Question for thread painters...need help, please
 

I am thread painting on a quilt that I had hoped to try to sell, and it is looking terrible! I just cannot get the tension set so that it doesn't come up from underneath. I have tried everything I can think of to correct the problem and I have just given up. I am using a dark thread on the bottom because I thought that would look better on the backing and using various yellows and golds on the top. Do you use matching thread on top and bottom? Do you think that looks okay on the back? Do you thread paint first and then put on the backing? I have one of the fish mostly done, do you have suggestions on making it look better, or should I just try to rip all those stitches out?

Try adding fabric paint. It may disguise stitches so they are notice as much.

Use matching thread on the bottom...also, if your bobbin case has the little thingy to pass the thread through, try that. If not, try a bobbin Genie..I use the Genies on my long arm and love them

The few times I've done it I used Aurifil 50wt colored thread on the top and Mettler 60wt (white) in the bobbin - painted directly on a quilt sandwiched with Warm & Natural batting, my painting was small - but dense. Did not have a problem.

Try the 60wt on a sample sandwich using your batting. It's possible that because it is so thin it just buries itself in the batting.

As for tearing the stitches out of what you already did ... I would say that after you try the 60wt thread on above sample sandwich - tear that out and see how that looks.

I have tried using one color thread in the bobbin and no matter how much adjustments I have made could not get rid of all the show on top then decided to use matching colors in the bobbin and avoided the problem completely.

That's awesome!:thumbup:

I think it looks pretty cool! Hopefully, you've corrected your issues!
Love that fishy!!! :)