I actually like the shininess -- which is why the teachers (Patti Thompson & Cindy Needham are two, but there are many more) recommend using only poly or rayon thread -- although Patti also says silk is good for microquilting fillers. They were both adamant that cotton thread would not look good & that only synthetics should be used.
I know it's not a question of going through my machine. I FMQ with Aurifil all the time on my baby quilts & have zero issues with it. And my favorite quilter, Heather Thomas, only uses natural fibers -- primarily cotton -- but she does a lot of piecing & applique & couching & whatnot, so the quilting plays a supporting role rather than being the star of the design. So I know I can FMQ with cotton thread, but am now worried it will look terrible as a wholecloth design on a Queen-sized quilt. I have some poly thread for clothing/home dec construction so maybe I just need to quilt up a couple samples & see how things go.
I'm really hoping to quilt this on my DSM. I could hand quilt, but kinda would like to actually have new bedding sometime within the next 2-3 years & I'm a super slow hand quilter. I have a horrible poly comforter right now & almost never use it except as a dust cover during the daytime. I sleep with cotton sheets & a wool blanket & couldn't be happier if I had a lovely wool quilt, too.
