So.. THREAD... let's talk about it.
I use Coats and Clark from Joanns:
Honest I just chose it because it was easy to find, affordable, and came in lots of colors, espec. when I use either style.
I've gotten soooooooooo much crap for using this thread tho - more than you would think - it is just thread right? Well, apparently not.
So my dear friends, who will give me advice and not just grief, ... what do you use for piecing? What do you use for machine quilting? Why is one brand/type better than others?
Some brands I've been checking out:
Gutterman
Sulky
Aurifil
Any advice is appreciated! I'm sure some people have their favorites but I think we can all be polite talking about them - yes? ;-)
12 comments:
It depends what's on sale. Right now, I'm using white Gutterman thread for piecing because there was a huge deal and I got 4-5 1000m bobbins.
I also use Coats&Clark sometimes (to quilt of piece). It really depends I guess.
And like you said, it's just thread.
I use Aurifil for piecing. It gives off significantly less lint than Gutterman and Coats & Clark. A spool of Aurifil might cost you $10, but I did the math and it comes out just about the same price as the multiple spools of Gutterman you'd need to equal the same amount of thread. I used to use Gutterman, but got tired of always cleaning out my machine from all of the lint. I notice a big difference in how often I need to clean out my machine and I also notice that my bobbins last me a lot longer.
For machine quilting I really love So Fine! by Superior Threads. It glides really nice through my machine and it shows up just enough on the quilt but also blends in nicely. It's the perfect machine quilting thread to me.
I use Gutermann but mostly because it's easy to find and I can use those 50% coupons at Joanns to stock up. My LQS has Aurifil, but it's a 45 minute drive away so that always deters me, but maybe I'll give it a shot sometime.
Going to check back and see what more experienced quilters recommend. I've only been sewing a year, and still learning about all the fancy stuff out there.
I've been using:
STAR mercerized cotton
Coats&Clark machine quilting and crafts cotton
Guttermann cotton
Superior Threads (King Tut & Masterpiece)
...and don't have a problem with any of them.
I have one LQS, the nearest JoAnn's is an hour away. Love those coupons at JoAnn's!
If I come across Aurifil sometime, I'll give it a try...
I use Gutterman and Aurifil -- I find that both leave a lot less lint than the cheaper brands. This post http://owensolivia.blogspot.com/2012/10/your-sewing-thread-under-microscope.html was SO HELPFUL when I was wondering what the difference was. :)
give me your address. i will share a big spool of aurifil with you so that you can experience the wonder that is aurifil. it is such a higher quality thread, it is thin but very strong, it gives off much less lint, my bobbins last forever, and it slides through my machine like a dream! i used coats and clark also and i found that it would break or jam or throw sooo much lint it ended up not being worth the price. i use it for everything, piecing/quilting everything. my seams iron out so much flatter because the thread is so thin. but like i said before, it is thin but very strong. and the big spool lasts for forever!
seriously, give me your address... i will share! ;) xo
i should have read that before i pressed publish... i used to use coats and clark.... i use auriful for everything now.
I am still learning about thread. In my drawer is thread from Aurafil, Superior Thread King Tut, Superior Thread Masterpiece (for piecing), Valdani thread, Sulky, Wonderfil, Coats and Clark, Gutterman. I say try them all and see what you like. I do like the Aurafil and the Masterpiece for piecing as they are a bit thinner and I love slightly or more thicker ones for quilting.
Hey Lady! I used to use Coats and Clark for piecing too. I tried Aurifil (50 wt) because that's what my LQS has and I was surprised by how much I loved it. (Actually, I was surprised that I even noticed a difference at all! Up until then, I figured thread was thread...) I always have white, cream, and grey on hand for piecing, and then I just use the best color for whatever fabric I'm using. For quilting I've mostly been using King Tut but the colors are limited. For my last two quilts I tried the Aurifil for the quilting as well and I loved it - so that will open up the color options for me... I hope this helps!
I was also on the 'thread is thread' path, always using Gutterman's (it's European, and pretty much what every shop stocks) but although I still use it for making bags and the like, I now use Aurifil 50 wt for my piecing after I discovered my seams and things lying much flatter with it (who knew it would make a difference?!) Can't say I notice any difference on the lint though.
For Quilting I use Aurifil, Sulky or King Tut's, I'm not precious about it!
I'll chime in and recommend Auriful for piecing as well. It's fine, but strong and low lint. If you can visualize, a bulkier thread takes up "space" in each seam (say each seam takes 1/32 of an inch)...if you multiply that by how many seams are in a block, the block can be off in size. Especially in miniature quilts/blocks. If there are 16 seams in a block, you'd lose 1/2 inch. Does that make sense? It's hard to type out! Anyway...with Aurifil, there is less bulk in the seams. You can find it on Ebay for $7-8 spool too! I love Robinson Anton 50 weight for domestic machine quilting too...comes in great colors!
I use Aurifil 50 wt 6,452-yard cones. I bought one in white and its still going. I just recently added light beige which I know many people that use that as their all purpose piecer. Friends have said their piecing is more accurate due to the less bulk in seams. It lasts a lot longer in the bobbin as well.
My LQS has them for approximately $45. Occasionally they have a 40% off coupon which brings them down to $27. (you can easily find them online for $30). With that discount that puts the Aurifil cone right in the range with the on-sale Joann's thread. (ie. $5.55 x 50% off coupon = $2.775 for a Joann gutermann 500m spool ... so 5899 meters = 6452 yards .. 5899/500=11.798 spools of gutermann = $32.74.) Get all that? :)
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