|
How to Quilt>Thread for Machine Quilting
Thread for Machine Quilting
One of the most common questions about machine quilting is what type of thread to use. For years it interested me that quilters had a wide range of answers to the question. Finally I decided that it probably had to do with some personal preference regarding the look of the finished quilt, the idea of working with all natural fibers, or some other less-than-objective measure. Pam Bauer, my friend who is a machine quilting expert on her home sewing machine, loves King Tut thread by Superior Threads for the top thread on her sewing machine. For the bobbin, she uses Bottom Line, and loves it. When I took my first try at machine quilting using Pam's techniques, I tried that combination, yet had trouble. I adjusted the tension on the top and bobbin using her tips and techniques, but my stitches still weren't as nice as I would have liked them. Finally I gave up on the Bottom Line thread and switched to a different brand. Pam liked the fact that the Bottom Line thread was extremely fine (thin), but I was afraid that it might have been too fine for my machine and was feeding too quickly and I couldn't slow it down. It turns out that maybe the problem was the combination of the thread and my machine. During our Eavesdrop on a Telephone Conversation with Paula Rostkowski, she mentioned that some machines just "like" certain kinds of thread, and have trouble with other brands of thread. She talked about how King Tut thread didn't work well in her longarm quilting machine while Aurofil thread was perfect. The King Tut thread she invested in worked perfectly in another longarm quilters machine, where it found a welcome home. Paula explained that it really had nothing to do with the brand of sewing machine, either. Two machines - same make and model - might handle thread completely differently, making the results from one beautiful and the other - well, a mess. The bottom line is to test the thread in your machine on a sample of the work you will be doing. Set up the machine as you will be doing the work and then try machine quilting on a quilt sandwich made from the same type of fabric - top and backing - and batting. If it looks like the tension is correct, you are probably good to go. If you have loops or loose threads, adjust the tension on the machine - first the top, and then the bobbin. If you can't seem to get it set right, it's probably time to try a different kind of thread. This is true whether you are machine quilting on a home sewing machine or a longarm machine. It probably is true for machine piecing as well. Here's a clip from the Eavesdrop on a Telephone Conversation with Paula Rostkowski, expert longarm machine quilter.
Click above to hear the clip of the Conversation with Paula about thread
Happy Quilting!
Penny Halgren www.How-to-Quilt.com
©2009, Penny Halgren This article courtesy of http://www.How-To-Quilt.com. You may freely reprint this article on your website or in your newsletter provided this courtesy notice and the author name and URL remain intact.
|
|
