Alex Anderson's Masterpiece thread

[Beth A.]

I'd like to know which colour thread you're having the trouble with.

I managed to use up my 'kinky' small spool of black (Raven) on my Nolting with no problems and then switched to the large 3000 m spool. It did nothing but break. I thought it was the machine but I had had no problems with the smaller spooled thread and Nolting assured me that Masterpiece can cope with the higher speeds of a mid arm. I gave up in the end and finished off with some Madeira thread instead.

I've been piecing a Jinny Beyer top which has dozens and dozens of chain piecing parts and every single time the needle comes away from the fabric, between the pieces, the thread breaks. Again it's the large 3000m spool of the black. I'm using it with Bottomline. Rather than throw a fit at the machine after really struggling with this for ages, I swapped to the Masterpiece Greystone and have had no problems. The grey certainly feels better too and not so ready to beak in my hand either.

I just wonder if this is a bad batch of dye that's not working well with the cotton thread.

[Annis C.]

I was using a 600 yd. spool of tan color 154. I also have some gray color 156 but I don't think I've tried it yet.

[Annis C.]

Amanda, I would imagine it's a bad spool. Contact Superior and see about getting a replacement. Unfortunately, the shipping is probably going to be more than the spool costs!

Maggie in E. Central Illinois

[Frances L.]

I'm having problems with the black. When I use the grey, I don't have any problems. You might be right about the dye, because I'm having the same problem with two different small spools. If I go slow, I don't seem to have as much of a problem.

[Frances L.]

you'd be right about the postage Maggie. At least there would be no VAT and customs the other way around!

The only thing with an exchange is, is it from the same batch? There are no dye lot or batch numbers to see if a new spool would be from the same batch. I assume that there would be an awfully large batch dyed and spooled at the same time.

I'm still having no trouble at all with the Greystone, it sews like a dream, as the black used to.

[Diane O.]

I would still contact Superior, perhaps they will be able to exchange it for another color instead of black. I'm using a 3000yd spool of Raven right now on my Pfaff 2170, and not having any issues with it at all. Granted I'm not sewing fast but I am chain piecing and my thread isn't breaking between the fabric.

I have heard that darker color thread does tend to break more, because of the dyeing process, and I may start using Greystone exclusively once I run out of the Raven.

When I first started quilting, I always tried to match my thread to the fabric for the piecing, but realized a long time ago, that it doesn't really matter much, as that thread doesn't show, so I just buy large cones of a neutral color and use it for just about everything now.

Diane in Colorado Springs

[Judy M.]

Check the post about Masterpiece thread breaking with hand applique. I'm getting a little worried about this thread and I'm going to put my eight spools away. Judy in Torrance

[Judy M.]

Diane, I did, he has and it will!!!!

Yay for Bob and Superior!!