Look at all the yummy thread I just got in the mail! My fabric has been waiting …
Since I’m still working on a couple of custom projects right now and have no new pictures to post quite yet, I thought I’d share an opinion today! I enjoy reading about what other quilters are finding useful in their craft, so perhaps someone out there will find this information helpful.
I’m not a thread expert myself. I do have a mentor who is, though, and I daresay she has turned me into a thread snob! BUT it’s totally worth it, because once you’ve tried a few different threads and you discover the features of each one and learn just how they all work on your own machine, sometimes there is no comparison.
Yes, top quality thread costs more. Sometimes lots more (and there are really good reasons for that, from how it’s manufactured to how it’s wound to how it works on different machines) but when you’re heavily into a wild-quilted-with-lots-of-travel-stitching project the LAST thing you need is a thread issue right in the middle of the best motif you’ve ever done. Trust me, those are times for words I can’t post on this G-rated blog.
I was in a cotton thread box for a while when I first started quilting last year, until I learned that the age-old issues with using anything other than cotton on a quilt were just that: age-old. The way threads are made now, you just have to go for it and see what you like best because you don’t need to be concerned about hurting your precious handiwork by branching out. Even well-known quilters and teachers like Leah Day will tell you that!
So while I’ve played around with different brands here and there, I have to say that right now, my absolute favorite thread for quilting is Magnifico by Superior Threads. I really like their King Tut cotton quilting thread as well; it has never given me a problem, and I highly recommend it for use of cotton thread, but I was looking for a good quality 40 WT polyester quilting thread that would stand up to a lot of wear and tear (not from quilt use, but from quilting the way I quilt! lol) and when I tried my first spool of this stuff I was hooked. It quilts like a dream and it travels back and forth over and over itself like butter – smooth, slick, and no resistance. AND I can use it in my bobbin too so everything always matches and I don’t have to worry about thread bleeds when I’m doing dense work in certain areas. AND it has a lovely luster that just makes every line of stitching exciting to follow as you’re flying around from one area to the next.
As always, you have to discover what works best for you in your style of quilting and with your machine (yes they each have their own personality!) and I haven’t used the Magnifico on my regular machine just yet as I mainly use my Pfaff Powerquilter for quilting projects and it does run at a much higher speed.
If you’d like to read more about Superior Threads, visit their website here: Superior Threads
If you’d like to buy them in Canada, I get mine from Cindy’s Threadworks in BC.
