Those purses are very, very nice. Love them. Lois

Such cute purses. I am so impressed - zips and all! I have not mastered the zip yet, it's on the 'to do' list.

Oh those are adorable! I am glad you persevered!

Those are really, really pretty.

They are fab, lisa. Love them both.

Here you go!

I am intrigued - is there any chance that you could post a picture of these coin purses?

Thanks HeartandSoul!

Yep, I'll do many many tests, changing one variable at a time. Oh, and it's the Needle breaking at a specific spot every time. Because it's the overcast stitching that happens after the straight stitch to join the layers A + B + C, I have been doing a workaround. I un-hoop the project before that final overcast stitching, and de-activate my machine's embroidery function and switch to "sewing function" and just sew it with the right stitch type, myself. I'm sure the stitch 800 needle breakage is due to poor digitizing in that VP3 file. I'm learning that Anita Goodesign embroideries are not as well digitized as I would like.

And yes, I can use embroidery bobbin-weight thread at this point in the project, as the satin-stitched flap edge is complete and that's the last thread color change that required the top and bobbin to have matching thread. Now that I'm sewing those later steps without the embroidery arm or the hoop, I AM switching to the lighter bobbin thread. Before, when I was still trying to do the whole project "in-the-hoop", I was too lazy to change the bobbin thread at that step, because I have to take my hoop off the embroidery arm to access the bobbin area.

Oh, and I treat lint like the enemy! I clean it very very frequently. I even have a mini vacuum that I only use to clean up sewing messes.

I think the main culprit here is that you changed from a poly thread to a cotton thread. Cotton threads are not as strong (usually) as poly threads. Add in all the layers and the stabilizer and the fusible, and it is just too much friction/heat/thickness for the cotton thread. Variegated thread can also be more finicky, due to the dyes that are used in it. Then there is the batik which is a tighter weave fabric. So all together, you are subjecting the thread to immense pressures of heat, layers, friction, fusible, and stabilizer. I think it's just too much. When there are so many obstacles to overcome, the needle could be slowing down during penetration which can cause needle deflection, skipped stitches, breaking or shredding threads and all sorts of problems.

You also noted that the thread breaks at the same stitch on a certain area... that tells me that there is probably extreme needle deflection or change of angle at that spot in the design that the thread just can't overcome. Can you slow the machine down so it stitches more slowly in that area? That might help give the needle more time to accomplish the task.

What are you using in the bobbin? Perhaps a thinner poly bobbin thread like Bottom Line would help.

It might just be the fusible but you'd have to do some tests to try to isolate the culprit. I suspect it is more than one issue, but if you can do some test runs on one variable at a time, that could help. And yes, this thread will be much more linty than a shiny poly like Isacord for instance. It's the nature of the cotton beast to be linty. Best advice there is to brush the lint out as often as needed - perhaps at every color change or every area stop and start. Lint buildup can also cause problems so clean it often.

HTH!

Can anyone clarify for me, whether these posts (above) are referring to free motion machine quilting (with or without a hoop) or hand quilting (with or without a hoop)? When someone mentions a needle size that is used in a domestic sewing machine, then I'm pretty sure they mean FMQ. Am I correct that FMQ is a term only used when referring to using domestic or long arm sewing machines?

I've been skimming the forum for tips on why my YLI Machine Quilting 40wt, variegated, mercerized long-staple cotton thread is being such a pain. This is a sewn-in-the-hoop coin purse that I've made plenty of times successfully, with Floriani Poly or Isacord Poly 30wt thread, and an appropriate-sized embroidery needle. The project uses Floriani Appli-Kay Wonder & fusible fleece.

The only satin stitching is on a sandwich (sandwich A) of batik, water-soluble woven stabilizer, & fusible fleece ironed to the top batik layer. This area does not tend to break thread even if using the YLI cotton. The worst part is when sewing two other sandwiches (B & C) onto the diamond-quilted fleece sandwich (A). Sandwich B is a zipper pocket folded in half, resulting in 4 layers of batik with a layer of Appli-Kay Wonder fused between layers 1&2, and layers 3&4. Sandwich C is a piece of batik folded over a center of Appli-Kay Wonder. With the poly thread in top & bobbin my machine sews the straight stitch and then the overcast stitch to attach A + B + C just fine with my Inspira embroidery needle.

With the YLI 40wt Machine Quilting thread in top & bobbin, the thread breaks & even at one specific corner the Inspira needle always breaks at stitch 800 of that thread color change, when I stack the Sandwich A + B + C layers. Dealer told me to use a Denim needle (I have lots of Schmetz Jeans/Denim 100/16 needles so I'm using those). So, the Denim needle doesn't break, but the YLI cotton thread shreds, breaks, and acts like the top tension is really loose! Or, I could say the bobbin thread behaves like its tension is too tight (but a Pfaff doesn't have tension adjustment, according to the User Manual). I've never seen so much thread lint!

I bought a lot of the fancy variegated YLI 100% long staple cotton mercerized Quilting Thread in several weights 'cause it looked so fun! Now I worry that I will only be able to use it for straight-stitching. I don't want my computerized Pfaff collecting so much lint, and I hate fixing all these thread breaks! Or,.... could it be that I CAN use it, even in quilting, as long as there is NO double-sided fusible web of any kind, in my project??? Perhaps I need to do some tests with fewer layers of fusible web, starting with all the lint cleaned up so I can see how much new lint collects (as well as whether the YLI cotton thread breaks)?

Sorry for the novel... Any tips? Thanks! :

I use a hoop as well. There are times when the needles seem to bend too easily--they I wil make sure the quilt's not too taut in the hoop. Also do try some different needles. If you have to quilt with a nail--use a nail. The object is to finish it. I can't use itty bitty needles and I always use wool batting.

Terrie, I think the bamboo batting probably does have something to do with it. I think that's quite like cotton batting and that is really quite hard to hand quilt. I have used cotton batting in hand quilting for years and only recently discovered that wool batting is the nicest and easiest on the hands and the needles. You live and learn

I'm so glad for this forum and the advice I've received. I have been hand quilting now for two days and would say that I've gone through about a needle an hour. I'm so glad that I asked and found out that this is somewhat 'normal'? If I hadn't asked, I certainly would have decided to quit and get the thing machine quilted. But I like the look of hand quilting - and the SOTTT quilt is worth it! . The tension of the quilt in the hoop is now looser, but the needles still bend like crazy. Maybe it's the bamboo batting? In any case, it's getting done!


I think I'll go out and buy some more needles this weekend. I have two packs of 12, but I'm sure I will need more! LOL

Thanks to everyone for your advice.

Thanks, Lotti - it was 'tongue in cheek' when I said the thing about encouragment, but they don't have a smilie face with a tongue in cheek I'm learning that although quilting has 'rules', they can be broken and we can suit ourselves as long as we end up with a finished project that we like!
BTW - my hoop 'broke' (the screw bent) last night, so today I will be quilting without one! It's the HST exchange quilt, which I wanted to hand quilt since it's so special. Nothing fancy,, but this will be lots of good practice!
Hope to see you in March/April!
Thanks too, Rita!