How do you UNTHREAD your machine?

[Dawn S.]

Oh my gosh, Becky! You are so sweet to offer to send thread to me! I did find an online store that sells it for a little over $10 a spool. I will settle for that. I think volume is the key, and our small shop up here in northwest Montana, just doesn't sell enough for a better price break. Perhaps I need to put Aurifil thread on my list for Houston Festival!

I didn't intend to scare any new quilters. hmy: Nor jinx seasoned ones! inch: I just wanted to know what y'all did and why. Many of us have pulled the thread out from the top for the past 30 years or more, with no problem. Others have had problems with their tension, or lint in the machine, but it may not even be related to the thread pull. I think the key to pulling the thread from the top is be sure the foot is up (releases the tension discs) keep the needle area clean of lint, and have the thread not be in the needle.

But, I think we are about 50/50 as to whether we pull it from the top or from the bottom. And, I'm sure it depends on the machine! Interesting discussion! Thanks for all of your input!

Dawn

[Dawn S.]

I just bought a new machine and when I went thru my classes they told us to cut it and pull it thru the machine. You could damage your tension plates of your machine if you pulled it from the top

[E.M. T.]

Bernina tells me to pull the cut off thread thru the machine....I prob'ly do that half the time...too many yrs
pulling the other way !! I forget ! :whistle: And , like most, hate to waste all that thread !! :evil:
And it really does add up !! ops: Aurafil here varies from place to place...$9 to $14 Like Dawn..
our small shops have to charge more :blink: I mail order mostly !

[wendy w.]

Aw Lk2stch your puppy is gorgeous x

[Dawn S.]

I went to quiltart group meeting today, and surveyed the group and the two quilt shop workers where we met. 5 ladies pull the thread from the top and 3 snip the thread and pull it through the needle area. Perhaps the younger quilters will follow the advice from their teachers, stores, or service people, but it seems like we seasoned quilters will not break from what we have always done. (Do I dare say, it's hard to reach an old dog new tricks?) :silly:

Dawn

[E.M. T.]

Oh,well...think it depends on the trick ! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

[E.M. T.]

I agree with Marilyn!
Barb:-)

[Betty J.]

I think it depends on the machine whether you can do this or not. The newer high-tech machines do things a little differently. I usually snip and pull as instructed, but I have sometimes pulled the thread back from my Bernina 830, but very slowly and after I lift the presser foot to make sure the tension disks are not engaged. My Bernina 350 and 1230 do not appear to be affected in the same way with the tension discs when the presser foot is down, and I pull my thread out the old fashioned way on those two machines. It also probably makes a difference the weight of thread you use. If you are using a heavier thread, you really probably should not pull it backwards, but clip and pull forward. I know several people who have damaged their higher tech machines by doing it the old fashioned way...so as I said...depends on the machine.

[brenda h.]

I have always pulled back and rewound the thread onto the spool even though I have had Bernina's for almost 40 years! I did just get a new (to me) Bernina 830 and, although I tried to cut and pull from the needle sometimes I just couldn't find the end of the thread so out the backside it came. Then, the thread started shredding and I was not really happy! What to do? I actually decided to look at the manual (gasp, horror, really?). It showed how to take the front plate off the machine and look for the thread. I wish I had taken a picture of the take up lever!!! There was probably a foot of shredded thread wrapped around the little hooky thing that the thread runs through. I removed it and am much happier with my stitch quality, but the thread is still shredding after changing needles 3 times and changing thread 2 times. I am going to get a third type of thread to try when I wake up this afternoon. Anyway, I guess I will force myself to learn to pull the thread through the needle from now on! Oh yeah, I have never had tension issues with my 40 year old Bernina or my 180 or 200 and have always pulled the thread backwards.

[Dawn S.]

Brenda, I'm so sorry you are having shredding thread problems. Since, you have changed needles, and types of thread and are still having problems, I'm wondering if there is a rough spot or bur somewhere internal to the machine. I heard a Bernina service guy say he had taking out a customer's 830 bobbin case, and it was all pitted. Some of the 830s unfortunately got some bad parts. (An unreputable supplier, I guess. My husband deals with this every day for the company he works for!) Has it been sewing just fine up until now? I hope it decides to play nicely for you this afternoon! Good luck!

Dawn

[Judith A.]

Then, the thread started shredding and I was not really happy! What to do? I actually decided to look at the manual (gasp, horror, really?). It showed how to take the front plate off the machine and look for the thread. I wish I had taken a picture of the take up lever!!! There was probably a foot of shredded thread wrapped around the little hooky thing that the thread runs through. I removed it and am much happier with my stitch quality, but the thread is still shredding after changing needles 3 times and changing thread 2 times. I am going to get a third type of thread to try when I wake up this afternoon. Anyway, I guess I will force myself to learn to pull the thread through the needle from now on! Oh yeah, I have never had tension issues with my 40 year old Bernina or my 180 or 200 and have always pulled the thread backwards.

Brenda,
My 830 dealer said some people leave the front plate off all the time, to make it easy to see if the thread has gotten out of the little thingy. It is surprising how often this happens. It is the first thing I check when I have a tension problem. I only put the front plate on when I take it to the dealer. I cut a piece of template plastic to cover the opening just to keep dust out, and make it easy to check to see if the upper thread has slipped out of the "thingy." I taped the plastic template to the top of the machine with painter's tape, just like a hinge, and just flip it up when I want to check the upper thread.
I don't have a problem with thread shredding with my 830, but I did have a thread shredding problem with my Janome. It was caused by rough places on the the throat plate where needles had hit the opening in the throat plate. I bought a small round file and filed the opening smooth. That solved it.
Do you have another throat plate you can try?
I know you are frustrated. You might have to take it to your dealer to check the parts you can't see. Let us know how it goes.

Judith

[brenda h.]

Well, I took the machine to the dealer and asked them to help me trouble shoot it (again, a novel approach!). We played with it a while and, although it never shredded the thread, we did notice a bird's nest on the bobbin side. The ladies at the shop put a thread net on and the stitch quality improved and no more bird's nests. I haven't gotten it back on the quilting frame yet as I had an embroidery project to complete first, but will let you know how it goes. I have never used a thread net, even though I got them with both the 180 and the 200. Does anyone else use them? I am learning a lot with this machine!

[Judith A.]

I use thread nets a lot. They help.

[brenda h.]

The biggest shocker I had was when I measured how much thread was wasted by cutting and pulling through the needle - 31 inches! I don't know why that bothers me, but it does. I guess it is the price I pay for having a longer and higher neck. Oh well, it gives me a reason to shop for thread more often!

[Judith A.]

I don't blame you for being bothered by cutting off long lengths of thread. Here's an idea. You could put a small container near your machine to put all the longer threads in, and when you get enough, use them in a project. One sewing store owner I knew kept a small container by each machine just for these excess thread lengths. When they got enough, they used them to make things like artistic scarves. I think they sandwiched the threads between water-soluble stabilizer - like Solvy - and stitched all over it to hold the threads together, and then washed away the stabilizer. They were beautiful. She was very artistic.