Best thread for invisible machine applique?
 

Invisible machine applique using freezer paper is my favorite applique method. In the past I have always used YLI .004 nylon monofilament. The slight shine to it never bothered me for the kind of quilts I was making, but now I am contemplating a major show type quilt that is going to take a lot of time, and I'm getting picky about thread.

I checked Harriet Hargrave's book online, and she states that she prefers SewArt .004 nylon monofilament because it doesn't have the shine. However, the clear version doesn't seem to be available online anywhere; some glitch in manufacturing with unknown delivery dates.

I've got some .004 invisible polyester thread I want to try out, but have seen comments that it is not as soft (more wiry?) than nylon.

Have also seen that there is a Canadian thread, Invisafil, that comes in colors but is supposed to fade into the fabric and doesn't have a shine.

Anyone have comments on this topic?

I saw a few weeks ago that Superior Threads now has a matte finish mono-poly: http://www.superiorthreads.com/shop/...poly/products/ I have some of their mono-poly that is a bit shiny, and like it, but I think a matte finish would be nice.

I've read that nylon thread can melt easily when ironed. Do you have any problem with it?

Harriet Hargrove has her own web site where you can order it from her. I love it, use it all the time and have never had to mess with changing my tension.

i prefer silk thread for applique- it is so fine/strong and comes in perfect colors to disappear- a light gray on lights, or a darker gray on darks and you never find it-
i read that nylon invisible thread is the one that gets (pokey) and brittle with time- will not hold up to any heat- as in iron or dryer- and is not a thread that should be used for laundered items---but i think there are different opinions just like with everything else-
check out one of the thread company sites (like Superior Threads) which offer free information sheets on the different threads, wts, properties and what needles to use with each one- it is invaluable information when deciding the best for your project

Thank you for the information. I use invisible thread often in my applique and I hate the shine also!!!!!

I love invisible machine applique, I use the heat resistant template instead of freezer paper version, and I love the Sulky polyester invisible thread, works great and finishes great. I am currently using it for my Affairs of The Heart quilt with batiks on chocolate brown background, and even with my bad sewing skills, lol, the stitches are truly invisible :D

I was going to suggest the YLI. Have you tried it in Smoke versus clear to see if there is a difference in shine? I think it may have been in one of Harriet's newsletters recently where she mentioned that her favorite clear thread was no longer available, so she now recommends YLI Wonder.

Cheers, K

I ironed my practice piece and did not have a problem with the YLI melting.

Cheers, K

Thanks, everyone, for the comments. I found this article online that might be of interest:
http://quiltersreview.com/index.php/...t-to-the-test/
The table she links to does show SewArt as being the most invisible, so I'm bummed that it is no longer being manufactured. May have to stick with my YLI. I do have some Sulky on hand, and also some Superior mono-poly, so I think I'll conduct my own comparison test to see if I really might want to change.

Thanks for the info about Superior's matte finish mono-poly! Think I'll order a spool of that and add it to my comparison testing.

Regarding the smoke color, I do have this in YLI also. It's too dark to use on a light colored background, and anyway the shine is very similar to the clear.

There is conflicting information about nylon monofilament versus polyester. Theoretically poly should be better, but I have never had a problem with the YLI monofilament. It has never melted under my hot iron, and Harriet Hargrave swears it has not turned yellow or brittle (and many of her quilts must be quite old by now -- 20 years or so?).

If I did hand applique I would definitely try 100wt silk thread, but it sounds as if it shows up too much to work well for invisible machine applique. At least I haven't found any articles on the net that explain that it works well for that technique.

I'm so glad I started this thread (no pun intended :) ). Have learned a lot!

Edit: Rats!!! Just checked the Superior website and they are out-of-stock of the clear matte-finish polyester.