I've decided to start a grandmother's flower garden quilt. I'm so excited to get started on it, just waiting anxiously on new fabric! I do a lot of hand appliqué but this will be my first hand pieced project. What kind of thread do you love for hand piecing? I machine piece with Aurifil and I guess I figured I'd use that. Thanks!

I just went to a class at Quilt Market, and the instructor said to use polyester. She said that cotton thread will tear the fabric when the blocks are stitched together. I always use polyester - Isacord and Superior are my favorites.

Aurifil. My first day using it for appliqué now using on my hexagons too. LOVE it. Like rose petals.

Odd man out here...I use whatever is on hand that is a close enough color match.

Experiment a little with paper piecing to make sure you like it. I tried it and found I dislike both the method and the look of my whip stitching. I ended up piecing my GFG with a running stitch, the way Jinny Beyer does it. No papers and no whip stitch to deal with. Paper piecing is not the only way to make a GFG!

My first GFG I did not paper piece, and hand sewed the entire thing drawing the 1/4 inch on the hexi as I went. It went rather quick. I bought one of those 6 inch long and 1/4 inch wide rules and drew the line as I sewed. If I was going to be out of the house, I would draw the line on the ones I was taking. (Once though I accidentally used a blue pen that disappeared after 15 minutes. Not sure how many I did before I realized what I was doing.)

I use silk thread - either kimono brand from Superior threads or YLI silk thread. The Grandmother's Flower Garden I am working on now I am using The Bottom Line polyester thread and it is almost as thin as the silk thread so makes the stitches practically invisible. It is also very nice to work with.

I do lots of English Paper Piecing- love the technique and always have a 'hand project' going. I most often use silk thread when I don't have the silk thread I want I use aurifil- both are nice & smooth for hand work and fine thread that disappears nicely.

I buy the superior bottom line prewound bobbins to carry in my hexie kit. Lots of colors if I need them and it is so thin it disappears in the seam. That said I do not use it for the initial basting, for that I'm using up all my older threads. I also use a small, thinner needle. Right now I am using a milliners 10 or 11.

Thank you for the info friends!!
Dakotamaid - that's lovely, thank you for the pic! :-)