Cotton Threads

Oh! How we love cotton thread.  It works beautifully with the lovely cotton fabric we adore.  There is nothing more soft and comforting than an all cotton quilt.  It sinks into the fabric and becomes"one" with the fabric.  It comes in as many different colors as our fabrics and our imaginations.  It reacts to heat and water the same way as the fabrics.  What is not to love about cotton thread?

There is a reason 100% cotton thread has been preferred by quilters for more than a century.  The two main reasons are that it is readily available and it does behave exactly as the fabric does.  It stands up to an iron on a cotton setting as well as the laundering the quilt may endure.  Its life as an organic fiber is the same as the fabric we use.  Cotton fabric + cotton batting + cotton thread = wonderful quilt.  It is a formula that works.

The question we need to ask today is how do I know I am getting a good quality thread?  There are a multitude of thread companies out there who make cotton thread.  What distinguishes one from another? What thread company has earned your loyalty?  Why?

I guess the first thing to look for is a guarantee.  Does the company back the product it makes?  Many do.  The next thing to do is to test the thread yourself.  Pull about two or three feet of thread off the spool.  Run your fingers down the length of the thread.  Does it feel good?  Does it feel smooth or fuzzy?  Does it have small bumps, knots, or "slubs" in it?  Break the thread.  Does it feel strong--weak--or too strong?  Yes, there is such a thing as too strong.  Think of a tug of war.  Who wins?---the strongest.  Your fabric and your thread are doing a tug of war in your quilt.  You want it to be a draw where no one wins because the sides are evenly matched.  You want your thread and your fabric to be of equal quality and strength.  We have all heard the adage that polyester thread will cut through the fabric in your quilt.  Well....so will a strong cotton thread.  Think of the antique quilts you find.  The fabrics usually have worn away but the thread is still there.

The best way to test a cotton thread is to use it and see for yourself how it behaves.  If you are using it to piece with, you want a lighter thread that will sink into your seams.  You don't want a heavy thread that will take up space in your seams and will make your precision off.  Look at the 50 wt threads from several different companies.  They are all marked 50 wt.  This is the regular sewing thread that we all reach for when we are standing in front of the large cabinet of beautiful colors in the store.  All 50 wt threads are not the same size.  Some are very fine and some are very thick and fuzzy.  Which one do you think will do the best job?

If you are wanting to hand quilt with it, you would need a glazed hand quilting thread for hand quilting.  If you are machine quilting (yea!) then you might want a 40 wt cotton machine quilting thread.  It is a little heavier and will show up more on the surface of your quilt.  That's not to say that you can't machine quilt with regular 50 wt thread--you can.  It is just more subtle and makes good texture or background fill thread.

Look at the label on your spool of thread.  What does it say?  If all it says is 100% mercerized cotton thread.  Put it back.  They are using the term mercerized to take up space and they don't have anything else to say about it.  *All cotton thread is mercerized* whether it says so on the label or not.  What you are looking for is Egyptian extra long staple thread.  That is the top of the line--the very best thread to be found.  Now, if it says Egyptian long staple cotton thread, that's pretty good too.  The term staple refers to how long the fiber is that comes out of the cotton boll.  The longer the fiber=the stronger and smoother the thread.  What other information is on the label?  Do they tell you what size needle to use?  Do they tell you the best uses for this thread? A good thread company is going to try to put as much information as possible on that label. They want you to have much success with their product so you will become a loyal consumer.

So, cotton thread is my "go to" thread for most anything.  I really prefer to use a 60 wt. very fine cotton thread when piecing and my choices for quilting depend on whether I am doing design work (40 wt thread) or background filler (50 wt thread).  These are not all the weights of cotton thread but they are the ones you will find most readily.  This range of weights takes less tweaking of tension and all machines run smoothly using these threads.  Please remember to stop and clean out your bobbin area every time you refill the bobbin.  Cotton is fuzzy and you do need to clean the lint out from your bobbin area. Clean out under your throat plate, too.

Please let me know what your favorite brands of thread are and any tips you have for getting good results using cotton thread.

Keep doodling!

Thread--Glorious Thread!

Here we go! From the comments received on the thread giveaway and from the program I give on thread, I've decided to tackle this wonderful subject here on the blog.  Thread is a supply that we all use but know very little about.  We know when we get frustrated with it and want to throw it away.  Do we know how to solve the problems that arise?  Let's take each popular type of thread separately.

If you think that I am going to bash Dual Duty thread, you will be very much surprised.  Dual Duty is the thread I am going to tackle first.  It is the best selling thread in America and probably world wide.  It was introduced in the early 1960's and is the "go to" thread for most every sewer.

Coats and Clark is a company that began in the early 1800's in Paisley, Scotland.  They made the first useable 100% cotton thread.  It is lovely that we are still using their products today.

Dual Duty is a polyester core wrapped with cotton.  That makes it behave like cotton--look like cotton--but have an extra strength.  It was developed in response to the growing use of synthetic fibers in available fabrics.  It is great for all purpose sewing and comes in a vast array of colors.  For many years, this was the only thread familiar to most of us.  Many quilters piece with Dual Duty as well as quilt with it and have no problems with it at all.  So many quilters can't be wrong!  If you love Dual Duty, please use it and have fun with it.  I would only ask that the next time you head to the store for more thread, you check out the other types of thread made by Coats and Clark.  They make all types.

If you have purchased a new computerized sewing machine in the last few years, you may have been told that your new machine doesn't like Dual Duty thread.  Let me explain this issue.  Your computerized machine has sensors that "read" the thread you are using and adjusts the machine accordingly.  I know the designers are trying to trouble shoot for us but this is where the problem arises.  Those sensors have pre-set defaults for most threads.  Your machine can "read" rayon thread, silk thread, cotton thread, and polyester thread.  However, please know that most machines come set for a very light weight 50 or 60 cotton thread.  That is what your machine is set to when you turn it on.  This means that the tension disks are set pretty tight.  The sensors in your machine don't know what to make of Dual Duty thread. Is it cotton or is it polyester?  The sensors "read" Dual Duty as polyester which means that the tension disks on your machine tighten even more.  What happens is that the tension is so tight it strips the cotton wrap off the thread and you are left with the polyester core.  In other words, it shreds the thread.  If this is what you are experiencing, you need to learn how to over ride the computer's sensors and set the tension yourself.  Refer to your sewing machine manual or have a talk with your dealer.  You need to be the one in charge of the tension on your machine, not the computer.  For everyone who has their tension set to 5 on their machine and never move it---PLEASE lower your tension to 3 and I think you will find much smoother sewing there.

Next up will be cotton thread, our favorite.  Please ask questions and tell me what your favorite thread is.   Keep doodling--you get better every day.

Thread Painted Heart

Are you ready to really do some doodling?  I hope so because this is really fun and the messier you are--the better it looks.

Remember how we started the reverse applique heart?  We begin the same way.  You need to transfer your heart pattern onto your background fabric.  You can trace it with a marking tool or use the same freezer paper heart cut out from before.  Iron it to the background fabric and stitch around it with a regular straight stitch.

 Here is the freezer paper heart ironed to the background.  Next put your background fabric into a machine embroidery hoop made especially for doing machine embroidery.  This way you won't use stabilizer and the hoop helps you move the shape around.  The one I like is a Morgan brand 7 inch No-Slip Hoop.  Check your local quilt shops for them or email Patchwork Place (see right side bar).  They carry these hoops.

 I started my stitching right in the center top of the heart where the indentation is.  The machine is set for a regular straight stitch.  The stitch length is whatever your default setting is when you turn on your machine.

 I am using my quarter inch foot mainly because it was already on my machine.  Any foot that allows you to see the edge of the paper so you can stitch really close is good.

 Now, there is something different here.  I stitch this outline in metallic red thread.  The metallic thread gives me a good solid base for when I begin to scribble all over the place.  It's like outlining your shape before coloring it in.  Since I will also use the metallic thread on my first pass of scribbling, it adds some "bling" and sparkle to my heart.  Please refer back to the post on using metallic threads.  I am using a 80 topstitch needle here and I lowered the top tension to 2.  I have white cotton thread in the bobbin.  You will get some stitches that kind of stand up more than the others but that's okay.  See them in the picture above.  No problem.  That comes from doing straight stitches with metallic thread.  It doesn't want to twist and turn.  Ignore it.

 Here is the heart all stitched out.  Now change the foot on your machine to your favorite free motion foot and lower the feed dogs.  Get ready to play!

 This particular heart I am doing in a up and down zig-zag type of motion.  You can also do the same thing using a round and round scribble.  I go all the way around the inside of the heart shape filling in with this "grass" style motion.  I using the red metallic thread for this pass.  Mine looks really even here (Ugh) but the more uneven it is...the better it looks.  Just try to stay inside the line of the heart.

 Time for pass #2.  I changed threads to a bright red shiny rayon embroidery thread.  I am continuing the same motion but going deeper into the center of the heart shape.  Overlap the stitching to blend it in.

 Pass #3 is made with a variegated red to pink polyester thread.  I thought it would be a good blender color for getting from red to pink.  Again, I am doing the same motion and going deeper still into the center of the heart.  Overlap your stitches with the stitches from the last pass.

 The last pass is done with pink thread.  It is the lightest color and helps give dimension to the heart.  The pink goes the deepest into the heart.  You can go as deep in as you feel comfortable.  Each one of these that I have done so far all look different.  Refer back to the beginning post on this quilt and you will see one done with the round and round kind of scribbling.

 When you take this out of the embroidery hoop, it will look a bit wonky.  Lay it right side down on a towel and press from the back.  That will keep from flattening out your stitches but give it a nice press before setting it into your block.

*Note* It is a good idea to cut your block larger than you need before you thread paint on it.  That way you can trim it up to the proper size when you get ready to sew it into place.

 What do you think?

Congratulations to our Winners!

Thank you to all my followers for being here in blogsville!  Congratulations to Deb from Virginia who is the winner of the Windham Fabrics fat quarter pack!  Congratulations to Nancy Sue who is the winner of the thread pack!  Both winners have already been sent an email informing them of their win so check your inbox.  I will be heading to the post office very soon to mail these prizes off.  Having giveaways is fun and a great way to meet you.  Stay tuned as I think I need to do this every so often.

If you are a new follower, I urge you to go back to the beginning to see what this blog is all about.  It is about doodling on your sewing machine.  Check out what we've been doing.  The next post will be lessons on "thread painting" the other heart in the "Cross Your Heart" red and white quilt.  Hope spring is coming to everyone out there so we can enjoy more moderate weather.

Keep doodling--you get better each day!
Sabrina