Embroidery Thread advice
 

I am getting my first embroidery machine and notice there are many brands of thread available. Can anyone provide pros and cons of various brands? I am planning to purchase a large multi-color set so this is a huge investment. I don't want to buy inferior thread and be stuck with multiple spools that I can't/won't use. Also, what is everyone's favorite needle size for everyday embroidery?

your needle size is dependant on the thread weight---you need to know what thread you are using then put in the correct needle for that thread.
as for the thread itself-
visit places like Superior Threads, Atlanta Thread Company, YLI, Madera and sulky and read about the threads- maybe start (small) with a couple different threads from different sources- and see what YOU like before commiting to a large investment. some people like one- while others don't & like something different- instead of going for my favorite thread you should find YOUR favorite.
that being said- the embroidery threads i use the most are Sulky, Madera & YLI.

You also have to decide if you want to use rayon, acrlic, cotton for your thread. I agree, buy a couple on sale if possible and try them out. Why not pick out a simple pattern with just a few colors and buy a couple of brands and make samples and see what you like. I use a lot of RobisonAnton, Sulky, YLI, and Janome. Metallics are a catagory all onto themselves.

I've only used sulky and I haven't done much machine embroidery. I've also used the metallics..... and I will say from my experience, the metallics are a challenge. I have also used silk thread for embroidery and like it the most for the things I have done. I agree with ckcwl and ka9sdn, get a couple different spools and try them out. Wait for that huge investment until you know what YOU want.

I have thrown all of my RobinsonAnton away. See how different people have different likes! My favorites now are rayon art silk thread from Pakistan bought from a supplier in England. I started with a purchase of 20 spools from my Babylock dealer of Maderia, then tried Sulky, etc. You might as well start out experimenting. You will find you experiment anyway.

I use Sulky and Madera threads and sometime Coats and Clarks. Rayon and polyester are my favorite. I found most polyester brands worked very nicely on my machine. Joann's runs great sales on Sulky threads, Coats and Clarks poly and worth getting some on Sale days to practice with. You are in for a great adventure with your embroidery machine! Congrats!!

I find that I have to use what my "machine" likes, or I will be threading and re-threading all day. I have a very expensive and temperamental Bernina that should be re-called by the company.

Hope that you will heed the great advice from the above posters and start small instead of buying in bulk initially and learning that you, or even more importantly in my opinion, your machine, doesn't like the thread. A while back I bought a large amount of beautiful thread from Metro Threads. It works really well with my Janome MC11000, but my Baby Lock Sophia doesn't like it a bit. She will only tolerate Robinson-Anton. That makes me really wish I personally knew the poster above who noted that she had thrown away all of her RA thread. Almost made me cry!!!

I think you have made a wise decision to purchase an entire set of all colors. I did and I can't tell you how many times an embroidery design called for some weird color (for shading) that I would have never purchased on my own. I agree with the other posters. You will need to decide on thread fiber, with poly and rayon being the most common. Then get a couple spools from various manufacturers. Some machines are very fussy about thread and you want to make sure that the brand you choose will play nice with your machine.

Not sure what brand machine you have...I have Husqvarna Viking, SE and use ONLY European made threads as is recomended for European made machines. Reason bing, Europan made machines are calibrated or watever for those particular threads and the way they are made. Also, itmakes a differencesometimes on the design you are making as to the weight ofthe thread and the type. Sometimes Sulky works great and sometimes Robison Anton works well and etc. I have a grand mixture and sometimes it depends on availability of thread and color. I think it's a personal preference thing. Good Luck

rayon thread is not color fast.

I started with a Singer about 10 years ago. I bought Robison-Anton thread because it was there at the store where I bought my machine. Never had any trouble. Traded it in for a Viking Ruby last year so I could have larger hoops. Still use the Robison-Anton thread with no trouble. Good luck. I know you will have so much fun because I know I do.

I use Isacord and Floriani. I like them both. The Floriani seems to be a little brighter and I am replacing most of the Isacord with Floriani as I run out of a color.

There are so many to choose from- the dealer I buy from stocks these- I am familiar with them and like them.

It's true that some machines seem to like some thread better than others. I agree that your should try different brands and decide what you and your machine like.

Enjoy the embroidery.

When I bought my Janome 350E, the dealer recommended Madeira polyneon thread. She recommended against rayon, because it is not colorfast and could melt with a hot iron. I bought my thread from The Sewphisticated Stitcher because their prices were good, but also because I could choose my colors, rather than take whatever colors were in a set. If you buy 48 spools from them, you get a free case; I bought 144 spools, so I have 3 nice cases to store the thread. I have never had any problems whatsoever with the Madeira polyneon, but I would suggest that you ask your dealer what he/she recommends, because different machines may want different types of thread.

Have fun with your machine! I use mine on a regular basis, and am very happy with it.

I like both rayon and the polyester. I use Madeira and Sulky. As stated earlier Jo-Ann's has Sulky on sale frequently for as much as 50% off! My machine has been picky but I am going to try changing needles and use some of the others I have that didn't work out well previously.

I have several different brands of thread, and have used them all, sometimes intermixed in the same design. All manufacturers produce good and bad spools of thread, and I occasionally finish a project and throw one of the spools away because I fought shredding and breakage all the way. Other spools of the same type of thread by the same manufacturer work perfectly. Experiment until you find what you like, but don't be surprised if you sometimes throw away a nearly full spool.

I have bought thread sets from Amazon.com - I think they are Thread Art - and been generally happy with them. Starting with a set is a good idea (cheaper to buy in bulk) but you will eventually have to buy individual spools as you will use some colors faster than others.

Happy embroidering. I hope you enjoy your machine as much as I do mine.

I have always used Isacord for my Bernina machines and like it. I have also used some Robison-Anton and I have a large set that I bought from a dealer on Ebay. I do use polyester thread vs rayon because when I first started doing embroidery I was doing it on things for the GKs and needed it to be colorfast. Check with your dealer about what they recommend and try it out.

mltquilt

I agree with the recommendation to buy different brands and see what your machine likes. My Babylock loves Floriani, not so much Isacord. Then buy a color set after that if you want to.

I have to say - I received a 100 spool assortment when I purchased software and when I started my first set of designs, of the 40 or so unique colors I needed, I was only able to pull 8 from my assortment. Had it not been free (well...wasn't really free, was it :) ) I would have been a little upset. I ended up buying the needed colors at 30% off at my dealer so I was relatively OK with it.

JMHO.

Stay away from Rayon and stick with polyester. I won't buy Rayon anymore. It's a very weak thread and doesn't hold up to washing and abuse.

Ditto for me. I have always used Robinson-Anton in my Janome MC11000SE and never had a problem with it. I'm glad because I bought a lot of it. But, I tried small amts of different threads at first & decided I liked the RA the best.

I have a Brother, white & Viking. I have used many different kinds, includint poly from threadart. funny but most of them were fine but sometimes Brother balks. different mcahine act differntly to thread. I use rayon on shirts etc but on wahsable like dishtowerel & the new craubbies by Dc I used poly. Daughter is doing bas & she used poly. Holdas up better Try some out before investing in a sampler. I have a ot of colors--navys that i never use.

I bought the Madeira chest of thread when I bought my embroidery machine, and I also use Sulky and Robinson-Anton. They all work okay but I like the Madeira the best...

I recently tried Thread Art Polester. It's quite inexpensive, but so far it works fabulous with my machine. I can't remember for sure but I believe a 1000 yard roll is under $3. Several of us are now using it and like it alot. www.threadart.com

Sorry! they are 1.69 per 1000 M spool. I would try a sample but I think it is worth a try.

Boo Hoo I'm crying for all those who use RA.

. If you go to the top of the page and in search put embroidery machine lets chat, there is a thread listed there under that name that is just a source of info.

It's a Janome 350 and I can t wait for her to arrive!!

Thanks for all the input! I was concerned about thread quality,etc. I. Ever consider what my new girl might prefer!!

We are all so different; I have great luck with this one. You'll find you'll use different ones for different projects. Rayon if for that shine, but sometimes you'll use cotton and for all these different threads you'll have to have different needles to play with because just because one needle says it plays well with one thread it will also depend on the stablizier you are using. Don't go big until you figure out what projects you'll do and what colors you may use more than others. I know that you want to just jump in there and get it all but I'd hold off. Even stabilizers are different from brands to brands. I've just recently found out about one for use on top of towels instead of water soluable called melt and something, can't remember. What makes it better for towels is that what is under the stitches stay and what's not stitched down melt away with a low iron. By it staying under the stitches your design stays better. I hope we all have helped with all of our opinions; which is what you asked for. HA HA

I just went to a class with a Viking educator and she said it wasn't a matter of a machine preferring certain thread it's a matter of finding the right needle to make it happy. Just food for thought.

I took a class on the weekend, because I wasn't able to drag my Baby Lock Ellisimo out to the shop, they let me use the Big Bernina, boy I have to say, you are right it was very tempermental, I am sure glad I didn't buy that machines. I came home and thanked God that I purchased the Baby Lock Ellisimo, what a different, and my machine is also a very expensive machine.

I find that my Baby Lock Ellisimo, doesn't like for the Floriaini, and I love that thread, the colors are great. I use a lot of the Sulky, that I try to get on sale at Joanne's when they have the 50% off. I also use Isacord, that seems to work very well, have used other also, but the only one that gives me problems is Floriaini, it frays and hangs up in my machine, it is a big pain, messes up the sensor. Different machines like different threads, I have lots of thread, but buy the colors I like, if it is something I use a lot of I will buy more than one. For me, I would just a soon buy the ones I like, for buying the big packages of thread, some of which you might never use. I also don't like the little spools, for they are to small unless you are doing something very little. I get the spools with 1100 yards on the most of the time.

I am just about sold on the Janome 350E. I have played a bit at the dealership and keep coming back to that one. A little beyond the budget I gave myself but feel like she calls to me whenever I am in the store. Of course so do some of the fancier more exspensive machine LOL but I can't justify the extra expense for the bells and whistles. I really think the 350E will suit my needs without growing pains too soon on. It sounds like you have no buyer regret with this model.

[QUOTE=nangars;5246282]I find that my Baby Lock Ellisimo, doesn't like for the Floriaini, and I love that thread, the colors are great. I also use Isacord, that seems to work very well, have used other also, but the only one that gives me problems is Floriaini, it frays and hangs up in my machine, it is a big pain, messes up the sensor. Different machines like different threads, I have lots of thread, but buy the colors I like, if it is something I use a lot of I will buy more than one.

I was told that if you find a thread that shreds then try going up in size of the needle and that should help. I did that with a project that I was doing and it called for polyester thread, size 11 sharp needle. I had tons of the cone thread that I wanted to use up and since this wasn't a project that would be put under a lot of stress I figured it didn't matter. I had some of the thread would be great and then it'd start breaking and shredding. It took me a while but finally I went up to a size 14 sharp and it did great and I got the project finally done. Also, when it comes to colors, when I buy them I try to get at least two colors close enough they can be used to shade each other with. That was what I noticed my first problem was with my first project, I didn't have enough tones of thread to add the shading most require. Now I always buy two that could be used for this if need be and that has saved me alot here lately.