Does thread really matter?
 

Don't kill me...its a real question. I've been buying Coats & Clarke on the big spools. Seems to work fine but all the Bloggers seem to love Aurafil. I don't know if they are getting compensated so...yeah. I'm about to try machine quilting my own work instead of sending it out. (I'm not made of money which is why I want to start finishing the process as well as starting!) Anyone who has thoughts on brand, fiber etc. Please advise...

If you quilt/sew for yourself, use what works for you.

Before I knew I was "supposed" to use a "better" thread, I was using Maxi-Lock because it was $1 and a huge cone of it and Coats and Clark machine quilting thread, and those first quilts have never had stitches break. I can't snap a piece of Maxi-Lock by pulling on it.

When I bought my first cones and spools of Aurifil and tried machine quilting with it, I was constantly breaking thread and couldn't figure out why. Turns out it's great for piecing because it's a 50wt 2ply thread so it's very very thin. So much thinner than the Coats and Maxi that it's crazy easy for me to snap a piece of Aurifil by tugging it. I hear quilting stitches snap when I tuck my kids into bed in the more recent quilts that have been quilted with it.

The Coats machine quilting thread I have is 30wt. No idea what the Maxi-Lock is since it's marked as an all-purpose thread and I know many use it for serging. The lower the number for weight, the thicker the thread. But the number of plies for the thread varies as well. So I think many like Aurifil because it's thinner so you don't lose as much fabric to your seam allowance. I don't use it for actual machine quilting anymore because it's just ugh. I know many people love it too because it lints less and yes, when I look at a strand of it, there are less fuzzies than when I look at a different brand. But I use ConnectingThreads essential cotton too because while it's also a 50wt, it's a 3ply, and much cheaper! I've gone back to using Maxi for quilting if it's the right color, Connecting Threads for quilting or piecing, and basically whatever I have that I want to use up.

Aurifil for quilting - I go much slower when I quilt with it so there isn't as much breakage during the quilting. I still don't like hearing stitches snap when the quilt is being used so when I finish these cones, I'm unlikely to purchase more. My kids are 2 and 4, so we're rough on quilts. Your mileage may vary :) Use what you want and what you can live with.

Again it comes to preference. Because most of my quilts get high usage as utility or bed quilts I usually will use a stronger thread when quilting. I am not to concerned with the thread for my own piecing either. When making a block or quilt for someone else I try to use a stronger thread . I don't make quilts for others outside family very often. When I do I prefer Glide threads. They can be a bit more costly but IMHO worth the extra.

I use everything that I like and works for me. A lot of coats and clark, and yes, serger thread for FMQ which I like a lot. I can't break it if I try and it looks good on the quilts I use it for. To me they are all linty anyway, so I just keep my machine clean. I have aurifil, wonderfil, glide, YLI on a cone, Isacord, Superior threads, a lot of different brands. They all work in my machine so I use them. I don't use polyester for piecing just because it is more slippery at the ends and I am not good about leaders/enders. None of my quilts have fallen apart, had broken stitches, etc. even the ones the grands have used and have been washed a zillion times. I went to a presentation a while back by a YLI representative and he did a demo with everyone thinking cotton was the strongest, but, it wasn't and he said just use the thread you like if it works in your machine. Seems good to me.

I have tried all brands of threads and I don’t find a lot of difference. So far, my quilts seem to stay all sewn together. Some threads seem to make more lint and I have stopped ordering those.

I have used good old Coats Dual Duty for both piecing and quilting for most of the last 40 years. No problems.

Started using more threads when I started using my friend's long arm. We needed a lighter weight for the bobbin, got long fiber threads etc. for the top.

When my friend gave me the Bernina, she said it was fussy about thread which is one of the reasons she got a different Bernina, she does a lot of fancy stuff and purses and things and I just use cotton. She suggested Aurifil which is great stuff. I have also used some of my old Dual Duty and it seems to produce lint in the modern machine that was never there in my vintage machine.

I suspect most of these bloggers are using the aurifil for piecing, not for quilting. I would not use aurifil for quilting but I love it for piecing in the top and I use So Fine in the bobbin. I like using lots of different types of threads for quilting, depending on the look I am going for. My thread addiction is just as bad as my fabric addiction but I quilt on a LA and I always treat the quilting as another design element on the quilt, not just something to hold the layers together so I suspect I am fussier about thread than most. It is not uncommon for me to use 3 or 4 different types and brands of thread on a single quilt. I may use a monofilament to do all the ditchwork, a 40 wt poly for the motif quilting and a 100 wt to do background fills or areas where I really don't want the thread to show but just the texture all of this with yet a different thread in the bobbin (usually a 60 wt poly). In addition to the different thread types I will also use multiple colors.
I highly recommend Diane Gaudynski's book "Guide to Machine Quilting". She explains how different threads will give you different looks with lots of close up pics. You can pick it up used on Amazon for less than $6 plus shipping. Definitely worth it.

The quilts that I made 20 years ago using the "old" Coats & Clark Dual Duty thread - and are our couch quilts - have held up fine. My blocks are/were the expected size, also.

If you compare the yardage on a spool of Coats and Clark you may find you are spending much more then a spool of the better cotton thread. Coats is made by spinning together lengths of thread pieces from short staple cotton, the cheapest cotton. Look closely at C&C and you will see slubs especially where the ends join. That can cause all matter of tension and stitching problems. Long staple Egyptian cotton is the best and the best manufactured is all one length like Aurifil (Mako) and Superior Masterpiece. There is a legit reason why some thread cost more then others to manufacture for quality. C&C cotton works great in the older vintage machines as that was how thread was made then. Not so much the best for the newer inside threading machines that most have auto tension and other settings.

Thread! Yikes, through the years I feel I have been told a lot of stories about thread. I even had an instructor tell us if we are sewing on cotton, we must use cotton thread, poly thread on poly fabric, etc. I think that's all baloney. I used Coats and Clarks for years and had no problems. I only shied away from it when I was "informed" that the thread was inferior. I would stay away from cheaply priced thread that is thrown into a bin at a store. None of my machines are fussy about what thread I use so I have a hard time getting behind purchasing expensive thread especially when the less expensive brands have stood the test of time. My girlfriend uses the large cones of Coats and Clarks for her free motion work and she swears by that brand. So once again, it's an issue that will continue to be visited again and again.

"Don't kill me...it's a real question". :D That cracked me up.

Some of the big bloggers, yes, are being sponsored , so you are right in assuming an apparent bias. That being said,
I have bought Aurifil and preferred it over CT or C&C, but for the price it's not my go-to piecing thread. CT thread is
what my daughter bought me in 12 colors of the rainbow, so I use it for piecing and probably will "till the cows come home" since it's there. :) It's a bit lintier, but I enjoy cleaning out lint (I know I'm weird--I enjoy cleaning out the lint trap every load from the dryer, too, and using a lint roller on clothes.)

I'd say if it's working for you, why change? But do give yourself permission to try a spool of Aurifil, Superior, or Glide and see if it makes a noticeable enough difference for you to spend more. Go medium grey so you get the versatility of piecing and quilting most things without worrying about color clashing.

Average non sale prices:

C&C Dual Duty 250 yard $5.25 cheap short staple cotton pieces spun into one long length
Aurifil 220 yard spool is $5.25 Egyptian long staple cotton, smooth all one length.

Going to be honest and say I buy on sale and I don’t mind cleaning the lint! I have a fairly large bag of Coats and Clark in a rainbow of colors that I bought years ago and hated to waste so when I bought my new machine I asked.....and was told if it worked well not to worry. It’s fine. I like the basic colors that are 2.99 for a large spool for my piecing.

coats and clark have stood the test of time for thread

When I bought my latest machine, it came with “classes.” I learned a bit, but to me it seemed like little more than a sales pitch. “Don’t use thread, needles, bobbins, fabric from anywhere but our store. If you do, it will ruin your machine.” Personally, I use whatever I like. I use lots of C&C and connecting threads. Lots of people love the high dollar threads. To each their own. Use what you like and don’t stress about what anyone else uses.

For sewing my blocks together, I use Connecting Threads Essentials thread, for my FMQ I use Metro Machine Embroidery thread. Both companies have excellent customer service and prices.

Use the thread that works for you and your machine. That is all that counts.

Me, I have brands I prefer, only because I have consistently had good results with them and I do not want to mess with a good thing.

I have used Aurifil for EPP and was very happy with the results. It slides through the fabric like butter.

I use C&C and have for many years. I also in the last 10 or so years use Connecting Threads,

They work for me.

I have used coats and clark since I learned to sew in home ec, never had a problem with the clothes falling apart or my quilt seams opening up. I have used expensive threads and have had issues with some so if my machine doesn’t have a problem with it I use it! Actually I was very sad that a thread I bought from Superior did something I had never seen before it is a three ply and separated as it went through my machine? I had to unpick all the stitches I had quilted and then changed thread. So personally I don’t think price necessarily means better.

Never change the style or type of bobbin for your machine. A size 15 and size L are not the same and most can't tell the difference but your machine will. Some machine will have problems if the bobbin has the holes instead of solid rims. Pre wounds come is size 15 or L for domestic machines. Every new machine is tested and set for a certain needles and thread and bobbin. The dealer sells the type of threads, bobbins, and needles used to set the quality control for the brand of machine that is being sold. Use other types if you want to, it's your machine but don't criticize the dealer for only having what is recommenced for best results from the machines.

I have noticed on my longarm machine that it likes 40 weight, 50 weight on the top and 50 to 60 weight in the bobbin. use what the machine will tolerate. Test, test and test again. Needles are very important also.

I have enjoyed the all the comments to "Don't shoot me" :). I was so busy learning to quilt that I couldn't focus on the thread aspect until now. I'm still exploring which one is better for what. I have a variety of thread I'm experimenting with for both the longer and piecing.

From the view point of a sewing machine mechanic, we can't get a balanced stitch with Coats & Clark. But that doesn't really mean anything to anybody else. If you're balancing the tensions with a zig-zag stitch, you can't get the "tick" on the back even.

You'll notice that Coats & Clark doesn't make a cotton wrapped poly anymore. It's 100% cotton or 100% polyester.

I have two wedding quilts from 1984 that the polyester thread cut through at the seams. So, from that experience, I only use cotton thread for piecing.

However, I use polyester thread for machine quilting. It behaves so much better than cotton thread.

I have quilts that I used C&C threads on 30 years ago. They are fine. The reason I use better quality thread now is that it has less fuzz and is better for the sewing machines. It also gives fewer problems with quilting. For my bobbin I always use Sew Fine. It is a wonderful thread that seems to just sink into the back of the quilt. I've never ever had one problem with it. (Of course, now it will probably break every other line since I bragged on it. LOL )

Your quilt, your rules. The Quilt Police do not exist.

Way back when - as well as I can remember - Coats & Clark thread seemed to be the most readily available where and when I was growing up.

Coats and Cark does make thread that is Egyptain long stable cotton but you have to look for it. Usually in a quilt shop if they sell Coats and Clark. Walmart does not sell it because it is too pricey for their market. Read the label. Dual Duty xp is better quality then the older Dual Duty if you like that line.

When sewing I buy the best I can afford in fabric, thread, machines and tools. For piecing: Presencia 60wt 100% cotton thread ordered from Red Rock Threads online (finer thread = less bulk in seams). For Quilting: Glide Thread with their prewound Magna Glide Delights in Bobbins or Superior Threads “So Fine” and prewound bobbins. If I need to I will wind my own bobbins for FMQ but for LA I prefer prewound.

I'm not sponsored but I love Aurifil! I use it for piecing but it's thin so I get a lot more on a bobbin than other threads which means I can sew longer. And it does leave less lint so I don't have to clean out my machine as often. I am all about saving time on mundane tasks when ever I can.

I also wish I had more money so I could at least investigate the higher priced materials. I hear so much about great machines too, but I will never be able to afford them and my Sears machine from the 80s still works like a charm and has never been professionally serviced. I'm convinced you don't need big-name stuff to do a perfect job that will last for years. My great grandmothers quilt was made in the 30's without any 'high faluting' products and it's still fine.

I am with you!! At least 40 years for me also.

My Mom made all kinds of things including drapes, slipcover's etc and would not consider buying expensive thread. She didn't think it was all that important. She never had a problem with threads breaking either. My older Bernina machine is more fussy then my Mom was, so I have to buy better thread. Ugg

My machine quilting isn't the best yet so other members of the board told me about a higher wt. thread like 100 wt. Invisifil. I'm about to try it. The stitching doesn't show as much I was told.
I like Aurifil, Bluprints brand, and Connecting Threads for most things.

I was surprised to see that no one mentioned the the thread sold on Connecting Threads . That is all I use for piecing And quilting. Their cotton spools are $3.49 for 1,200 yds and their cotton cones are $11.99 for 5,000 yds. And yes that is the correct yardage not a typo. They have every color you can imagine and I think it is really good quality. It used to be $2.89 a spool and cones were $9.99. They just recently raised their prices.

Sorry just saw that SusieQ did mention Connecting Threads.

I love Aurifil too! I mostly use it for piecing but have used it for machine quilting with no problems. I like to keep my machines clean and less lint is always a plus. I like SoFine too. And love Superior monofilament for FMQ. I use it in the top and the bobbin with no problems.

Btw, I don't pay $12-14 a spool for the Aurifil. I get it online for around $6-7. I think it was Craftsy last December. Then my son bought me a bunch, too. Such a sweetie. :thumbup: