Upper thread keeps breaking and missing stitchs.

Okay, you've tried a lot of things. The question is this: is the thread snapping (where abouts in the path), or is it shredding at the needle? Here are a few more:

Remove the top thread, ALWAYS RAISE the presser foot, and rethread from the beginning.
Try different thread--perhaps a polyester thread like Isacord or Aurafil. (AVOID old or bargain bin thread.)
Try a different kind of needle (brand new needle!)--like a top-stitch, microtex, or embroidery. The top stitch needle has a larger scarf that will better protect the thread if shredding is the issue. (I use a special bobbin case that I've increased the tension for Isacord thread and I use the same thread in top and bobbin.) I also decrease the top tension a tad so the bobbin thread will not pull to the top. You may need to install brand-new needles several times on one quilt when they get dull.
Usually an 80 or 90 needle will work for FMQ through a fabric/batting sandwich.
Check that the needle's eye is the appropriate size for the thread (also a cause of shredding thread).
Set the upper tension at the midway point perhaps a bit looser for FMQ (this tension will probably need to be tweaked for your particular machine due to wear and age).
Use an FMQ foot and drop the feed dogs. A Supreme Slider (avlb on the internet) is very helpful in helping move the quilt while doing FMQ.
Work at a moderate but steady pace. I find a faster speed while FMQ gets me into trouble...like spots I can't get out of, overlapping stitches, or outside the quilt edge.

FWIW, I still get some skipped stitches with FMQ. Usually, it happens when I move the fabric too fast, especially around a curve. I have a tendency of speeding up while going around a curve that will cause skipped stitches or eyelashing.

I'm also wondering if there is something to do with the fabric and/or batting you are using...like is it Batik? Batik is very tightly woven and presents some particular challenges. The type of batting could be more dense, making it harder for the needle to penetrate the sandwich. Also, pulling or stretching the fabric can cause skipped stitches.

Basic Maintenance Tension Skipped Stitches

Here What to Do if Your Sewing Machine is Skipping Stitches

10 reasons for skipped stitches

If you see no improvement in your machine's stitching, you may want to have it serviced.

Good luck!

Dear Rosemarie,

Make sure you have threaded the machine from right to left, it sounds like the needle thread is trapped under the lower looper thread and cannot form a stitch.........start the threading over from scratch like this:

1. Lower Looper
2. Upper Looper
3. Left Needle
4. Right Needle

Is there a diagram for how to thread on the inside of the door ?

Follow that slowly and carefully to make sure you have not missed any thread guides on the way, as each one needs to be followed through to ensure correct tension and thread progression.

Cheerup and Be Happy always

Hello Daniel, I suggest you start with a new needle. Back off the needle thread tension and the bobbin thread tension to a minimum and see how it sews. If it does not ravel the thread, you can increase the tensions until you acquire the stitch you want.

Needle breaks
1.the needle is damaged
2.the needle is not correctly inserted
3.wrong size needle for the fabric
4.the wrong foot is attached
5.the needle clamp screw is loose
6. Top tension is too tight
7. Machine could be out of time


The needle thread breaks

1. the needle thread is not threaded properly

2. The needle thread tension is to tight

3. The needle is bent or blunt

4. The needle is incorrectly inserted

5. The needle thread & the bobbin thread are not set under the presser foot when starting to sew

6. the threads were not drawn to the rear after sewing

7. The thread is either to heavy or to fine for the needle

change needle the root of almost all problems!!!

hi there
the tension depends on thikness of material but you must use heavy thread on needle and thin thread on bobin case .
- you must be sew fiew stitches firist and look if losse stitch from down you must tight tension slowly sloly and if there is losse stitches from upper you must tight screw for bobin case spring slowly slowly until stitch format be agood condation.
best regards
ashraf abozid
[email protected]

there's a tension dial with numbers-0-9 --above the needle area- the smaller the number the looser the tension--the higher the number the tighter the tension

thread breaking-try this
try rethreading the machine
thread tension to tight
needle is bent or blunt
needle is inserted incorrectly
the thread is either too heavy or too fine for the needle

try this & see if it helps you
Cut 6-8 inch piece of thread of the spool you are going to use for your project
Take the needle you are going to use for the project
& insert the thread thru the eye of the needle
& lift one end of the thread to a 45 degree angle
& if the needle is the right size for the thread it will slide down the thread
But if the needle hangs on the thread you need one size larger needle for the thread

upper tension sets the lower thread tension (upper thread is what you see on the underside of the fabric). Bobbin tension is for the thread you see on the top of the fabric

What bobbins do I use on a Juki DDL-8300

MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THE RIGHT NEEDLE FOR THE THREAD YOU ARE USING, AND THAT THE SAME THREAD IS ALSO IN THE BOBBIN. CHECK UPPER TENSION, BY PULLING SLIGHTLY, IF IT'S TIGHT, LOOSEN THE UPPER TENSION.YOUR THREAD MAY BE THE WRONG SIZE OR TYPE FOR THE SPEED YOUR SEWING., and the needle your are using( sorry about the caps lock)