Why does black thread break so often?

Black thread is the color of embroidery thread that is notorious for breaking when stitching embroidery designs. This is usually caused by two things: (1) Many times black is used for finishing details or outlines and is therefore being stitched over layers of other embroidery. This causes the thread, no matter if it's black or not, to be more likely to break as it is being stitched over the other stitches. (2) Black is the darkest thread color available and therefore has the most dye in it which weakens it just ever so slightly more than other colors.

Black thread will always be more likely to break than other colors, but there are a couple of things you can do to avoid some thread breakage.

~ Slow the machine down. If your machine is stitching a black outline, it is usually stitching over other layers of stitches, making it more likely to break. Slowing your machine down will help to prevent the thread from breaking or shredding.

~ Make sure you have a sharp needle. My favorite needles for embroidery are Organ Titanium needles because they stay sharper longer and cause less thread breakage. Above all, be sure your needle is sharp without any burrs or hooks on the point. A dull or blunt needle can easily cause thread breakage or shredding.

~ Use polyester black embroidery thread. Polyester thread is stronger than rayon and less likely to break. I prefer to use Isacord polyester thread over any other for all my thread colors, but especially with black. Since I started using Isacord black poly thread, I rarely have problems with my thread breaking or shredding with that color.

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