Thread for Applique

[Juliet W.]

Is there any reason why I cannot use Superior thread Mono Poly for applique? I am making a scrap quilt in which there are two panels that each have 4 diamond shapes. These are made up of joined up hexagons which I had to paper piece and they are all varied colours. I don't want to change thread colour every 2 minutes and possibly at least six times as I go round the shape. Has anyone ever tried this? The thread seems very fine and strong but it is almost invisible perhaps I will go strain my vision (more!) using this thread for applique. The thread says it is iron safe up to medium heat - I do plan to machine quilt this top. Is silk thread safe to iron on hot?

[Juliet W.]

Of course you can use MonoPoly for invisible machine applique! Pair it with a thin neutral bobbin thread like 50wt Aurifil or Masterpiece and lower your top tension to almost nothing. Do some test stitchouts to find the right tension so the bobbin thread stays on the back side and doesn't pull to the front. Also test for the stitch width and length you like. I like Blanketstitch or Blind Hem Stitch (or Vari Lock Stitch on Bernina). Oh and try a smaller needle too, because you will see the hole, but hardly see the thread in that hole!

As for your being able to see the invisible thread... bright light and magnifying reading glasses might help!

[Lois B.]

I used monopoly to machine applique on my HST Exchange quilt. Loved the results. Used blindhem stitch, shortened it and made it much narrower than the default. You can see it on my profile. It's called "Friendship Trees".

[Juliet W.]

What I forgot to say is that I am going to "hand" applique this lot, I have never machine appliqued before and am not much cop on my machine but maybe I should try this - it would certainly be quicker. Do you glue down the applique pieces?

[Juliet W.]

I am sorry to see I forgot to say Thank You! I do have some Masterpiece thread for the bobbin so tomorrow I will experiment with this. Thanks for the help.

[Renata L.]

What I forgot to say is that I am going to "hand" applique this lot, I have never machine appliqued before and am not much cop on my machine but maybe I should try this - it would certainly be quicker. Do you glue down the applique pieces?

You can glue down the applique' pieces, if you want to. I did it with Elmer's washable school glue until I got the hang of things. Now, if the applique' is small enough, I usually put one fine pin to hold it in place and go for it. I had never done machine applique' before either until a few weeks ago. We had a good discussion about using Monopoly and the Bernina 830 on the Forum under the heading of Domestic Machines/Bernina that you might want to look at. In that thread, I provided the machine settings I used to get invisible applique' to really become invisible and I was very happy with the results. Don't know what machine you're using but you might want to look at that and treat the settings as a baseline from which to make adjustments to get the results you want. Let me know if you have trouble finding it.

[wendy w.]

If your pieces are very small then I find a dab of fabric glue stick in the middle stops it wandering. Test first with fabric though.

I've used the monopoly a lot and find it works with normal thread in the bobbin. I drop the top tension a little. I have also used it in top and bottom and have just had to slow down a bit. I tend to sew at full speed a lot.

Your quilt sounds really interesting

[Juliet W.]

Thank you everyone! Renata I read about Mono Poly and your Bernina even though I have a Pfaff Quilt Expression, lucky Bernina users you have done their homework for them.
This afternoon I had a go, very funny really - I set everything up very carefully and then the masterpiece showed from below so I thought "Oh what a shame well that's that", but I telephoned Superior Threads anyway (from Venezuela) and they told me to drop the tension which worked a treat. I had diligently followed all the instructions on my machine supplied by the Info button but of course they were assuming I was using ordinary thread in the bobbin. I actually have the Superior Thread chart which tells you to use 1.5 to 3.0 tension. I tried two hexagons and the second is perfect, I am going to have to work out how to get around corners neatly but I am so impressed. Actually I ran around the house screaming, my husband (should I perhaps be saying DH? I keep seeing this on the Forum and think it means Dear Husband) anyway he was pretty understanding but a bit bewildered as I whizzed around joyfully. A real breakthrough for me and totally exciting. When you have a lot of colour changes as I do with these little hexagon thingies the idea of constantly changing thread colour was exhausting.
When I tried to pull the Mono Poly from the front to the back I couldn't so I just cut if off, I don't think it will unravel but would like to know what other quilters do?

[wendy w.]

Yeh you've done it

I just snip it off but I'm not sure that would be ok if you are making something you want to keep washing :?

[Renata L.]

Margarita, I know exactly what you were talking about when you danced around joyously for having gotten your invisible applique' stitch to truuly become invisible! I had my moment like yours a few weeks ago... and until I joined this Forum, I had never heard of a DH even though I've been married to one for for over three decades! Very happy for you!

[Nancy R.]

When I tried to pull the Mono Poly from the front to the back I couldn't so I just cut if off, I don't think it will unravel but would like to know what other quilters do?

If I want to tie off a thread and I can't pull it to the back, I use a "self-threading" or "easy threading" needle and quickly thread the needle with that thread and then push the needle through, pulling the thread with it. I prefer the spiral eye needles (you should be able to find them by doing a web search), but Clover also makes one that works.

Nancy

[Juliet W.]

Okay, thank you - I will have to look up those needles but I expect any old big eye needle would be good because getting Mono Poly through the eye on the sewing machine needle wasn't hard as it is not so floppy as ordinary thread and certainly has no lint. Really I wonder about my brain - I have a book on machine applique so that's what I'm going to look through tonight just to make sure but I feel with all your help that I am on my way!

[Diane F.]

Okay, thank you - I will have to look up those needles but I expect any old big eye needle would be good because getting Mono Poly through the eye on the sewing machine needle wasn't hard as it is not so floppy as ordinary thread and certainly has no lint. Really I wonder about my brain - I have a book on machine applique so that's what I'm going to look through tonight just to make sure but I feel with all your help that I am on my way!

Of course you can use the poly thread for machine applique. Last month I took an applique workshop with a WONDERFUL teacher, Karen Kay Buckley. She does both hand and machine applique. She has a DVD, "Hand and Machine Appliqué The Karen Kay Buckley Way," which details her techniques. I know that you are not in the US, so I don't know what the shipping charges, etc. would be.

Here is her website. http://www.karenkaybuckley.com/index.php

[Juliet W.]

Thank you, that is interesting. I actually have Karen Kay Buckley's Perfect Circles which I love for making berries etc. I shall put her DVD on my wish list and see if I can get it next time in the USA. I'm interested to know what actual stitch everyone is using with invisible thread? The book last night said NOT to use the blanket stitch with invisible thread (very categorical I thought!) but to use blind hem stitch. Another book recommends a zig zag stitch. Well, I always have trouble keeping zig zag right on the edge in the correct way. As for the hem stitch, you have to use a special little roller affair to keep it right on the edge, looks very complicated to me and I cannot see myself going round corners with this. My Pfaff has a blanket stitch which is 2 straight stitches and then 1 stitch up into the applique which they recommend in the manual and that is what I used, practicing only so far so still open to suggestions. So please take a moment to tell me which stitch if you can, thank you.

[Nancy R.]

I don't use the monopoly, but with thin silk thread I get a fairly invisible stitch on my Bernina using a zigzag with 1.5 width and 1.0 length. I could probably go smaller width, but that's been working well for me on the BOM. I just go slow and every once in a while I accidentally nip a thread on the edge of the applique, but when I go back later it isn't noticeable.

Nancy