Threads - which do you prefer?

[Jill B.]

I love superior Thread but have not used the one called "Glitter" my question is has anyone used this thread to machine applique using a blanket stitch, it is to be used around medium to large diamond shapes......... any advice would be appreciated please.

[Rita C.]

I think Aurifil threads are fantastic for piecing or quilting. Superior Rainbows are beautiful for quilting too. I also love Hemmingworth threads for quilting - beautiful colours and sheen to the thread. I have also recently been using Wonderfil embroidery thread for applique and it is lovely too.

[Norma H.]

I love superior Thread but have not used the one called "Glitter" my question is has anyone used this thread to machine applique using a blanket stitch, it is to be used around medium to large diamond shapes......... any advice would be appreciated please.

Glitter is one of the most difficult threads to get to sew perfect. I would not consider it a good thread to use with a blanket stitch, but I might be wrong. I love how it looks and all the time trying to incorporate it. If you use it remember to make the thread path so direct from the spool as you can so it doesn't twist up. Loose the tension (my machine prefers 0.25-0.50 for this thread) and I think it's best to use a fine read: smooth) thread like Bottom Line in the bobbin.

One of the Mug Ruggers will get a card from me, where I used Sliver and Glitter to decorate it. I'm not going to write some of the words I spoke because one of the colors kept breaking. Though I could write them. Very few of you would understand them anyway :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

[Paula D.]

I have rediscovered Mettler 60 wt. cotton. Fabulous thread!! Also use a lot of Aurifil. Will NOT put Madeira in my beautiful new Bernina. So much lint it'll make you sneeze!!

[wendy w.]

Interesting. I thought King tut was a fabulous thread but its been leaving a waxy residue on the machine this week. Most odd. Any thoughts :?

[Renata L.]

Interesting. I thought King tut was a fabulous thread but its been leaving a waxy residue on the machine this week. Most odd. Any thoughts :?

Wendy, that does sound odd.

I am sure that if you contacted Superior Threads on their website through the "contact us" feature, they would make this right for you and they would want to know if there were a potential problem with one of their threads.

Here a few questions you might want to ask yourself that would be helpful to Superior Threads in figuring out what is going on with your King Tut thread, if you contacted them:

(1) Did you oil your machine just before using the King Tut thread?
(2) Are you getting a waxy residue when just using a specific reel of King Tut?
(3) Does the reel in question look or feel any differently from other reels of King Tut you own (i.e., does it appear there is a "waxy" substance on the thread before you thread your machine)?
(4) Do you still get a waxy residue on your machine after you change out your King Tut reel to, let's say Aurifil or some other thread?

I'm at a loss for answers because I don't know Superior Threads' production process, but I am very interested in what you find out, if you choose to pursue this.

[Renata L.]

Hey Renata - you are starting to sound like an expert :wink: 8)

(or an engineer :lol: )

[Renata L.]

Hey Renata - you are starting to sound like an expert :wink: 8)

(or an engineer :lol: )

:lol: :lol: :lol:
... or a submariner... details, details, details!

[wendy w.]

Sound pretty good to me :lol:

[wendy w.]

I ditto much of what has been said above but have used Mettler Silk Finish which is actually 100 % cotton and is a great thread for sewing garments, paper piecing as well as quilt piecing.

from a very hot Nova Scotia - 32 C outside!
Jeanine

[Keith D.]

I have to admit to being a Mettler man... I love their 60/2 and 50/3 threads. Almost nothing other than Mettler 60/2 goes in my bobbin when I'm quilting. And I love them on top too. You know, there's all this hoopla about lint-free thread, but I love the way a slightly fluffy thread looks when quilted. And I'm willing to clean my machine periodically for that look.

I love Clover's 50 weight silk for that reason too, it looks more cuddly - 100 weight silks sometimes look so cold and severe and austere to me...

Aurifil's 50/2 is a great thread too for so many things.

And Presencia makes some really cool colors - crisp and true and bright...

YLI and Sew Art International make my favorite monofilament thread.

But if I had to choose one manufacturer for all my needs - it would be Superior. Their matte finish monofilament is great, I love piecing and quilting with Masterpiece (although I liked it better with it was 2 ply), quilting with King Tut is fun and so many pretty variegated colors... Rainbows are very exciting polyesters. And I didn't mention it before, but Superior's Metallics are my favorite metallic- Glitter too. But Sulky's Sliver is also fun.

[Margo C.]

Keith, I'm looking for the "like" button!!!

[Jill B.]

Great and interesting comments

[Hannelore N.]

Gosh!! :shock: Golly!! WoW!! :shock: Godness, Gracious!! :shock: .... Throwing arms in the air with a look of utter amazement on my face....... Keith IS periodically CLEANING his machine!!! Are you sure, Keith, you are not taking this too far???

I'm not joking, but I fairly recently came across a quilter (been doing that for over 30 years, she said) who had never cleaned her machine. She does takes it for a service to her local dealer every three months or so (where is the 'more money than sense' smilie when you need it?). This was at a workshop. Her machine was sounding dreadful and skipping stitches. I spent about 10 minutes cleaning it, popped in a new needle, and that baby positively purred. I hope this quilter has learned from it.

I have the feeling that Keith could be genetically related to me because I use whatever thread I think looks good on whatever project I'm doing. I just haven't got his skill and patience yet (I'm blaming lack of time and patience ).

Let me throw in another point into the thread discussion: I often just love an almost perfect match between thread colour and fabric so that the quilting (very basic in my case, or I would never get anything finished and also get very frustrated) does not distract from the fabrics if they are the stars of the show. I may find that I have to use several different makes on the same project because no brand has all the colour shades I want. I have no idea why, but I find it most difficult to get the perfect shades of red.

If at all possible, Superior Masterpiece goes into the bobbin.

About "Doing a Keith" (): I 'de-fluff' my machines very regularly. They tell me when it's time to sort out their insides because they start sounding just a little different. But I often do a little maintenance before I actually hear that it's necessary.

[Norma H.]

Keith, I love that you use all threads possible. But I wonder what machine you sew on. My machines never accepted all the fluffy stuff in the bobbin area, so I'm used to clean. Now, when I have got a Bernina 830, I practise cleaning every time I use it. It does NOT accept anything foreign and it screams for oil more often than you would think. It's very easy to hear the purring turning into something different.
I have friends coming over to learn sewing and last time they were here, we started with what it takes to keep your machine in good condition. They were amazed: do we really have to clean and oil our machines? My answer is a loud YES! YOU HAVE TO! They were joking about it, but the fact was that they had never cleaned their machines before.
All that said, it can't be so dreadful on your machine or you would not be able to make the wonderful quilts, you do :lol: