Looking for smooth and finer thread than Connecting Threads Essential Cotton??
 

I've been working on a batik quilt and was using a 70/10 needle but found that it was too small to use with my Connecting Threads essential cotton thread (a ton of lint built up below and my machine started skipping stitches). I realized that the thread is just too thick for the small eye of the needle. So I'm wanting finer thread.

I always hear lots of good comments about the Aurifil thread so I thought I would check that out. But, online I see that the Aurifil thread is the same weight (50) as the Connecting Threads. So, is the Aurifil finer and smoother or not?

I have not used the Connecting Thread cotton thread, but I DO have Aurifil. I like it and Masterpiece for my piecing. I have heard that the CT cotton is very linty. Any cotton is linty! You might look into So Fine also. I have pieced and machine quilted with it with success. Maybe you have a friend who has some you can try out? I don't like to buy a big cone or spool unless I know I like the thread. Once I have tried it, I like the biggest cone of the colors I used most!

Hi Angelina,
I always use Aurifil 50 wt cotton for piecing. It is very smooth and very low lint. One of the reasons it works so well for piecing is that it is a bit thinner and thus you are able to press your seams very accurately. However, I would think a size 10 needle is too small. I use a size 12 for Aurifil. I only use a size 10 when I use Superior's 100 wt silk thread, which is VERY thin. On batiks I use a size 12 sharp needle with aurifil 50 wet, these are also called microtex sharp needles and seem to make a smaller hole in batiks.

Your needle is too small even for Aurafil. I have no problems with the thread from CT. It is a little linty, but not that linty, it is better than coat and clarks as far as lintiness goes. I just recently used a mittler varigated thread in my sewing machine and that is a lot lintier than the thread from CT.

I bought a couple of cones of Presencia 50 wt. thread. It is so fine. The gal who teaches my Craftsy class uses it, so I decided to try it and I love it. Hardly any lint at all. The cones were spendy, but I know they will last a long time. You can buy spools of it. It is very thin thread. My machine loves it and my machine is very, very picky.

The only thread I buy by the cone is Signature cotton machine quilting thread. I just got some online thru Wawak. I never would have heard of it but when I got my Janome 1600P the dealer gave me a cone of it. It is very low lint for cotton thread & I love it.

I, too find CT thread lintier than others. One of my machines gets really linty using it & the other one not as bad. It's still decent thread but I can see that it wouldn't be as fine as you want.

I use Superior Threads "So Fine" 50 wt for all my piecing...at least a 80/12...if not a 90/14. I like the Topstitch needles recommended by Superior as the eye is larger, casuing less drag on the thread, and therefore less lint....

Aurifil is 50 wt 2 ply. CT 50 wt is 3 ply. That is the difference.

You need a 90/14 size needle for 3 ply 50 wt. thread. The CT Pro on the cone is 70wt poly which is great for bobbins and machine quilting. I use topstitch titanium needles from Superior for all my machines. The eyes is longer and makes a big difference. The titanium needles stay sharp almost forever.

Yes, as others have said your needle is too small. Use a Topstitch needle, size 80/12 or 90/14 w/ Connecting Threads Essential thread. Essential thread is linty, so as long as you know that and clean more frequently, it should still work for you. Otherwise you could try threads from Superior. They have choices in poly, cotton, trilobal polyester and silk. Plus they have different weights in those choices as well. They always tell you what size needle to use with their threads.

I'm not sure that your needle is too small - I use a 75 Quilting needle all of the time and have not had any problems using aurfil thread. I'm not sure that a 70 would be that much smaller. However it is true that if you go with a topstitch needle the eye is a little bigger so that may be your solution if you want to use a 70.