My Favorite Threads for Machine Quilting

31 responses to “My Favorite Threads for Machine Quilting”

1. Since taking a class with Lori at the JCCFS I could open my very own thread shop…thank you Lori for helping out with that issue I am pretty well covered.

2. I am a fan of King Tut for variegated thread and Masterpiece for solid colors. Both of them are Superior Threads products. I like to sew and quilt with the Masterpiece and I use both products in cones on my longarm. I have a LARGE assortment of variegated threads in spools for my small projects including YLI and Sulky brands that I use on my domestic machines.

3. My favorite thread for quilting is Omni by Superior. I have also used King Tut and on occasion So Fine 50 wt. I usually use 60 wt Bottom Line (Superior) in the bobbin. I like to piece with 50 wt Aurifil or 50 wt So Fine (Superior). All of these do a great job for me.

4. I have a Handiquilter Sweet 16. It does okay with Aurifil most of the time. But for quilting my HQ likes Glide by Filtec the best. It’s a rayon thread that comes in cones. It’s less expensive than other brands I use. It just seems to work better without any hassles. I also love Wonderfil threads but I use them mostly for piecing and applique.

5. I used to love Aurifil but on the last year, I have bought spools where the thread snapped with a small tug, where the thread was cut multiple times throughout the spool, sometimes losing a 1/4 of the thread because of this. I don’t know why. Maybe they’ve changed manufacturers. But I’m afraid to buy aurifil anymore.

   1. I, too, have have had the very same problem! The thread breaks with the slightest tug….

6. Can you please post a quilt you have quilted with different threads and colors to inspire us? Thank you/

7. Hi Lori,
   I always use cotton threads only, also variegated ones for quilts I will wash/regularly use. The reason is that it is softer than polyester thread. Polyester is quite “sharp” and is cutting the fabric after many washing’s / years. Polyester is great on wall hanging and decorative objects. I’m using often ISACORD and my old sewing machine and I love it.
   Thank you for sharing your tremendous knowledge with us.

8. Before taking this class, I had only purchased thread on sale at Joann’s. The thread I used for most of the samples gave pretty good results, but when I chose a different color, it was disastrous. The machine was clean, I tried every needle Lori mentioned, but the thread kept breaking. So I did some reading about threads and purchased a twelve spool 50 wt. collection from Aurifil. Finally, problem solved!! Since then I’ve built up my color choices with three more 12-spool collections. I plan to buy some heavier weight thread and build up a small color palette, and then I’m going to throw out or donate all the cheap thread in my stash. I am now a thread snob too, and PROUD OF IT!

9. Good idea, Cathy, I would love to see the different threads in a sampler!

10. Lori, I think I am the only quilter that has had bad luck with Aurifil. My machine does not like it and it repeatedly breaks. Isn’t that interesting? When Craftsy still existed, I bought thread from them and I have never had any breakage. Now that they don’t sell anymore, I will need to find an alternative but it won’t be Aurifil!

    1. My machine (Janome Skyline) doesn’t like Aurifil at all. The bobbin case would pack with lint. I found Genziana thread at the local quilt store and it works beautifully as does the Craftsy Pima thread. Just my luck that the quilt store now only sells Aurifil and Sulky variegated in cotton,( the Sulky is good), and there is no more Craftsy. Other stores only have Coats or Gutterman.

    2. Craftsy is coming back!

11. I also like Glide thread for my Handiquilter Sweet 16. I like both the 40 & the 60 weight. I do use several Superior threads as well as Aurifil depending on the look I want and the purpose of the quilt.

12. I stopped buying rayon thread years ago after hearing a thread manufacturer speak. He said that his company decided not to produce rayon thread due to the environmental impact of manufacturing rayon. Thoughts?

    1. I have heard Bob from Superior Threads say that. To be honest, I don’t have enough information to have an educated opinion.

    2. Hmmm, Polyester thread would have an impact on the environment also as it is a true synthetic fiber more that rayon which is cellulose.

    3. I don’t use rayon anymore because it’s not colorfast. I’ve had it run onto the fabric after getting it wet and also had it fade if exposed to sun or light after a long period of time. For that reason alone, I no longer use it. I’d rather use a high quality trilobal polyester for the high sheen look (Magnifico, Fantastico, Glide)

    4. Well, sad to say we should all stop quilting if we truely want to consider the environment. It broke my heart to hear from an environmental documantary that we should stop buying so many cotton shirts because cotton is a really bad plant to grow as far as the environment is concerned. It requires to much water to grow and a lot of effort for processing…the details I do not remember. And since us quilters use 100% cotton…

13. I don’t have heavy weight threads… Yet. Depending upon the project I normally quilt with either Aurifil or my fave, 100 wt silk threads (I have quite a collection of these!) I normally quilt with a pale blue or gray thread because these colors add a bit of definition to the quilting without taking away from the quilt itself. Were I to make the quilting the focus of my quilts I’d definitely begin searching for a heavier weight thread

14. Years ago I took a class with Sue Nickels that focused on threads. We made a quilt sandwich and divided it into 9 sections. Then we used a different thread in each section, quilting using the same simple stenciled Lines. The threads were the same color so we could compare. We changed needle size as needed. I wrote the thread type and weight and needle size in each section. It is a fabulous sample to compare threads. One of the best classes I’ve ever taken.

    1. That sounds like a great addition to Lori’s thread sampler!

    2. That Sue Nickels sampler sounds like a great idea. I attended a local Aurifil seminar and we received a sample of all the different weights to try. I have yet to make my sampler! I have used Aurifil for piecing and quilting on my domestic. When renting a longarm, the shop used the Innovatech thread and it worked well. I have just started to branch out trying some 60 wt. thread for piecing and monofil for some applique.

15. For tiny, dense quilting, I like eitherYLI or Superior 100 wt. silk. For ditch quilting, I prefer WonderFil’s Invisifil 100 wt. thread. I usually use Superior Bottom Line in my bobbin. I generally buy it in only neutral colors, and it is fine enough to blend into quilt backing. When I make quilts for babies or children, I only use cotton thread, because it burns rather than melts. My thread collection is beginning to rival my fabric stash!

16. I was told to always use Cotton thread when quilting cotton fabric. Is this a good rule to follow or does it even matter?

17. Love King Tut for quilting, but also have used Aurifil 50wt, Isacord embroidery, Bottom Line (on top and in the bobbin), and MasterPiece (top and bobbin). With Bernina’s new red bobbin case I can use King Tut in the bobbin again. While it runs out quickly (in the bobbin) I do like having the same weight in both places.

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19. I loved this lesson. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge. Threads are just another part of quilting that we all need to learn more about and ‘try’ to understand..says someone who likes numbers but hates math! I am really enjoying the lessons and yes, it may take me 25 years instead of weeks but I will keep trying. Thanks so very much for all that you share and do for all of us ‘out here’!! <3

20. I use Threadart thread in the top and bobbin. (Threadart.com). It’s inexpensive polyester, has a nice sheen and doesn’t break the way nylon thread does. Sometimes the spool catches when I’m machine quilting making a nest. I get around that by winding thread off the spool onto a bobbin for the top. Sounds like a pain but the thread is so inexpensive it’s well worth the trouble. It comes in 60 + colors.

21. Lori, when you use rayon thread, do you also put it on the bobbin? I recently was told by a quilter I respect never to use it on the bobbin–that it is too slippery and my quilting won’t last. What is your take on this?

    1. I agree. I never use Rayon thread in the bobbin.