Oh boy, oh boy, ohhhhh boy…
Ohhhh, So Fine, so pretty!
My blog has been kind of boring lately. I am still battling sinus headaches, and just feeling completely drained lately. So, I thought I might liven things up by inviting you to participate in a thread discussion with me. All of the above thread is So Fine, a beautiful polyester thread from Superior Threads. I love this thread. It comes is so many beautiful colors, and is perfect for that quilting where you need a thinner thread. One example would be motifs that require a lot of backtracking. With a thinner thread, the thread buildup is not as noticeable. So what are we discussing? What are your favorite threads and why? Are you a cotton purist? Or do believe the more kinds of thread the better? Do you love lots of color, or prefer muted, neutral colors for quilting thread? I have some customers that don’t care what type thread I use on their quilts, and some that want cotton only. I love Signature cotton and King Tut cotton. There are some quilts that I much prefer to use my Signature cotton, as I want the stitching to really show up. I like prominent quilting stitches in many of my quilts. The poly’s seem to have many more color options. I know some people worry about using poly threads on cotton fabrics. I have read, and been told, that this is true for your piecing, where the fabric and thread rub together in the seam, but that it’s not an issue for the quilting thread. I don’t worry about this too much in my own quilts, as I figure they will all outlast me, at the very least. How do you feel about it? Are most machine embroidery threads poly? I know the ones I have are poly. I’m not going anywhere with this. Just thought it might be an interesting topic and would love to hear any thoughts you may want to share about thread. The floor is now open for discussion! 🙂
(BTW, Superior Thread is having a Valentine’s drawing for a $50.00 gift certificate–check it out on Mother Superior’s blog!)
Ramblings From Randi, The Wild Rose Quilter 
I really like fine thread for piecing 50wt or 60wt thread. Aurifil is a favorite as is DMC Machine Embroidery thread. Silk thread is another favorite for quilting. Libby Lehman’s “Bottom Line” is another nice thread line.
As a machine embroiderer as well, I love Hemmingworth, Madiera, Floriani and Marathon Threads. Polyester threads have stunning colors, a beautiful sheen and I can’t get enough of them. I quilt with them as well when a quilt needs it.
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I had a tough time getting my silk thread to stitch nicely so I switched over to Superior poly. What an improvement! (Now there may be “other” reasons the silk wasn’t working but I didn’t have any more patience to investigate it further.)
I really do love Superior thread, especially their poly versions. When I start restocking certain colors, I think I will go for the Superior rather than the Signature (which is also a great thread but fairly linty and less consistent in color lots). (Since I don’t quilt for hire anymore, I won’t be purchasing in bulk and I’d rather splurge on me! 😉 )
I pieced clothes decades ago with cotton-wrapped poly and never had an issue with seams being cut. Sure it might happen but when and who really cares? 🙂
Love your color choices! Now to enter the drawing!
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OOOOOOOH yummy!!!!! So fine is my all time favorite thread. It is pretty much the only solid thread I use any more. I also like King tut, Lava, Rainbows, for variegated and Glitter for my metallic. All by Superior. I still have tons of Bottom line from before So Fine…I’m using that for applique now.
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Ohhhh, a thread junkie’s dream come true, yum! I love Superior Threads too, Lynn got me started on those when I bought my machine and I never looked back. So Fine is what I use most, for the same reasons as you. Love King Tut (spendy, oy!) too, and their metallics. Don’t have much call for them, but they’re sure pretty sitting on the shelf; thread bling.
If I’m cheating on Bob, I like Sulky cotton; it runs and looks great, but seems to be lintier than KT. Heck, for stuff like fill, where strength isn’t an issue and the color is what I need, I’ve raided my garment thread stash – Gûtermann, Mölnlycke, Mettler – Elsie May will run ’em just fine.
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Hi, my name is Judy and I’m a threadaholic!!!!!! LOL My “drugs” of choice…..Superior Sew Fine, King Tut, Isacord…..all of which run beautifully on both Grizabella and the Bernina.
Sorry, couldn’t resist as I almost fell off my chair when I opened your blog and saw that stash of thread!!!!!!
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I love it when a box arrives like this! Haven’t had one for a while so it’s almost time… I generally use Superior Rainbows for most quilts, I have almost all of the colours so I can find something that works with just about any quilt. My next choice is SoFine if a customer doesn’t want to see too much thread on the top. Bottom Line works best in my bobbin and I love prewounds!
Have you ever tried a Neti Pot for your sinus headaches? You can get them at the health food store or online… My aunt has been a yoga teacher for years and swears by them…. I use mine when allergy season hits and I don’t have to take anything anymore!
Happy Quilting!
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LOL Whatever you do, bring an extra suitcase if you ever come up for MQS. I swear…. that big old table just sitting there with cones of thread…… the cabana boy claims he wants to see the quilts…. I know he’s really just making sure I don’t walk out with 10 of everything. 😉
As for preference, I match up to the quilt. If it’s traditional or primitive, I stick with cotton. Art quilts open the doors to silks, shiny ones etc. So it’s quilt dependent…. like the rest of me 😀
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I think I love all thread but I do really espeically love Superior threads!
You should have saved this post for Valentine’s Day – it’s a love festival! LOL!
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I’ve just started quilting 2 years ago and bought myself a Bernina 440 a couple of months ago. I am not sure wich kind af thread I should use and what for…. ( i do use 100 % cotton with the piecing part of the quilt though! ) I tryed some metalic thread for a wallhanging but that wasn’t such a good idea afterall, it isn’t “me” so to speak…
I am going to follow this discussion and maybe I get more info on what to use and what not! ( and where to buy it because I live in the Netherlands )
hugs from the Netherlands
Winda aka DutchQuilter aka (*ü*)
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Superior is what I mostly use – King Tut and So Fine on top, Bottom Line prewounds in the bobbin. Once I found those prewounds I’ve never wound another bobbin myself. My machine loves them, I love them, and my Callie Cat loves the empty cardboard part – best cat toy around. She knows the sound of me taking the bobbin case out and comes running. Gets very mad if I’m just changing a color and don’t have a toy for her. LOL
But I digress……..I have used Signature and YLI – they are both a bit trickier in my machine. It does love Maxilock Swirls and I use them – but the lint is out of this world. There is a color….Mocha Almond Fudge – doesn’t that sound yummy – that is browns and rusty reds and tans and it works so well on so many quilts. I use it a LOT!!
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This box had to make your head feel better! So far I have only used cotton. I like to use Masterpiece when I want to avoid thread buildup. I like Signature, King Tut, and YLI (it takes some fiddling with the tension to get that to work)
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Wow! That is some beautiful color!!
I use Permacore from A&E, LAVA and KingTut from Superior and BottomLine in the bobbin (pretty much exclusively). Nancy H gave me some ARC in gold that runs great. A little heavier and shows nicely…very, very occasionally, I run Superior Metallics.
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Oh Randi wow that must have been fun to order and receive! Almost all of the thread I use is Superior, Sew fine, Bottom line, Rainbows, Master Piece..
I started out using Permacore but ever since I switched to Superior threads I’ve never been able to get the tension right with Permacore. I’ve also always had tension trouble with King Tut too.
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I’m pretty much a Superior person, also. : )
King Tut is my favorite… esp. now that Bob’s bringing out more solid colors. And the So Fine is my second thread of choice. I especially like it in the bobbin with the King Tut on the top. Used to quilt with Masterpiece, but don’t so much anymore. I do buy the spools of MP and give them as gifts to my customers.
What I *really* want to see, Randi, is where you keep all your threads????
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I love Superior threads too. King Tut is my favourite for most things, but I also love Lava especially for kids quilts as it really shows up and comes in such fun colours.
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I love Aurifil and Masterpiece but I’m finding it very spendy to keep lots of colors in stock, especially with the Aurifil. I love the thin cotton threads. I have about 10 cones of Signature that I don’t use because they are pretty thick. So I have switched over to the more reasonably priced So Fine and Bottom Line and am having pretty good success with it. I tend to have more tension issues on the back with that combo but I like the thin threads a lot!!! I am also a big fan of Superior threads. I love how educational the website is. I have King Tut thread but for the life of me can’t get it to run on my Millie.
I must say that after 2 1/2 years of longarming, I am just now able to solve most of my tension problems. It has been a rocky path!!!
Randi, you got lots of pretty threads! I’m green with envy….
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Ahhhh… such a lovely thread stash!! poetry really!
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