something new

Hi, I'm new here, and i have a question about decorative threads. I am making my first quilt and I have never been one to wade in the shallows; I jump off the deep end. I wanted an embellished quilt like a crazy quilt, but I want it to be cuddly, so no beads or buttons, just embroidery along the seams. My quilt top was made with the "shuffle the deck" technique, and I have used cotton floss for the first few seams. But now I am wondering if cotton floss is too "soft", will it be able to take wear and washing? What would you ladies recommend? I have searched through some of the older posts, and I notice some of you advise using pearl cotton to quilt with: would this be too thick for working with just the top? I will try to figure out how to post pictures so you can see it. Thanks for your help!

juneayerza

I'm not sure if I am answering correctly, but I use the decorative stitches from my machine with regular thread.

something new

Thanks for the prompt reply, but I forgot to mention that I want to do this by hand. I hand-pieced the entire top, and i intend to hand quilt it. I know the machine stitches would be easier, (and as my friends keep telling me, much faster).

something new

I have pictures!

Prism99

Cotton thread wears well. Perle cotton is a thicker version of cotton thread. I think it would be much more difficult to use for decorative stitching because it is harder to pull through the fabric.

Jackie Spencer

I love to make Crazy Quilts, and I do it all by hand also. I always use DMC cotton floss. If you want a delicate look, use 1 or 2 strands, if you want a heavier or bolder look, use 3 strands. Using varigated DMC floss will give it texture. Have fun and enjoy.

humbird

I have used embroidery floss (DMC) to quilt with and I think it works very well. The quilts aren't old yet, so not sure how it will wear, but I do have "old" linens that have been washed a few hundred times and the embroidery is still good. I like to use it. I like your quilt top. Enjoy!

Doggramma

Your quilt is so pretty! I've used embroidery floss to tie quilts that were washed a lot. The floss has held up.

yngldy

I haven't used it but Aurifil, Madera, maybe Superior (as well as most thread companies) show threads much lower than 50 wt, like 12wt, etc., are used for machine applique. I think you would be able to use it on a hand done project. The lower the number of the thread wt, the thicker the thread. Go to your LQS, or a quilt show and ask them to show you the different threads. From the pictures, most of them come on a spool, just like regular thread. Post pictures when done. Love what you've done so far.

Pennyhal

Most of the crazy quilts that I'm familar with are made for show, not as a blanket. I've seen some with just decorative stitching on fancy fabric (velveteen, silk, etc.). I did add a very small amount of hand embroidery on one of my quilts using perle cotton. I find that anything that adds to the surface of a quilt other than plain quilting feels scratchy on my skin. The decoration sort of lays on top of the fabric making it rough instead of smooth.