I had to share this for those of you who, like me, love to sew, but have very little formal sewing knowledge. While working on a basic hem project for choir uniform dresses, I found the first hem would go just fine. Then, on the second dress, I’d get maybe a quarter way around and my top thread would snap not just once, but repeatedly. It makes for a very time-consuming project. I threaded and re-threaded, checked every setting-multiple times. Nothing.
Here’s the secret–it’s all in the thread. The polyester thread I chose (specifically for stretch fabric) needs to come off the spool in a specific direction. I need a thread director or a thread lubrication system; without it the thread twists, coming off the spool and eventually pops. My machine actually has a system in place to do this–I just didn’t know to do it. That’s why the first dress went smoothly and subsequent ones did not. The more I sewed, the more the thread twisted, the more FRUSTRATED I became. Apparently this happens with metallic embroidery thread as well. My Bernina has an available embroidery module, so if I ever decide to try that, at least I know how to prevent the issue.
The quick fix was just switch to a non-stretch thread. The hems look awesome, my sanity has been restored, and knowledge gained.
Tumbling Jumbles 