Machine Quilting with So Fine Thread

Another day another machine quilting sample.  This one was done with So Fine! by Superior Threads, a polyester thread – 50 wt. and 3 ply thread.  This is a great thread to quilt with.  So Fine comes in 3 different weights, 30 wt, 40 wt, and 50 wt.  The website says this 50 wt. thread would be good to use for bobbin thread but it worked great as a top thread.

I used Bottom Line for the bobbin thread for this piece and it was quilted on my Bernina 730 with the BSR foot.  The cotton batting is not identified again and the tension was kept at the default setting as was the stitch length.  I used an 12/80 topstitch needle to do the stitching.

I would use this thread again as it was so easy to quilt with.  It left a fine line and since the color (403) is a light beige it doesn’t stand out too much against the light blue fabric.  The puffiness of the batting make the designs show up well though.

Happy Quilting,

Lynn

Machine Quilting with YLI Silk Thread

This is one of my favorite threads to use to quilt my miniature quilts.  It is YLI Silk thread and is a very fine thread.  The spool has #100 on it so don’t know if that is the weight for sure but am guessing it is the weight as it is a very fine thread.  It is 100% silk thread and machine stitches so nicely.  I used a small 70 topstitch needle to stitch with this thread.

This sample has cotton batting but I don’t know what kind or brand as it was just a scrap.  From now on I hope to label all those scraps but have quite a few small unidentified ones I am using for this project.

I love that I can quilt small motifs with this thread and not create bulk like heavier threads do.  I used my Bernina 730 with the BSR (Bernina Stitch Regulator), Bottom Line thread by Superior Threads in my bobbin, Color number 241 for the silk thread and I didn’t have to adjust the tension or stitch length on this sample.  If I were quilting a miniature I would shorten the stitch a bit to make it more inline with what a miniature should be.

Seems like these posts are getting shorter and shorter.  I guess another thing I want to stress is when I have been quilting these pieces I do not rip even if the quilting turns out not so hot and wiggles all over the place.  I want to try out these different designs and sometimes it is the first time I have tried them so the quilting lines don't always go where I want them to go or the lines don't flow.  I don't want to spend the time ripping so everything stays as it is first stitched.  Some designs I will try again and some just didn't work.  I am planning on using these samples not only to see what the threads look like s they are quilted abut also as a recording of  different quilt designs I can look through when I am quilting a new piece.

Until Later,

Lynn

Machine Quilting with Premium Sulky Cotton Blendables

Sulky has two weights of Blendables thread – the 12 weight and the 30 weight.  The 12 is really heavy but the 30 wt. feels similar to the YLI Machine Quilting Thread, King Tut and Signature threads and that is what I used on this sample.  I believe it is a 3 ply thread and this variegated thread has color changes every 2 1/2” – 5”, color number 733.  The thread did blend from one color into another and there were not too many spots where the thread was too light or too dark.

It is a very smooth thread like King Tut so leaves very little lint in the machine when stitching.  I used a size 14/90 topstitch needle, Old Glory Old Fashioned Cotton batting (will not buy again as is tough for needle to pierce), Bottom Line bobbin thread.  Like the other samples I quilted this with my Bernina 730 with the BSR.  I need to practice more without the BSR as my skills at free motion quilting on my own without the aid of that foot have diminished lately.

This thread comes in lots of different colors so is easy to find something to work with most any project.  The spool has a pop top to wrap the thread ends so the spool doesn’t come unwound when stored.

One thing I might not have mentioned is that I spray basted the fabric front and back to the batting in all of my samples.  Normally I don’t use spray basting for my quilts but needed something quick and easy and since the samples are small the basting holds just fine.

I am using Machinigers Quilting gloves to aid in moving the fabric sandwich as I quilt.  Normally I like to use the Halo Ring by award winning quilter, Sharon Schamber, but it doesn’t work so well right next to the edge of a quilt and since the samples are small they are mostly edges.  Here is a YouTube video of her using this rubberized metal ring.

That’s all for now folks…
Lynn

Machine Quilting with Mirage Thread by Wonderfil

I purchased this Mirage Thread by Wonderfil while I was in Paducah, Kentucky at the 2012 AQS show.  It is a 30wt. 2ply thread (think it is 2 ply after untwisting it).  This is a Rayon variegated  thread with a great shine and a subtle variegation of color.  I have heard that some rayon thread fades in the light but don’t know about that as this is the first time I have used it.

It is a dream to stitch with and is not as fine as the Invisafil thread but did not seem as heavy as the 40 wt. threads (YLI, King Tut and Signature).  Maybe it seems finer because it is soft and a different fiber than those cotton quilting threads.

I stitched this with my Bernina 730 with the BSR foot, size 12/80 topstitch needle, bamboo batting by Fairfield and used the default settings for tension and stitch length.  The bobbin thread I used was Bottom Line by Superior Threads.

The cone is small but I can't seem to find any way to secure the thread so ended up putting one of those little girl ponytail elastics around it.  Let me know if I am missing something on the spool to secure the thread.

This is beautiful looking when stitched and I would use it again but do want to do some research on how Rayon thread holds up over time.  Anyone have any experiences with rayon thread that can offer some insight?

Until Later,

Lynn