A thread thread...

Just thought I'd mention this for what it is worth...

Yesterday, as I was finishing up some UFOs (three done so far!) I needed to
use an spool of thread that I know I've had for at least five years, maybe
as many as eight years, without ever using it before. It's a Coats & Clark
spool and I'm not sure what the thread is (probably poly/cotton) because the
label is missing off the top.

Anyway... I used it in the machine first with no problem. Then I started to
use it to put the binding on and it went okay for about 10" and then the
thread broke. Okay, I thought perhaps I was over-stressed and had tugged to
hard or something so I just threaded up another needle and started again.
This time the thread broke at the knot when the knot hit the fabric. ??
One more time I gave it a whirl and *bang* another thread break. Then it
happened twice more whenever I put any pressure on the thread. It was like
the thread was disintegrating whenever any stress was put on it at all.
This makes me VERY nervous about the longevity of the quilts I've made with
this brand of thread. If an unused roll in good condition can't withstand
any stress after less than a decade, what's happening to the thread in
quilts that are being used daily?

Comments?

Giselle

Since I have plenty of quilts and other sewn objects that have held up well
for longer than that, I'm assuming your spool wasn't in good condition for
some reason. I've used older thread than that too with no trouble. But
little experience with Coats & Clark.
Roberta in D

"Volfie, Owner, GizzMutt Stables" schrieb im Newsbeitrag
...
Just thought I'd mention this for what it is worth...

Yesterday, as I was finishing up some UFOs (three done so far!) I needed
to use an spool of thread that I know I've had for at least five years,
maybe as many as eight years, without ever using it before. It's a Coats
& Clark spool and I'm not sure what the thread is (probably poly/cotton)
because the label is missing off the top.

Anyway... I used it in the machine first with no problem. Then I started
to use it to put the binding on and it went okay for about 10" and then
the thread broke. Okay, I thought perhaps I was over-stressed and had
tugged to hard or something so I just threaded up another needle and
started again. This time the thread broke at the knot when the knot hit
the fabric. ?? One more time I gave it a whirl and *bang* another thread
break. Then it happened twice more whenever I put any pressure on the
thread. It was like the thread was disintegrating whenever any stress was
put on it at all. This makes me VERY nervous about the longevity of the
quilts I've made with this brand of thread. If an unused roll in good
condition can't withstand any stress after less than a decade, what's
happening to the thread in quilts that are being used daily?

Comments?

Giselle

Giselle, I'm no thread officianado like some on the list here - but
ironically, I just recently went through a day of absolute misery
trying to "contact" someone at Coats and Clarks to complain about their
thread!

I had purchased two brand new spools of red and purple to do the Red
Hat project I have been working on. I didn't get a third of the way
through the first spool of red and realized I wasn't sewing! The
thread had just stopped! Ended! Kaput! I spent thirty minutes
looking for a new "starter" and couldn't find it. Got online and tried
to contact C&C, with no luck and no response to my email. Went back to
it and ran a needle all through that %$#^$&%&^% spool until I finally
found another end, started sewing again and I'll be darned if thirty
minutes later, it didn't happen again!!!!

It was as if they had just taken multiple SHORT pieces of thread and
wound them all together on one spool!

I have only had this happen once so far on the purple spool - but IMO,
it shouldn't have even happened ONCE.

And the really irritating factor - I have yet to get any email/snail
mail response from C&C as to why this happened. Doesn't say much for
their customer service.

Just my experience, YMMV,
Tina

"Roberta Zollner" wrote in message
...
Since I have plenty of quilts and other sewn objects that have held up
well for longer than that, I'm assuming your spool wasn't in good
condition for some reason. I've used older thread than that too with no
trouble. But little experience with Coats & Clark.
Roberta in D

Actually, the spool is in pristine condition. It's still has that new spool
shine to it. The only reason the label fell off is the glue lost its stick
over time.

Giselle

"Tina" wrote in message
oups.com...
Giselle, I'm no thread officianado like some on the list here - but
ironically, I just recently went through a day of absolute misery
trying to "contact" someone at Coats and Clarks to complain about their
thread!

I had purchased two brand new spools of red and purple to do the Red
Hat project I have been working on. I didn't get a third of the way
through the first spool of red and realized I wasn't sewing! The
thread had just stopped! Ended! Kaput! I spent thirty minutes
looking for a new "starter" and couldn't find it. Got online and tried
to contact C&C, with no luck and no response to my email. Went back to
it and ran a needle all through that %$#^$&%&^% spool until I finally
found another end, started sewing again and I'll be darned if thirty
minutes later, it didn't happen again!!!!

It was as if they had just taken multiple SHORT pieces of thread and
wound them all together on one spool!

I have only had this happen once so far on the purple spool - but IMO,
it shouldn't have even happened ONCE.

And the really irritating factor - I have yet to get any email/snail
mail response from C&C as to why this happened. Doesn't say much for
their customer service.

Just my experience, YMMV,
Tina

How strange! If they ever contact you, tell them about my experience, too,
will you?

Giselle (I hate it when there's a buried end somewhere)

There was a thread about this some time ago. Are you using big spools or
cones? The response was that someone using a box cutter when opening a box
of them had cut through the thread. I find this hard to believe, because
wouldn't it have fallen off the spool? At any rate, thread does get old and
deteriate. My MIL gave me some thread she had gotten from her sister who
could no longer quilt. It was old! and I ended up throwing it out! It all
broke, just as you mentioned. What happens to the stitching in the old
quilts?? Not sure how that works.

Betty in WI

"Tina" wrote in message
oups.com...
Giselle, I'm no thread officianado like some on the list here - but
ironically, I just recently went through a day of absolute misery
trying to "contact" someone at Coats and Clarks to complain about their
thread!

I had purchased two brand new spools of red and purple to do the Red
Hat project I have been working on. I didn't get a third of the way
through the first spool of red and realized I wasn't sewing! The
thread had just stopped! Ended! Kaput! I spent thirty minutes
looking for a new "starter" and couldn't find it. Got online and tried
to contact C&C, with no luck and no response to my email. Went back to
it and ran a needle all through that %$#^$&%&^% spool until I finally
found another end, started sewing again and I'll be darned if thirty
minutes later, it didn't happen again!!!!

It was as if they had just taken multiple SHORT pieces of thread and
wound them all together on one spool!

I have only had this happen once so far on the purple spool - but IMO,
it shouldn't have even happened ONCE.

And the really irritating factor - I have yet to get any email/snail
mail response from C&C as to why this happened. Doesn't say much for
their customer service.

Just my experience, YMMV,
Tina

Just an add on to my last message....read this page found while googling.

http://www.sew-whats-new.com/tips/machinetips.shtml

Betty in WI

"Betty in Wi" wrote in message
...
There was a thread about this some time ago. Are you using big spools or
cones? The response was that someone using a box cutter when opening a box
of them had cut through the thread. I find this hard to believe, because
wouldn't it have fallen off the spool? At any rate, thread does get old
and deteriate. My MIL gave me some thread she had gotten from her sister
who could no longer quilt. It was old! and I ended up throwing it out! It
all broke, just as you mentioned. What happens to the stitching in the old
quilts?? Not sure how that works.

Betty in WI

"Tina" wrote in message
oups.com...
Giselle, I'm no thread officianado like some on the list here - but
ironically, I just recently went through a day of absolute misery
trying to "contact" someone at Coats and Clarks to complain about their
thread!

I had purchased two brand new spools of red and purple to do the Red
Hat project I have been working on. I didn't get a third of the way
through the first spool of red and realized I wasn't sewing! The
thread had just stopped! Ended! Kaput! I spent thirty minutes
looking for a new "starter" and couldn't find it. Got online and tried
to contact C&C, with no luck and no response to my email. Went back to
it and ran a needle all through that %$#^$&%&^% spool until I finally
found another end, started sewing again and I'll be darned if thirty
minutes later, it didn't happen again!!!!

It was as if they had just taken multiple SHORT pieces of thread and
wound them all together on one spool!

I have only had this happen once so far on the purple spool - but IMO,
it shouldn't have even happened ONCE.

And the really irritating factor - I have yet to get any email/snail
mail response from C&C as to why this happened. Doesn't say much for
their customer service.

Just my experience, YMMV,
Tina

Well, you learn something new every day! According to the info on this site
it is worse to over oil than under? Does anyone know why? Is this a case
of moderation is best?
Diana... with many thanks to Betty

--
- insert pithy siggy line here-
"Betty in Wi" wrote in message
...
Just an add on to my last message....read this page found while googling.

http://www.sew-whats-new.com/tips/machinetips.shtml

Betty in WI

"Betty in Wi" wrote in message
...
There was a thread about this some time ago. Are you using big spools or
cones? The response was that someone using a box cutter when opening a
box
of them had cut through the thread. I find this hard to believe, because
wouldn't it have fallen off the spool? At any rate, thread does get old
and deteriate. My MIL gave me some thread she had gotten from her sister
who could no longer quilt. It was old! and I ended up throwing it out!
It
all broke, just as you mentioned. What happens to the stitching in the
old
quilts?? Not sure how that works.

Betty in WI

"Tina" wrote in message
oups.com...
Giselle, I'm no thread officianado like some on the list here - but
ironically, I just recently went through a day of absolute misery
trying to "contact" someone at Coats and Clarks to complain about their
thread!

I had purchased two brand new spools of red and purple to do the Red
Hat project I have been working on. I didn't get a third of the way
through the first spool of red and realized I wasn't sewing! The
thread had just stopped! Ended! Kaput! I spent thirty minutes
looking for a new "starter" and couldn't find it. Got online and tried
to contact C&C, with no luck and no response to my email. Went back to
it and ran a needle all through that %$#^$&%&^% spool until I finally
found another end, started sewing again and I'll be darned if thirty
minutes later, it didn't happen again!!!!

It was as if they had just taken multiple SHORT pieces of thread and
wound them all together on one spool!

I have only had this happen once so far on the purple spool - but IMO,
it shouldn't have even happened ONCE.

And the really irritating factor - I have yet to get any email/snail
mail response from C&C as to why this happened. Doesn't say much for
their customer service.

Just my experience, YMMV,
Tina

I'm going to respectfully disagree with a couple of the points on the oiling
web site.

S/he says "Indications a machine needs lubrication are squeaks and squeals,
grinding, thumping, sluggishness and so forth." IM(NS)HO, by the time you
hear *any* of those symptoms, the machine needed oiling long before. Waiting
until you hear sounds of metal-on-metal is a good way to need machine
repairs.

Another point I disagree with is "The most common place to oil any machine
is the hook or shuttle, this area should have one drop of oil every 8-10
hours of machine run time." I wholeheartedly agree with just a drop or two,
but 8-10 hours of run time is waaaaay too long. At least the way I sew it
is! LOL True, I'm a pedal to the metal kind of sewer, so I probably need to
oil more often. But my rule of thumb is cleaning and a drop of oil every
other bobbin. And I oil more than just the hook, but that's a different
thread (so to speak).

I'm not sure I agree with over-oiling being worse than under-oiling, but
maybe that depends on how much over-oiling is being done. If we're
talking a drop or two, that's not going to do a bit of damage, other than
possibly getting on (and staining) thread or fabric. If someone is dumping a
quarter ounce of oil into a machine, I could see that oil carrying lint and
dirt into places it never would have gotten, or even getting into
electronics. Bad, bad, bad.

Okay, I'm climbing down from my soap box. It's safe to read the newsgroup
again.

--
Kathy A. (Woodland, CA)
Queen of Fabric Tramps
http://www.kayneyquilting.com ,
remove the obvious to reply


"Diana Curtis" wrote in message
...
Well, you learn something new every day! According to the info on this
site
it is worse to over oil than under? Does anyone know why? Is this a case
of moderation is best?
Diana... with many thanks to Betty

--
- insert pithy siggy line here-
"Betty in Wi" wrote in message
...
Just an add on to my last message....read this page found while googling.

http://www.sew-whats-new.com/tips/machinetips.shtml

And while we're at it! I disagree about always use cotton covered polyster
thread!!! After all, they do sell all cotton thread on the website.

As for the oil, they may be talking about one of the newer machines where it
says in the manual that you don't have to oil! Not our little featherweights
and other vintage sewing machines that do require frequent oiling. My newer
Bernina says not to oil....but my serviceman/Bernina salesman says it will
run quieter if you do all....however, nothing will wear out if you don't.
O.K. bad website.........but I do agree with the breaking thread part.

Betty in WI

"Kathy Applebaum" wrote in message
...
I'm going to respectfully disagree with a couple of the points on the
oiling web site.

S/he says "Indications a machine needs lubrication are squeaks and
squeals, grinding, thumping, sluggishness and so forth." IM(NS)HO, by the
time you hear *any* of those symptoms, the machine needed oiling long
before. Waiting until you hear sounds of metal-on-metal is a good way to
need machine repairs.

Another point I disagree with is "The most common place to oil any machine
is the hook or shuttle, this area should have one drop of oil every 8-10
hours of machine run time." I wholeheartedly agree with just a drop or
two, but 8-10 hours of run time is waaaaay too long. At least the way I
sew it is! LOL True, I'm a pedal to the metal kind of sewer, so I probably
need to oil more often. But my rule of thumb is cleaning and a drop of oil
every other bobbin. And I oil more than just the hook, but that's a
different thread (so to speak).

I'm not sure I agree with over-oiling being worse than under-oiling, but
maybe that depends on how much over-oiling is being done. If we're
talking a drop or two, that's not going to do a bit of damage, other than
possibly getting on (and staining) thread or fabric. If someone is dumping
a quarter ounce of oil into a machine, I could see that oil carrying lint
and dirt into places it never would have gotten, or even getting into
electronics. Bad, bad, bad.

Okay, I'm climbing down from my soap box. It's safe to read the newsgroup
again.

--
Kathy A. (Woodland, CA)
Queen of Fabric Tramps
http://www.kayneyquilting.com ,
remove the obvious to reply


"Diana Curtis" wrote in message
...
Well, you learn something new every day! According to the info on this
site
it is worse to over oil than under? Does anyone know why? Is this a
case
of moderation is best?
Diana... with many thanks to Betty

--
- insert pithy siggy line here-
"Betty in Wi" wrote in message
...
Just an add on to my last message....read this page found while
googling.

http://www.sew-whats-new.com/tips/machinetips.shtml