Prism99

Just want to mention that Mettler cotton thread is not silk wrapped. It is silk "finish", which simply means that they polish the cotton.

Knitette

This is a common misconception. As you say, it's the finish - the thread is 100% cotton. Incredibly, I actually heard one of the assistants in my LQS say it was 'finished with silk'. I did (politely) correct her - she was astounded and had been telling this to customers for years..........

newbee3

many people believe poly will cut the fabric well that is not true. I use poly thread for piecing and use cotton for longarm quilting I have used poly for quilting also use what you want and what works for you there are no quilting police

Im2Aud

Thanks for all the input. Have been testing different needles, thread and tension combinations to see what my machine likes. I have a 20+ year-old Kenmore right now. So far it seems to like the polyester the best. Both top and bottom stitches seem more consistent. Who would have ever thought I'd be studying stitches under a magnifying glass! Thought I'd get a spool of a few different kinds, both poly and cotton and see what happens. The best thing I'm learning so far is that it doesn't seem to matter much. Just do what you like, which suits me just fine. I've always tended to be a rule breaker anyway! Thanks for all the brand suggestions.