HELP! Thick thread birds nesting?

Question

Hi there, I'm getting birds nesting from my pfaff.

I'm sewing a black dress, so I bought black thread for it. I usually use white thread and it's great. One thing I just noticed was that my white thread is considerably thinner. It's great, and sews just fine.

However, when I try to use my black thread, I get terrible birds nests along all of the bottoms of my seams. I've sewn the same fabric with my white thread and it's fine. They're both 100% polyester thread. I removed the metal plate covering the space near the feed dogs so I could see what was happening when I threaded the needle... it appears to get stuck sometimes when the bobbin part turns. I tried rethreading the whole machine and also adjusting the tension to no avail. Do I have to buy new thread? I don't want white seams on my black dress.

Thanks!

Answer 1

The two worst colors of thread, due to the dyeing process, are always black and dark green*. I sometimes think I've thrown out more black thread than I ever sewed (shhh.... I often use very dark navy or very dark charcoal instead of black).



Yeah, I think this is a case where you want to go thread shopping.



Unwind a couple of feet of the spool you think you want and look at it. Shouldn't be fuzzy or slubby. FWIW, Gutermann polyester is usually fairly reliable and easy to find.



*black and dark green fabrics also typically have the harshest hand, the most shrinkage, and are the most likely to pitch some sort of fit while being sewn. Dye issues again.



More information here: http://sewing.about.com/library/weekly/aa102100a.htm and http://www.fashion-incubator.com/archive/pop_quiz_468_pt3/

Answer 2

Bird nesting is usually due to a threading issue or a cleaning issue.



Make sure the bobbin thread is feeding in the correct direction from the spool and through the tension gage on the side of the bobbin case.



Black thread is the weakest color and usually the issue is fraying or shredding.



Try another brand of thread and/or a new needle.

Answer 3

Are you sure you bought "All Purpose" thread and did not accidentally pick up heavy duty, embroidery, or some other type of specialty thread? What does the thread label say? I have NEVER had issues with thread just because it was black and I've sewn professionally for over 40 years.

Answer 4

Have you adjusted the tension on your machine to accommodate the difference in thread thickness? If not, that's your first step. Check your owner's manual for instructions on that one. Also, be sure you are using the right size needle for this fabric. These two things may save you a trip to the store.