Quilter's Question:

Should I Buy my Thread at Walmart?

Q: Please advise me as to what types or brands of thread are best to use when sewing a quilt together by machine. And is a fabric store the best place to buy this? I am having a problem with Walmart thread. Sometimes it breaks and I adjust the tension and still have trouble!  I am a beginner still also! Thanks!

A: Great Question!

Thread used to be really ho-hum. Where I shopped there was only one brand of thread. The choice was cotton covered polyester, and there were about 10 different colors - white, ecru (off white) black, navy blue, yellow, red - just the basics.

I remember when I read an article in a quilting magazine that suggested using 100% cotton thread. Now, that was a challenge to find. But, again, it was available in limited colors. Initially probably only about 3 colors - white, ecru, and black.

As with so many other things quilting, the world has changed. Now, there are hundreds, even thousands of different kinds of thread - Natural Fibers (wool, silk, cotton, flax, jute); Regenerated (rayon, acetate); and Man-Made (polyester, nylon, acrylic, elastic, polypropylene, glass, metallic). Plus, about a zillion different colors. Buying thread now is almost as fun as buying fabric! (Read a complete report on different types of thread)

The short answer is that I use only high quality 100% cotton thread for both sewing patches together and for quilting. I have used Guterman (that's a brand) for years, with great success. The only time it breaks, is when I get it all tangled up in my machine or thread the machine wrong.

For hand quilting, I also use 100% cotton Guterman Quilting thread. I use short (18 inch) lengths, and rarely does it get tangled or broken. The cause for tangles is "me" not watching how I am pulling the needle through the fabric. With so many new brands (and some not-to-new), it might be time for me to explore some different kinds of thread!

Over the years, I have found that spending the extra money on my quilting supplies - from tools to thread - is well worth it. Although when I'm in the quilt shop (or even a general fabric shop), the bill seems to add up quickly, when I consider the cost of the quilt compared to the lifetime of the quilt, it's not even a penny a day. And, for me, the extra pennies are worth having the quilt last years beyond my lifetime.

Shopping at Walmart is a wonderful thing. It is great for finding low cost items and will allow you to make more quilts, since you can buy more stuff. However, I would stick to name brands. Deals they make with manufacturers to save us money results in lower quality merchandise generally - that's the only way companies can make money.

If the thread keeps breaking, I would try a different brand - buying it at Walmart still works. I'm sure they carry a selection of brands. Check the quality of your fabric, too. It's very sad to spend hours, days and months on a quilt only to have it fall apart because the quality of the materials used was poor.

Happy Quilting!

Penny Halgren
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