quilting thread????

do you have to use quilting thread to hand quilt or can you use any thread.

Reply to
Bill
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i use special cotton thread for handquilting. it is stronger than regular machine piecing thread. i use a piece of beeswax to run the thread thru before quilting, helps it keep from twisting. usually handquilting only uses about 18-24 inch of thread on a run thru to avoid the twist but also cuz that is as long as your arm wants to reach when pulling it thru. longer will annoy ya a bit. try threading a bunch of needles onto the spool before ya start, that will speed up that part of the process. just remove one at a time, cutting the thread as you needed. i hope that makes sense. : / you 'can' use any thread for handquilting but i prefer the stronger and therefore a wee bit heavier. it shows off the quilting nicely too. all that work is pointless if it doesnt show up nice, eh. have fun, jeanne

Reply to
nzlstar*

You can use any thread you want to. Individual quilters will have preferences depending on the type of work they do.

Japanese Sashiko stitching is done with "large stitches in a dull cotton thread that almost equated to the Broder cotton used in embroidery. Very fine hand and machine quilting can be done with #100 silk thread, which is beautiful to work with and just melts into the fabric. It really depends on the effect you are after.

Back when I still handquilted I tried Aurifil #50 cotton (liked it a lot), Gutterman quilting cotton (found it a bit too heavy for my liking), poly-cotton sewing thread (but usuallu only when I really needed a colour that was only available in poly, just a personal preference for natural fibres), YLI #50 silk (thicker than #100 for hand quilting, but loved hand applique with the #100), and even some of the shiny rayon embroidery threads (although you have to work with very short lengths of thread when hand sewing as the thread will shred apart with repeated passes through fabric, really only good for highlighting when handsewing).

Reply to
CATS

You *can* use what ever thread you wish to use. Most thread that is labeled for Handquilting is both heavier and is finished with something that helps keep the thread from tangling, keeps it a bit smoother and so on. (Much as beeswax used to be used. The problem with beeswax is that it needs to penetrate the thread, usually by pressing with a hot iron, or it will come right off in the first couple of stitches.)

Pati, > do you have to use quilting thread to hand quilt or can you use any thread. >

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Reply to
Pati Cook

Howdy!

Yes, of course you do, or we'll beat you w/ a stick... of gum, if we find out.

Ah, Bill, do what works for you. Thread marked for Handquilting gives me the best results, in particular the Gutermann and Coats&Clark brands. In 35+ yrs. of quilting I haven't had a problem w/ either of these and the quilts are still together/quilted.

Cheers! Ragmop/Sandy

Reply to
Sandy Ellison

Reply to
Mary

If you are hand quilting you might also consider using a thread conditioner. Most people have at least heard of bee's wax, and it is usually easy to find. Another newer one I prefer is Thread Heaven which comes in small cubes.

Reply to
CATS

Use something that gives you satisfaction. And with thread, you pretty much get what you pay for. Hand quilting takes quite a lot of time. You ought to have results that justify the time you spend. Good thread made for hand work is a little heavier than machine thread, and it often has a glazed coating to help prevent fraying. Using the best thread you can find will produce better results and be much less frustrating to use. (My own favorite is YLI long staple glazed cotton.) Roberta in D

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Reply to
Roberta Zollner

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