Good Morning, Quilters!
TRUE OR FALSE?: Always use the same thread in the top and the bobbin.
The conventional wisdom: by using the same thread top and bobbin, it is easier for the machine to create a well-balanced stitch. This is probably true….
But, what if we are using very heavy 12 wt cotton on top? Does it make sense to jam it onto a little bobbin? Absolutely NOT! The bobbin thread would run out every five minutes! Furthermore, the heavy thread would be very difficult for the mechanics of the hook.
Consider your goals for bobbin thread. We would like to have as many yards of bobbin thread as possible to minimize bobbin changes and we don’t want to see the bobbin thread peaking up on the top of our quilts. Both of these conditions can be accomplished by using a finer weight thread in the bobbin. How fine? (I knew YOU would ask…) That depends….
50wt thread is the highest weight I ever use in my bobbin (unless I’m trying for a special effect). –even when I’m using 40, 30, 28 or 12 wt thread on top.
I would consider a finer weight thread like 60 wt, 80wt, 100wt. All of these weights will last a long time and create a textured look on the back of your quilt. However, as the thread gets finer it gets weaker. Polyester and nylon threads tend to be stronger than cotton and Rayon but all fiber types get weaker as they get thinner. Try a thread and if it doesn’t break while you are sewing, then it is appropriate to use in the bobbin.
Once you’ve chosen your thread for the bobbin and the top, create a sample and adjust the tension to create a balanced stitch.
FAVORITE BOBBIN THREAD
Once you find a bobbin thread that works for you and your machine, stick with it!
Any fiber works! Some quilters only use polyester. Other quilters always use cotton. Find what works for YOU!
I almost always use Aurifil 50 wt cotton in the bobbin. My machine loves it and I like how it looks on the back of my quilts–a little bit of sheen, but not too much. I find it pairs very well with all my favorite top threads. Again, that’s me…YOU and YOUR machine have to come to your own agreement.
The tip of the day: It’s okay to break the “quilting rules” and use different thread weights top and bobbin.
Find a favorite bobbin thread and use it for most of your quilts. Quilting is easier when you have your “go-to’s”-reliable favorites.
Remember, when you have fun quilting, your quilts will BE fun!
Happy Stitching,
Lori
Next Week’s Quick Tip: Choices for Bobbin Thread Color
PS…All tutorials, images and information are the property of Lori Kennedy at The Inbox Jaunt and are intended for personal use. Feel free to re-blog, pin or share with attribution to The Inbox Jaunt. For all other purposes, please contact me at lckennedy@hotmail.com. Thanks!PS…If you like these motifs and tips, be sure to check out my book, Free Motion Machine Quilting 1-2-3 .
29 comments
Susan4
Do different weights in bobbin require adjustments to bobbin tension? Thanks for advice.
WordPress.com Support
Always try to make the adjustments on the top thread first, adjusting the bobbin tension if you must.
Lynda
I just tried some walking foot quilting using a 30 wt thread on top and 60 wt Bottom Line in the bobbin. I had to take the stitches out because it gathered the fabric on the back. Would that be a weight difference issue? It has never happened before but I have never used the 30 wt for quilting before. It was a straight stitch set to 3.5 length. Thanks for any advice!
WordPress.com Support
It sounds like a tension problem–or that the machine wasn’t threaded correctly. I’d try re-threading and make a few samples changing the tension.
Lynda
I had tried re-threading but haven’t tried adjusting the tension. That’s probably what is going on. Thanks!
Arvilla Trag
Are you sure your feed dogs were up?
lorrainelturner
Great blog, yes I always use Aurifil 50 wt cotton, this keeps my machine very happy:)
Ann Rapice
Good information. I love so fine and use it almost exclusively.
Arvilla Trag
I agree with Ann. I never have a tension problem with So Fine, or with Microquilter. My machine intensely dislikes Aurofil, though.
Amy McBurnie
Thank you, Lori, for reminding us to discover what’s the best for us and our machines. I’m on a couple of FB pages where every once in a while there are posts that intimate that if you aren’t using Brand X something’s wrong. Usually that’s after someone asks the question “what’s the best thread to use in Brand Y machine?” I cringe when I read these. I’ve always believed that a sewer needs to make samples with different combinations of top and bobbin thread, different tensions, different presser foot pressures, different presser feet, different stitch patterns, and then annotate on those samples what was used/done. They become great references. I don’t have one standard “recipe.” I mix up my threads. I’ll put poly and cotton together, I’ll use different weights in the top and bobbin, I’ll use different colors, I’ll use different brands. It all depends on the look I’m trying to achieve and, quite frankly, what thread I have on hand. What’s important to me is that my stitch looks good.
Lori Kennedy
That’s absolutely true! Beginners do like to have a place to start and a few rules, but once you understand thread and start making samples, it’s okay to break the rules.
Kerry
Does anyone use the pre-wound bobbins? Or are they for longarm machines only? I am quite curious to know, although my Janome can be quite fussy and I think even if they were universal type bobbins – my machine would cough and splutter, so I definitely wouldn’t try – unless someone with a Janome MC6500 has tried and tested and it worked!
Arvilla Trag
I use SuperBobs pre-wound bobbins, from Superior Thread. Love them. Every once in a while I get a mis-wound one that simply will not give good tension, regardless of top thread or adjustments, so I just pitch it. I can even get monofilament bobbins.
At first I saved all the empty bobbins from the pre-wounds. After a while I realized that was not really necessary, as I was buying more pre-wounds rather than winding my own. So I stopped saving the empties.
Would anyone be interested in 1,359 Class 15 bobbins, empty?
Jami Skelton
Is that the J 15 bobbins? with the round holes on top and not the square shapes?
Joanie Wendt
Hi Kerry,
I have a Janome 7700, & use Superior black, white & invisible prewound bobbins. The invisible ones work much better than my self-wound ones. I can even use invisible thread on both top & bottom.
Hope that helps!
Joan
Lori,
Thx for all ur great posts!
Kerry
Thank you Joanie. I had to look that machine up but it’s way more advanced than mine – I have Janome envy now! As far as I can see, the machines that can use the prewounds have a bobbin sensor light, but mine doesn’t have anything as grand. She doesn’t like using invisible thread either, happily chewing and spitting it out – regardless of tension twiddling! But she loves Superior Bottom Line and So Fine and I’m happy to have finally found thread that I can quilt with. She’s OK with piecing, quilting was the frustrating part.
But very useful information and I’ll definitely give it a go when (hah) I upgrade her. Much appreciated. 😀
Lori Kennedy
I know many people swear by them–they hold more thread than our wound spools…however, I have two BERNINAs and the pre-wound bobbins don’t fit on them.
Kerry
Cheers Lori – I think I’ll pass on them then – at least you know your bobbin works when you wind it on your own machine.
boe77Brit
I use the same in the bobbin as on top when piecing. For quilting other guidelines apply. I like to stitch in the ditch to anchor the quilt together. In this case, I like to use invisible thread in top and the same bobbin thread as I will for the actual quilting. The same holds for metallic and any other speciality thread. For regular quilting thread, I use the same both on top and in the bobbin. If my tension is off a little, it will not show.
Cathy Campbell
Great post today 🙂 I rarely use the same color in the top and bottom – i usually go with what thread matches the backing or a little lighter color and then what i want on the front of the quilt piece.
Donna Belisle
I am definitely with Bette.
Carole @ From My Carolina Home
I use Aurifil in the bobbin too, when I am not using Bottom Line. I rarely match the top and bottom threads.
Jacqui VMS
I usually use Superior’s Bottom Line 60 wt for my bobbin as I love it when the bobbin seems to last forever LOL…read: Lazy! I bought a range of colours in cones when it was on sale. I also use Sew Fine sometimes if I really need to match a colour, but notice it especially when sewing small blocks that the thicker thread does take up more space when pressing the seams! Amazing how that little bit makes a difference. Learning to adjust tension top and bottom fearlessly is an essential skill :-).
Bette
I think Lori’s theory is to ignore what the “quilt police” say and experiment to find and use what works best for you. I was working on a quilt recently that aggravated me from the first pieces I sewed. I really wasn’t liking it, so I figured I could experiment and if things went bad, no big loss. I used a quilting design that was new to me and I combined fine polyester thread in the bobbin and 40 weight cotton on top. It was a great learning experience and now I actually like the finished quilt.
Debbie
This is just ONE of the “most helpful” tips I learned in Lori’s class. Thanks!!
knottedthreadtales
I love to use Wonderful DecoBob in my bobbin…. it is an 80 weight cottonseed poly thread that I use top and bottom when I piece. When I quilt with it, it gives a wonderful textured surface that just blends in beautifully!
Diana
Can you use polyester on top and cotton on the bottom? Or vice versa?
Lori Kennedy
Yes! Any combination will work. Make samples and adjust the tension as necessary.
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