This came from a recent Superior Threads newsletter:
When hand appliqueing or hand quilting, there is a school of thought that says you pull the thread off of a spool and knot the end you cut while others say you pull the thread off of a spool and knot the end you pull. The notion is that there is a twist to thread and pulling it one way through fabric is better than the other and pulling it the wrong way ends up causing problems. So, what’s the answer?
Answer: It will matter if you use a low quality, loosely twisted, budget thread. If you use a high quality thread with a tight, consistent twist (such as So Fine, Bottom Line, MasterPiece, or Kimono Silk) for hand applique or King Tut and Treasure for hand quilting, the twist is so smooth, precise and consistent, the direction does not matter