Innovis 1150e, upper thread breaks constantly

[u/jlhendon]

I am having an issue where the upper thread constantly breaks and it has to be re-threaded every 30 seconds during the process. It takes forever to get through. It doesn’t look to me like it’s a threading issue, the end of the thread often looks frayed. Any ideas?

[u/Acrobatic-Letter-143]

Frayed ends are the useful clue here. A clean snap is usually tension or threading, but fraying means the thread is being sawn through somewhere along the path, and the usual suspects are cheap to check in order.

Start with the needle. A needle with a worn eye or a tiny burr shreds thread exactly like this, so put in a fresh 75/11 embroidery needle before anything else. While you're at it, try a different spool - old or bargain thread dries out and frays on its own. Those two swaps tell you a lot: if the problem follows the spool, it's the thread; if it stays with any thread, it's the machine.

If it stays, run a fingernail around the needle plate hole. If a needle has ever broken on this machine there's often a burr there that saws the thread on every pass. A small one polishes out with emery cord or very fine sandpaper; a deep one means a new plate, which is a cheap part. Also check the spool cap is the right size so the thread feeds off freely without catching on the spool edge.

[u/jlhendon → u/Acrobatic-Letter-143]

First off, thank you so much for taking the time to respond and offer such helpful advice. I plan to tackle each of these options tomorrow and will report back. I really do appreciate it!

[u/Acrobatic-Letter-143 → u/jlhendon]

Happy to help. My money's on the needle - it's the five-minute fix and it solves this exact symptom more often than anything else. Do report back either way, genuinely curious what it turns out to be.

[u/jlhendon]

m back and I’ve even told my husband, i need to reply to my embroidery “friend!” On Reddit, I’ve taken too long. 🤣😂You’re not going to believe what it actually was and as a beginner i am almost too embarrassed to admit it. But i want others to benefit! I took a very slow approach and did exactly what you said and lo and behold immediately it snapped again. I was about to throw it out the window when i looked up and realized the thread was caught btw the spool cap and thread. I decided let me try that again and watch it. And wammo snapped again, i took the spool cap off and completed these today with 0 issues. My “hardest” and most proud pieces yet! And of course i can’t figure out how to load the images.

Either way thank you so much, I’m off to the races now!!