HELP!!! Thread nest problem!!!

I'd been having trouble with the RA poly thread shredding, so
changed from a Jeans needle to a metallic. That seemed to help. But
after a while something happened and the stitches started getting a
little strange--and then I saw it: a whole mess of top thread on the
bottom in wicked nests. First thing I checked was to make sure the
foot was down, and it was (been there, done that!). But I don't know
what else to look for.

Any suggestions?

--Heidi

http://community.webshots.com/user/rabbit2b

Heidi, you're ahead of me. Changing needles is a good start. Seeing if the
foot is down is also a likely culprit.
Let's see - change bobbins to another thread.
Re-thread. Sometimes those smart-alec threads jump track.
Hunt for a gopher gut fuzzy gumming up the works.
Change needles again. Sometimes one is faulty.
See if your bobbin tension needs to be looser - tighter?
Turn your spool of thread over.
If none of this works, I can send you a list of blue words and suggest
some good tools for beating your SM to pieces. None of them will help but
you will feel a lot better. Please do report back, we care and we can
help. Polly

"hfw" wrote in message
...
I'd been having trouble with the RA poly thread shredding, so
changed from a Jeans needle to a metallic. That seemed to help. But
after a while something happened and the stitches started getting a
little strange--and then I saw it: a whole mess of top thread on the
bottom in wicked nests. First thing I checked was to make sure the
foot was down, and it was (been there, done that!). But I don't know
what else to look for.

Any suggestions?

--Heidi

http://community.webshots.com/user/rabbit2b

Thanks! Someone suggested that perhaps I'd threaded the machine with the
foot down, and I think that was it. But another problem has cropped up.
Stitched beautifully for most of the pass, then, for the last inch or two,
the stitches on top got a bit irregular and loose and there were loops on
the bottom. No nests, but loops. Any idea why that would happen in the
middle of sewing when things had been going along just fine? Maybe a gopher
gut fuzzy from all my frogging of previous problem suddenly got into the
tension disks? Gotta call the mechanic in the morning.

Don't know whether I'd mentioned this before, but this is on a frame, going
relatively slowly.

--Heidi

http://community.webshots.com/user/rabbit2b


"Polly Esther" wrote in message
nk.net...
Heidi, you're ahead of me. Changing needles is a good start. Seeing if the
foot is down is also a likely culprit.
Let's see - change bobbins to another thread.
Re-thread. Sometimes those smart-alec threads jump track.
Hunt for a gopher gut fuzzy gumming up the works.
Change needles again. Sometimes one is faulty.
See if your bobbin tension needs to be looser - tighter?
Turn your spool of thread over.
If none of this works, I can send you a list of blue words and suggest
some good tools for beating your SM to pieces. None of them will help but
you will feel a lot better. Please do report back, we care and we can
help. Polly

"hfw" wrote in message
...
I'd been having trouble with the RA poly thread shredding, so
changed from a Jeans needle to a metallic. That seemed to help. But
after a while something happened and the stitches started getting a
little strange--and then I saw it: a whole mess of top thread on the
bottom in wicked nests. First thing I checked was to make sure the
foot was down, and it was (been there, done that!). But I don't know
what else to look for.

Any suggestions?

--Heidi

http://community.webshots.com/user/rabbit2b

Top thread nesting on the bottom usually means the top tension is
loose. Or not there, check to make sure the thread is all the way into
the tension.
Irregular stitching after stitching has been fine could be a number of
things.
Is the bobbin low and "bouncing" in the shuttle?
Did the thread jump out of the take up lever, or one of the thread
guides even?
Did you cross a seam onto different fabric? Or a seam in the
backing? or a lump of batting?
The timing may be slipping. Or the tension assembly may be slipping.

Hope this helps,
Pati, in Phx

hfw wrote:

I'd been having trouble with the RA poly thread shredding, so
changed from a Jeans needle to a metallic. That seemed to help. But
after a while something happened and the stitches started getting a
little strange--and then I saw it: a whole mess of top thread on the
bottom in wicked nests. First thing I checked was to make sure the
foot was down, and it was (been there, done that!). But I don't know
what else to look for.

Any suggestions?

--Heidi

http://community.webshots.com/user/rabbit2b

These slick threads just love to ooze off the tension disks, loop around the
thread guides, catch on the spool holder, or anything else they can think of
to cause you grief. So it doesn't matter that you have been sewing along
without a problem, that's just to lull you into a false sense of security!
Stop and re-thread, then you should be able to sew for a little while until
the next time the thread gets bored.
With some threads, it helps to stop every few inches and just raise the
presser foot, then lower it and keep sewing. Lets the thread re-twist itself
and smooth out a bit. A nuisance, but less so than re-threading.
Roberta in D

"hfw" wrote in message
...
Thanks! Someone suggested that perhaps I'd threaded the machine with the
foot down, and I think that was it. But another problem has cropped up.
Stitched beautifully for most of the pass, then, for the last inch or two,
the stitches on top got a bit irregular and loose and there were loops on
the bottom. No nests, but loops. Any idea why that would happen in the
middle of sewing when things had been going along just fine? Maybe a
gopher
gut fuzzy from all my frogging of previous problem suddenly got into the
tension disks? Gotta call the mechanic in the morning.

Don't know whether I'd mentioned this before, but this is on a frame,
going
relatively slowly.

--Heidi

http://community.webshots.com/user/rabbit2b


"Polly Esther" wrote in message
nk.net...
Heidi, you're ahead of me. Changing needles is a good start. Seeing if
the
foot is down is also a likely culprit.
Let's see - change bobbins to another thread.
Re-thread. Sometimes those smart-alec threads jump track.
Hunt for a gopher gut fuzzy gumming up the works.
Change needles again. Sometimes one is faulty.
See if your bobbin tension needs to be looser - tighter?
Turn your spool of thread over.
If none of this works, I can send you a list of blue words and
suggest
some good tools for beating your SM to pieces. None of them will help
but
you will feel a lot better. Please do report back, we care and we can
help. Polly

"hfw" wrote in message
...
I'd been having trouble with the RA poly thread shredding, so
changed from a Jeans needle to a metallic. That seemed to help. But
after a while something happened and the stitches started getting a
little strange--and then I saw it: a whole mess of top thread on the
bottom in wicked nests. First thing I checked was to make sure the
foot was down, and it was (been there, done that!). But I don't know
what else to look for.

Any suggestions?

--Heidi

http://community.webshots.com/user/rabbit2b