As I mentioned in a previous post, I intend to do a comparison between several threads to decide which I like the best for piecing and quilting. I currently have 6 of the threads that I reviewed from a cost point of view, plus one spare (Sulky) that my rep at SMS asked me about, and I’m considering picking up the last 2, just for the heck of it.
Tomorrow, I’m headed out to get a couple of rulers (they’re on sale for 70% off at the local fabric shop – who can pass that up? As an added bonus, they sell one of the two threads I’m missing for this test) and some topstitch needles so I will pop into the quilt shop at the same time and grab the MasterPiece. Over the next several weeks, I hope to review each thread, by making a set project that will require piecing, as well as quilting.
I’m thinking of using this post from crafty hipster to make some foot pedal bags. I have a number of machines here that either have cases where the pedal travels on the bed of the machine, or occasionally falls out of its holder above the machine or the same happens in a sewing machine bag. This way, the test fabric isn’t wasted at the end of the experiment. Apparently there are 18 machines here with cold toes, so it won’t be wasted effort. I will do a “simple” disappearing 9 patch, or something with a couple of half square triangles maybe, it should give me a bit of an idea about the threads for piecing, then I can quilt them.
The things I intend to review are:
- Lint in the bobbin case (and around the top tensioner)
- How it lays on the fabric, when piecing and when quilting
- Breakage during normal sewing (i.e. not using messed up tension settings just to see it break)
- Sheen
- For piecing: how flat does the seam lie?
- For quilting: Does the thread blend, really stand out? Does it “look” good?
- What else would you like to see reviewed?
Additionally, I’ll be using a thread stand, so that the tension is hopefully a known constant, since some of these threads are stack wound and some are cross wound.
Thoughts on needles, based on recommendations from Superior threads, and from comments on the Quilting board about these threads. If you have any suggestions, I would definitely like to hear about it below. Did you know that metallic needles are the same as topstitch? If you can’t find topstitch at your fabric store, see if they have metallic needles in the size that you need.
- Sulky (30wt) – Topstitch, size 100/16
- Connecting threads (partial spool possibly 100 yards) – Topstitch, size 90/14
- Aurifil – Topstitch, size 80/12
- Superior King Tut (40wt) – Topstitch, size 90/14
- Mettler Silk Finish Cotton – Topstitch, size 80/12
- Gutermann 100% Cotton – Topstitch, size 80/12
- Robison Anton Super Stitch Cotton – Topstitch, size 80/12 or 90/14 (I’ve used the 90/14 on a previous project for FMQ, and had no issues with it)
- Superior MasterPiece – Topstitch, size 80/12
- Coats and Clark –
Topstitch, size 80/12– Turns out the only Cotton I could find was a 35wt, so I’m going to go with a 90/14 to start and move to a 100/16 if necessary
The only threads on my list so far that are stack wound are the King Tut, and the Sulky thread. We’ll see what the MasterPiece and the Coats and Clark are tomorrow.
2013-05-04 – The 3 quilting threads (as opposed to the piecing threads) – the Sulky, the King Tut, and the Coats and Clark are all stack wound.
What I learned by watching the thread therapy series on Superior Threads’ youtube channel is that “weight” of thread is not really standardized. Use it just as a guideline, so the needle suggestions above are guidelines to start with. If I find that the thread is shredding, I will change the needle size as one of the first things I do.
The machines I will be using for this are both vintage Singer sewing machines. I have a table that will recess all of my full sized machines, so the 301 and the 15-90 will be the candidates for this project.
I think it’s going to be a huge undertaking, but I’ve been wanting to do it for some time.
I know that the right tool (or right thread) for the job makes a lot of sense, but if I can standardize to some degree, it will help me in the long run. It doesn’t mean I won’t experiment, just gives me a good strong foundation to work from.
I think in the long term, it will save me frustration and money to settle on some favorites and forget about the rest. I hope it does the same for you.
I will record relative tension settings, etc, and then by the end, know what I like, what seems to get along with my machine, or not. (Though the tension adjustments should make this mostly moot)
Hi Tammi, I’m late to the party — did you ever get around to testing threads? It’s an ambitious project! I grew up using Coats & Clark “Dual Duty” cotton covered polyester, and I thought it was fine. Nothing else was available then except spun polyester from the dime store. I still use the C&C cotton covered poly because it’s easy to find (no quilt shops or major chains near me), and it’s smooth and strong. I don’t quilt and I don’t sew a whole lot, but enough that I want a quality thread. So I bought a “variety pack” of mettler silk finish online, and was so disappointed. The thread is “lumpy” and rough and fuzzy. When I hand sew with it, it “sticks” and actually abrades the fabric a little. I can’t use it unless I wax it first. There are 5 colors in the pack, and the black is the worst, but they’re all bad. Did I just get a bad batch? I have a big stash of vintage thread on wooden spools, and I use the ones that are still good (some have gotten weak over time so I test them first by trying to break them). The vintage thread is very smooth but not as strong as the cotton covered poly. Strong enough for most purposes, though, and most are as strong as the Mettler. — Sheila (from QB)
Hey Sheila,
I don’t know how I missed answering your question! I haven’t done the test yet. I really do need to start though. I’d like to say it was Lucey who distracted me, but I was distracted before that. 😉 It’s definitely an ambitious project, and perhaps larger than I’d thought. Is a foot pedal bag a large enough sample to use to evaluate a thread? I’m not really convinced of that anymore, but I don’t piece enough to take on several larger projects to test threads. What I have noticed lately is: I’m using a lot of Aurifil for piecing. I started piecing a couple of blocks with the Robison Anton thread and felt like the thread was too thick to sit nicely in the seams, but again, such a tiny sample hardly seems fair for judging the thread.
The Mettler is a disappointing thread all around. I hate to say it, since my supplier carries it and I can get it “cheap”, but it’s expensive for such a linty thread. When I do the comparison, one of the things I want to do is take really close up photos of the thread strands, I think Mettler and Gutermann both are very lumpy linty looking threads, even on the spool. Weird since the “silk finish” is basically burning off the stray strands on the thread. You would think it wouldn’t look that way.
The nice thing about a poly, or a cotton covered poly is that the poly will stretch a tiny bit before it breaks. It makes it very forgiving. Lucey is teaching me to like poly…
Tammi,
Try the Superior Masterpiece thread for piecing. It really works well. I haven’t tried the Aurifil, but I love the Masterpiece.
Phyllis
Thanks Phyllis!
I have that spool sitting in the quilting studio and it looks at me daily and makes me feel guilty. I know I have to get to trying it, but I’m afraid to like it. Superior threads are just so expensive here. I was only able to get a 2500yd cone of it but it was close to $40 at a local shop. To get it via mail, it looks like the minimum shipping from Superior is in the $15 range, so unless I buy in really large volume, it’s pricey any way you look at it. The Aurifil has been a very nice thread to work with and I have access to it quite reasonably from Tristan in BC.
I promise to post about it when I get a chance to take on even a few of the threads I mentioned here. 🙂