OK, cuties once again need your advice.....these polos are those dri fit type fabric and I got the stitching done perfectly, however not without fits. First I used an old used bedsheet as stabilizer and it worked fabulous, soft yet held everything in place. Then I used a #9 needle and a topping on the tiny stitching.....again, looking at it is perfect, but on every other letter on the tiny text my thread shredded and I had to restring and run til the next 2 letters. Again the end result is what I need, but gosh, other than enlarging the tiny lettering is there anything else I can do to speed this process along. I will be doing a bunch of these and can't imagine the frustration at the thread shredding.........

Hi my friend, well I never thought I would be giving some advice to you. I do a lot of lettering and I find with small letters it helps to lower the speed. I would also use a ball point needle.
I know your machine is a multi needle. I also only use prewound but I find there is no weight in the bobbin. I now wind the prewound on to a plastic bobbin and it works brilliantly.

I use a ball point 75 large eye titanium and no show mesh stabilizer for knit shirts. Usually works great . Let us know what works best for you. Kay

1 comment

by basketkase 20 Sep 2018

Will do......

I feel your pain! Try using a 60 wt or 80 wt top thread and an 80 or 100 wt thread in the bobbin. Using standard #40 thread with a #9 needle can cause problems as the thread takes up too much of the needle eye with small stitching too....RNK Distributing makes a micro-tech thread just for small lettering...

3 comments

by basketkase 19 Sep 2018

I wondered if it needed a finer thread......will check this out. I can't change my bobbin as I buy the prewound ones, with this multineedle machine I don't have a way to wind my own.

by pennyhal2 19 Sep 2018

Maybe get one of those bobbin winders?

by dragonflyer 21 Sep 2018

Vicki, will you machine take a metal bobbin? Mine uses paper sided prewounds Size L, but will also use a metal size L bobbin that I can wind myself with a stand alone bobbin winder...

Definitely using bobbin weight thread on top for tip stitching is the answer. I helped a friend do small lettering on a quilted jacket and we had the same issue until changing to the finer thread. Sulky has a line of this type of thread in different colors just for this application. Hugs. Nan W

2 comments

by basketkase 19 Sep 2018

Thank you so much, Nan........I will look into this finer thread for sure.....

by pennyhal2 19 Sep 2018

Thanks for the info!

Hi Vicki, great suggestions below, I've not done much stitching on those polo type fabrics, but what about a ballpoint needle? I know some fabrics require different needles and also threads differ! Love Chris

P.S. They look great, but I can see what you mean by the thread breaking, what a lot of frustration.

1 comment

by basketkase 18 Sep 2018

Thanks Chris....yes it was certainly a pain in the behind!

A thread conditioner??
A different brand of thread. Floriani thread does this to me. It is wound one way Isacord is wound the other and does not shread.
A finer weight - I have a thread for text or script that is finer than my standard embroidery thread.
A needle with a larger eye - top stitch or metalic?
Sometimes one works sometimes another.

1 comment

by basketkase 18 Sep 2018

That is alI use is Isacord thread, I did wonder if I needed a finer thread for thus small of text...

Maybe try a topping?

1 comment

by basketkase 18 Sep 2018

Thank you, I did use a topping and it didn't make a difference.....

I have this problem too, especially with small letters and especially with candlewicking when using my Bablylock, but not on my Bernina. I find that using a topstitch needle instead of a sharp helps. Also, slowing down the speed. I can't get the Babylock to stitch slow enough, but my Bernina can go quite slow as it is an older machine. I hope someone else will have a better answer for the both of us!

1 comment

by basketkase 18 Sep 2018

Thank you.....I did slow machine way down and didn't make a difference.....