it, just because the weight of it wet might cause some shifting. Maybe making your machine bed more slippery might help. I tape a piece of heavy,clear vinyl from walmart over the bed of my machine and table. i cut a small square over the needle hole and put a loop of tape down to keep it from shifting. It's slippery and a lot cheaper than one of those sliders.

                      I've heard others use oven liners but I had the vinyl sitting around so I thought i would give it a shot.
                      “What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others and the world, is and remains immortal.”

                      ― Albert Pine

                      Comment

                        #12
                        Re: needle breaking

                        Hmmm - I think I'll try that vinyl! Since Walmart doesn't sell fabrics here anymore, I think I'll pop into Joann's since it's on my way tomorrow and pick up a small piece. I'll let you know how it works! I did talk to my friend and she said to go ahead and soak it since there are a few ties in it and it is quilted a little, plus I was going to do a basting stitch around the whole outside - but will try your idea first and let you know how it works.
                        Thanks!!!!!!
                        Hugs,

                        Comment

                          #13
                          Re: needle breaking

                          On a YouTube tutorial that is what one of the ladies did to make her quilts slide easier over her tables and it seemed to work out well so that may be a better choice

                          Comment

                            #14
                            Re: needle breaking

                            hope it works out for you! This is supposed to be a relaxing hobby, not a frustrating one! LOL
                            “What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others and the world, is and remains immortal.”

                            ― Albert Pine

                            Comment

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