Invisible thread ?
01-01-2016, 07:02 PM
#1
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Lumberton, TX
Posts: 121
Invisible thread ?
I'm not even sure where to post this, please bare with me. I am a newbie using a sewing machine. I have a Brother SQ9185. I have only made one quilt (King Size Cathedral Window). I am planning my next quilt which is basically a panel with borders. I have purchased all things needed except thread. I have been researching but so many conflicting facts. I was thinking YIL .004mm 100% Nylon for the top thread. The lady swore by strictly nylon, but others swore completely away from it. Then there is the question if it is going to be strong enough being so thin. I am using a deer scene panel with a 2" orange border, then the rest camo. Therefore, I need the top stitch to be invisible (so to speak).
I also have some glazed cotton hand quilting thread I was going to use for the bobbin but unsure if you can use that on a machine being it is glazed. I am feeling very overwhelmed because I want so badly to be able to create this for my son (whom asked for it & helped plan). I am blind as a bat (20/100 uncorrectable) which is already going to make things even harder. I refuse to let that get in the way, lol. Any advice or direction anyone can give would be truly appreciated!
I also have some glazed cotton hand quilting thread I was going to use for the bobbin but unsure if you can use that on a machine being it is glazed. I am feeling very overwhelmed because I want so badly to be able to create this for my son (whom asked for it & helped plan). I am blind as a bat (20/100 uncorrectable) which is already going to make things even harder. I refuse to let that get in the way, lol. Any advice or direction anyone can give would be truly appreciated!
01-01-2016, 07:18 PM
#2
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Join Date: May 2011
Location: Pacific NW
Posts: 9,383
PLEASE do NOT use the glazed thread in your machine, it will gum it up and cause you all kinds of problems! It is designed for hand quilting only.
Nylon thread is rather an old-fashioned concept; I would recommend monofilament poly instead. Superior has a very good product called Monopoly (pronounced like two words - mono+poly, not like the board game). Unlike nylon, it is heat resistant.
The problem you will run in to with invisible thread is it's rather tricky to sew with. You have to set it up in your machine in such a way to prevent twisting as it comes off the spool or cone, and the tension needs to be loosened a lot.
If you're a beginner, definitely practice sewing with the monopoly before using it on your project. You may decide that it's easier to use a 60 weight brownish thread in the panel, then switch to orange for your borders, then pick a khaki to blend with the camo fabric.
Good luck!
Nylon thread is rather an old-fashioned concept; I would recommend monofilament poly instead. Superior has a very good product called Monopoly (pronounced like two words - mono+poly, not like the board game). Unlike nylon, it is heat resistant.
The problem you will run in to with invisible thread is it's rather tricky to sew with. You have to set it up in your machine in such a way to prevent twisting as it comes off the spool or cone, and the tension needs to be loosened a lot.
If you're a beginner, definitely practice sewing with the monopoly before using it on your project. You may decide that it's easier to use a 60 weight brownish thread in the panel, then switch to orange for your borders, then pick a khaki to blend with the camo fabric.
Good luck!
01-01-2016, 07:47 PM
#3
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Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Western Wisconsin
Posts: 12,930
I have used YLI nylon monofilament thread successfully in both top and bobbin for machine quilting. I read a lot about polyester thread being better, so I bought Superior Threads' Monopoly to try out.
I found the Monopoly to be less invisible than the YLI nylon; it seems to be a little thicker and it also seems to catch the light more. Regarding heat resistance, I put my Rowenta iron on its hottest setting and ironed both threads with as much intense heat as I could. Neither one melted or showed any signs of damage. I have read that nylon thread can yellow and become brittle over time, which I gather to be somewhere in the neighborhood of 12+ years, but I think that is only if exposed to light. I had a small quilt in a closet for over 10 years (honestly, I forgot about it) and there was no change at all in the YLI nylon thread it had been quilted with. I think some of the warnings about nylon thread are for older quality nylon and/or brands other than YLI and SewArt (the only two brands I would use for nylon monofilament).
There are tricks to using monofilament thread successfully. If you are going to use it as the top thread only, the biggest things to know are that you need to use a good quality thread net on the cone, you need to set the cone in a jar behind your machine and feed it to your spool pin from there, and you must reduce the upper tension -- usually at least 2 numbers. This is because nylon thread stretches if it is under too much tension. On some machines you might need to tape a safety pin to the top left of the machine as an additional thread guide; my machine doesn't need that, however. There are additional tips if you are going to use it in the bobbin too, but if you are using regular cotton thread in the bobbin you don't need those tips.
You ***must not*** use glazed thread in your machine, top or bobbin! It is meant for hand sewing only and can damage your machine, requiring a trip to the sewing machine doctor for repair (at a cost much greater than a spool of thread!).
Edit: Unless the quilt is largely light-colored, you will probably want the "smoke" version of YLI. It shows up less on medium and dark fabrics than the transparent version that we usually think of as invisible.
I just noticed your comment about your vision. Be aware that nylon monofilament is very difficult to see while you are quilting. You will probably want to plan out your quilting ahead of time. A meander would be the most difficult simply because you cannot easily see where you have been! If you want to do a meander, I would recommend marking it before starting to quilt (old white soap slivers work well for this, as the marking does not have to be precise -- it would just give you some guidelines to follow). Depending on the quilt, you might also have the option of quilting wavy lines -- very easy, especially if you have a walking foot; you just move the quilt from side to side as you sew and do not try to be exact.
I found the Monopoly to be less invisible than the YLI nylon; it seems to be a little thicker and it also seems to catch the light more. Regarding heat resistance, I put my Rowenta iron on its hottest setting and ironed both threads with as much intense heat as I could. Neither one melted or showed any signs of damage. I have read that nylon thread can yellow and become brittle over time, which I gather to be somewhere in the neighborhood of 12+ years, but I think that is only if exposed to light. I had a small quilt in a closet for over 10 years (honestly, I forgot about it) and there was no change at all in the YLI nylon thread it had been quilted with. I think some of the warnings about nylon thread are for older quality nylon and/or brands other than YLI and SewArt (the only two brands I would use for nylon monofilament).
There are tricks to using monofilament thread successfully. If you are going to use it as the top thread only, the biggest things to know are that you need to use a good quality thread net on the cone, you need to set the cone in a jar behind your machine and feed it to your spool pin from there, and you must reduce the upper tension -- usually at least 2 numbers. This is because nylon thread stretches if it is under too much tension. On some machines you might need to tape a safety pin to the top left of the machine as an additional thread guide; my machine doesn't need that, however. There are additional tips if you are going to use it in the bobbin too, but if you are using regular cotton thread in the bobbin you don't need those tips.
You ***must not*** use glazed thread in your machine, top or bobbin! It is meant for hand sewing only and can damage your machine, requiring a trip to the sewing machine doctor for repair (at a cost much greater than a spool of thread!).
Edit: Unless the quilt is largely light-colored, you will probably want the "smoke" version of YLI. It shows up less on medium and dark fabrics than the transparent version that we usually think of as invisible.
I just noticed your comment about your vision. Be aware that nylon monofilament is very difficult to see while you are quilting. You will probably want to plan out your quilting ahead of time. A meander would be the most difficult simply because you cannot easily see where you have been! If you want to do a meander, I would recommend marking it before starting to quilt (old white soap slivers work well for this, as the marking does not have to be precise -- it would just give you some guidelines to follow). Depending on the quilt, you might also have the option of quilting wavy lines -- very easy, especially if you have a walking foot; you just move the quilt from side to side as you sew and do not try to be exact.
Last edited by Prism99; 01-01-2016 at 07:57 PM.
01-02-2016, 01:23 AM
#4
Super Member
Join Date: May 2012
Location: The Granite City, Scotland
Posts: 1,635
I understand why you want your thread to be 'invisible', but for me, part of the charm of a piece is that it is quilted, ergo - thread is used to create the effect, not 'magic' (invisible), lol. Sometimes to dramatic effect, sometimes very subtle.
As others have said, invisible thread is very hard to see and whilst I admire your determination not to be beaten, it's not something that I would recommend for any novice quilter, particularly on a quilt that is clearly important to you. I don't want to come across as defeatist, but if you have to unpick, it is an absolute nightmare (ask me how I know).
There are several alternative solutions:
- a neutral coloured thread based on the main background colour e.g. off white, beige, khaki etc.
- Superior Threads King Tut variegated has a colour change every 1" so blends well imho.
- outlining the deer and main features if possible, rather than quilting across the picture
Good luck whatever you decide and I'd love to see a picture when it's finished
As others have said, invisible thread is very hard to see and whilst I admire your determination not to be beaten, it's not something that I would recommend for any novice quilter, particularly on a quilt that is clearly important to you. I don't want to come across as defeatist, but if you have to unpick, it is an absolute nightmare (ask me how I know).
There are several alternative solutions:
- a neutral coloured thread based on the main background colour e.g. off white, beige, khaki etc.
- Superior Threads King Tut variegated has a colour change every 1" so blends well imho.
- outlining the deer and main features if possible, rather than quilting across the picture
Good luck whatever you decide and I'd love to see a picture when it's finished
01-02-2016, 02:47 AM
#5
Member
Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 61
I used the yli invisible thread for a Christmas panel and it was the first time I ever used invisible thread. I was terrified by the horror stories I read. It was a piece of cake. Thread didn't break once and I just went slowly. I outlined the figures in the panel (also my first time) and did SITD in the border. Machine is a janome 8900 and needle was 80/10. I used king tut 40 in the bobbin. I colored the end of the invisible thread with black magic marker so I could find it to thread the needle. Lowered the upper tension to 2.5 on my machine.
01-02-2016, 05:22 AM
#6
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Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Southern California
Posts: 19,131
I still don't like the feel of monofilament thread. I worry about it being stronger than the cotton. I am a thread matcher changing the top thread to match what ever I am quilting on a panel. Usually, I will outline an animal or trees.
01-02-2016, 07:09 AM
#7
Super Member
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Southern California
Posts: 6,254
I agree with the topic of nylon being criticized as an outdated topic. People used to say not to use poly either. However all thread have changed over the years and improved drastically and people who have had bad experiences with older thread continue these myths about thread. High quality brand you should be okay. I would get a sample of both the nylon and monopoly and see which you like better and works better in your machine. I have use both monopoly in top and bobbin successfully. Many also like to use superiors bottomline in the bobbin with the monopoly so you might want to try that. As for invisible thread most of my instructors on craftsy either use the YLI or superiors Monopoly in their quilts all the time for SITD with no issues. those are the 2 brands most highly recommended.
01-02-2016, 09:03 AM
#8
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Lumberton, TX
Posts: 121
Thanks so much to you all!!!! It is truly appreciated! I will wait until my fabric arrives and then make a final decision. All of you have been extremely helpful (feeling less overwhelmed on decision making).
01-02-2016, 10:41 AM
#9
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Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Lumberton, TX
Posts: 121
Thank you so much! I admit I am second guessing the "invisible" due to my vision. I would be absolutely heart broken if I seriously messed this up. A friend of mind had also mentioned the variegated. Son wants straight lines every 4" (which is also what batting calls for) so I'm thinking variegated would be ok as far as blending in. I had also thought about marking my lines on the fabric to help me see where I am going, lol. Others have reaffirmed what I had thought about using what I was going to in the bobbin. At least I was right about a few things, lol. Not comfortable attempting a Queen on my machine so I am going to look into "quilting as I go". Will do the panel part first then add the borders. I believe I will be able to maneuver things better this way. I will just have to make sure I line up my quilting lines. Thanks again for your advice and listening.
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