Monday is All About Fabric – #121 – But today’s it’s about thread
Today’s post is part of a series on this blog every Monday.
I don’t know about you, but fabric is EVERYTHING! I love buying it, petting it and then gushing with you about it. I’ll show you my latest fabric purchases and where you can buy it too.
To view all previous posts in this series, click here.
I know Monday’s are usually about fabric, but this is a post I’ve been meaning to write for a while. I get asked so often about what threads I use, the weight and all that. Last year I wrote that big post about thread. I wanted to dig into thread and see what all I’ve been missing. I learned so much! Since then, I’ve learned more, but most importantly I learned exactly what I wanted.
I thought today, I’d go through all the threads I use regularly. I’ve been holding off on this post until I could I also offer you those threads at Meander + Make.
Piecing
Let’s start with piecing! We do it the most, I think. I use So Fine by Superior Threads. It’s a 50 weight polyester. I like the polyester because there’s hardly any lint build up in my machine. I really like the thinness of the 50 weight, but I have recently heard another quilter mention that she uses an 80 weight for piecing because the thread takes up less space in the seam (which is worth thinking about when there’s a bunch of seams in your project). I haven’t tried that weight yet, but I might.
Every now and then, I’ll still whip out an old spool that belonged to my grandmother that I inherited and piece with it. I know I need to stop doing this, but for some reason I haven’t. I’m sporadic with it too. I have learned that (with the exception of quilting) you could literally use any thread in your bobbin. I’m intending to use Grandma’s threads up this way and stick to my So Fine as my top thread.
Binding + Applique
You know I recently changed my machine binding method (which I have yet to teach you, but will), I also changed the thread I use when machine binding. I use Microquilter by Superior Threads. This thread is a 100 weight thread and it’s noticeably different. I LOVE it! It almost disappears! That’s why I love it for the machine binding. I’ll soon be getting it in multiple colors, but I’ve just been using the white for my own quilts. I can’t wait to show you this in action in that binding tutorial.
I also use this thread for my hand and machine applique. I do my topstitching on my Dresden plates by machine and religiously use this thread. Unless you are close up to it, you won’t see the thread. I hand applique my quilt labels onto every quilt I finish and I always use this thread for that task as well.
Be sure to use a milliners needle for this thread when using it for handwork. The thread is so thin and a needle with a tiny eye will keep it from slipping loose as much.
English Paper Piecing
For myself, there’s only one thread for this work and that is The Bottom Line. I use the silver color as it just blends in to fabrics of all colors. I’ve tried SO MANY THREADS for this work and I’m very happy to have found this one last year. I use the milliners needle for this thread as well.
Pearl Cotton Balls
I don’t do a massive amount of hand quilting, but I do sometimes. I love DMC Pearl Cotton for this task. The weight on this one is size 8. My quilting is not delicate, it’s chunky, making this thread even more perfect.
Just like with hand quilting, I use this thread for chunky hand binding, you can see a quilt here. I’ve got this on my list for video tutorials to make, but it’s my new favorite way to bind. I’ll be doing all my special quilts using this method.
I also use this thread for embroidery. I used it in my I am Enough quilt. It’s super thick and can stand out in a way thinner thread can’t.
I use a sashiko needle when using this thread. It’s a thicker needle, easy to hold with a large eye, making it a bit easier for me to get the thread through the eye.
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Thanks for reading along! If you have tips and tricks or just words of wisdom, feel free to comment below. I love hearing from you! We all grow when we share what we know. Hugs and have a good week.
The Ruby Beatrice Quilt
