I am looking for a good thread to us for my Applique'. I have been using Sulky silk but I am finding it hard to work with and it seems to show on my pieces. Any help with my problem would be great. :lol:
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Are you talking about hand applique? I use 60 wt Metler's cotton machine embroidery thread.
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I use any silk thread that matches the applique piece (not the background) and I've gotten pretty good. It takes a little practice on the stiching to make it less and less visible.
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Bottom line worls well for me, I buy the pre wound bobins
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Bottom line worls well for me, I buy the pre wound bobins
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Yes hand Applique' I have been using Sulky and I don't like the finish I get from it. I have a few Mettler 50wt maybe I will try this. Thanks for your help. :)
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I use DMC cotton embroidery floss, have for over 30 years. I can match my color closely, it's washable, and goes a long way. (One strand) I find it doesn't knot, glides smoothly through the fabric.
Only suggestion is to prewash the dark colors, they can bleed. I usually soak the whole hank in the sink with a little soap, rinse and let dry. |
medots, does bottom line have a variety of colors?
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yes, and also available is the bobbin holder with all different colors of Masterpiece thread from Superior Threads. I love the Kimo (sp:) silk, just disappears into the fabric.
Aurfil is good also, on the expense side, I used it before discovering the silk thread. Had 2 friends we would buy the collections and wind bobbins and split the cost.
Originally Posted by lynnie k
medots, does bottom line have a variety of colors?
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Originally Posted by lynnie k
Yes hand Applique' I have been using Sulky and I don't like the finish I get from it. I have a few Mettler 50wt maybe I will try this. Thanks for your help. :)
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DMC silk.
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TIRE silk thread, 100 wt.
It just melts in and disappears. Hides a multitude of stitching errors. ;-) |
Aurifil.
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YLI silk for needle turn.
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I use 60 wt Mettler and the frosted donut which is Superior Masterpiece thread in 36 different colors, very fine nice thread.
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Originally Posted by ontheriver
YLI silk for needle turn.
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I'm using Bottom Line by Superior Threads - You can buy bobbin assortments of the different colors, but I mostly use a light and medium grey and a light and medium taupe - those four colors almost disappear in nearly all the fabrics I'm using in one quilt top.
The other quilt top I'm doing is a little more exacting, and I'm using a rose pink, a brick red, a leaf green and a hunter green for those pieces. They're invisible. I had tried Masterpiece, Mettler, YLI 100 silk, clear nylon and smoke nylon - if they weren't invisible, they shredded or snarled easily or kept falling out of the needle. The Bottom Line threads handle a lot easier. If you're already using a very fine matching thread, maybe you're just not bringing your needle up close enough to the fold? I don't know how experienced you are, so I just mention that as a possibility. I wasn't doing that at first, either and the stitches were showing more than I wanted them to. I think it just takes practice. I asked the ladies at the quilt store if they thought I was doing okay with the stitch size and the owner laughed and said, "Okay!? They're microscopic, are you kidding!?" That made me happy because, not knowing what I'm doing, I was afraid I was stitching too big. So maybe you just need to catch a couple fewer threads when you come back up to the top? Good luck - hope it's lots of fun for you! :) |
I use YLI silk thread, but it's very much a personal choice. You probably want to try several types of thread until you find out what you like, and even then it may change with each project.
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For hand applique - YLI 100 silk to match the applique pieces. The YLI 50 is too heavy. Once in awhile I will use a 60/2 ply. Still haven't tried Superior's thread.
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I have only used Gutermann thread. I have very good result with it. I do make very tiny stitches. I would like to try silk thread sometime, as I have heard good things about it. My advice would be to match your thread to the piece you are appliquing down, not the background fabric. Make tiny stitches, using a milliners' or straw needle. Get as close to the fold as you possibly can. With just a little practice, you will be stitching like a pro!
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Originally Posted by gal288
I use DMC cotton embroidery floss, have for over 30 years. I can match my color closely, it's washable, and goes a long way. (One strand) I find it doesn't knot, glides smoothly through the fabric.
Only suggestion is to prewash the dark colors, they can bleed. I usually soak the whole hank in the sink with a little soap, rinse and let dry. |
At a quilt show here in the UK recently, I discovered Wonderfil threads, a Canadian company, that has just started to distribute here. I bought a sample pack to try and am very impressed. They do Invisifil which is a gassed poly 100 wt - I've tried it as bobbin fill and for machine applique and it's great. Up until now I've been a Superior Threads girl but I may just change allegiance... they have all kinds of wonderful decorative threads too, in mouth watering colours - check them out, I'm sure they're available in the US... http://www.wonderfilonline.com/
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Are you using a straw needle when you applique? I find I do a better job with a very fine needle, regardless of type of thread.
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Originally Posted by k3n
in mouth watering colours - check them out, I'm sure they're available in the US... http://www.wonderfilonline.com/
I've got this massive machine applique project in front of me and I keep putting it off. When you used the Invisafil in the bobbin, what were you using on top? A heavier weight cotton? Did you match the bobbin color to the top color or use a neutral? Although I see there isn't a huge color selection for that particular thread. Thanks for the information. |
I use YLI 100 wt thread in neutral colors. I use a sort of khaki color for most things, white on white fabric, and off white for everything else. I've been using Thread Heaven and haven't had trouble with it fraying or making knots since then. It's a little hard to get used to since sewing with it is like sewing with a strand of hair, but after the quilt is washed, the stitches are totally invisible. I've found it a little hard to find around here and I've asked the local quilt shop multiple times to stock it, but they won't. The other day I found a website that has big spools of it, roserushbrooke.com, and I was pleased with their service. Connecting Threads also has it.
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Superior Kimono Silk thread - works beautifully.
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Originally Posted by farmer623
The other day I found a website that has big spools of it, roserushbrooke.com, and I was pleased with their service. Connecting Threads also has it.
Thanks for the information. :thumbup: |
Originally Posted by lynnie k
I am looking for a good thread to us for my Applique'. I have been using Sulky silk but I am finding it hard to work with and it seems to show on my pieces. Any help with my problem would be great. :lol:
I have tried Sulky silk thread don't care for it. |
YLI silk is wonderful, but you do need to knot at the needle or it will slip out easily. I use a neutral and it doesn't show. Also, be sure to use very small stitches. Good luck
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YLI silk: I just like working with it!
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So far, I really like using 100 wt YLI silk thread. I have also used Superior Threads Frosted donut (good assortment of colors). Haven't tried their Kimono line yet.
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I use YLI but my favorite is the Kimona Japanese brand but it is hard to find. Only a few shops carry it and it is no mor exspensive than YLI.
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Originally Posted by JCquilts
Are you talking about hand applique? I use 60 wt Metler's cotton machine embroidery thread.
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Thanks for all the help. I have a box full of different brands and I haven't found anything yet that I like.I will try others that you all have suggested and see if I can find something I like. This board is great for information. Thanks all.:)
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2 Attachment(s)
Originally Posted by MTS
Originally Posted by k3n
in mouth watering colours - check them out, I'm sure they're available in the US... http://www.wonderfilonline.com/
I've got this massive machine applique project in front of me and I keep putting it off. When you used the Invisafil in the bobbin, what were you using on top? A heavier weight cotton? Did you match the bobbin color to the top color or use a neutral? Although I see there isn't a huge color selection for that particular thread. Thanks for the information. Threads [ATTACH=CONFIG]202563[/ATTACH] Details on back of box [ATTACH=CONFIG]202577[/ATTACH] |
This is a great post. I had no idea about what thread to use for applique. I have done very little of it, mostly just playing around with it. I do love hand stitching. Thanks for all the information.
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I use YLI silk thread for hand applique. Colors don't have to match perfectly as the thread seems to disappear.
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a staw needle. That is a new term for me. What do I look for and where do I look to find them?
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I love using silk thread for hand applique!
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Originally Posted by cactusmomma
a staw needle. That is a new term for me. What do I look for and where do I look to find them?
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