Machine Quilting Thread Recommendations
 

I would like to know what type of thread is recommended for machine quilting. I am using a Baby Lock Ellegante 2. I have been using Robison Anton Cotton for quilting (I use R.A. Poly for embroidery). I like the R.A. cotton, but my local shop has stopped carrying it. I bought some Sulky Cotton 30 wt., but it broke a lot! I was disappointed in its performance. I quilted one quilt with Mettler cotton 50 wt, and it did fine, but the shop doesn't carry that any more either. I may have to shop online for quilting thread, but I would like to know what thread others have had success with. So, here are my questions:
1- Should I be staying with 100% cotton for quilting?
2- What weight is best for quilting?
3- Does the thread weight depend on batting or density of quilting?
Thank you in advance for your opinion and assistance :-)

Check out the Superior Threads website -- there is a lot of information there regarding thread, needles, etc. You will find all the answers to your questions and be able to make up your mind based on what you want your quilting to look like.

I have the Ellegante BLG, the first one. My machine loves the 40 wt polyester embroidery threads from ThreadArt-the designs sew out perfectly and beautifully. For sewing/quilting, the Isacord 40 wt polyester thread is my favorite, and I use the Sulky Polyester Bobbin thread (Hancock Fabrics has Sulky on sale now.) or the 60 wt polyester thread from ThreadArt. I have tested each one and adjusted the horizontal and vertical stitches on my machine for each thread and keep notes on what settings to use when I switch out the threads and needles. The only cotton thread I can use in my machine is the Essential thread from Connecting Threads. It is 50 wt/3 ply. I have tried many threads (not Superior yet, though) and these threads I have found to be very reasonably priced and available. I have also bought large cones of spun polyester from Ebay and had no problems. I have had my machine for 5 years, and the thread broke only once. Adjusted the tension, put in a sharp needle, and it was fine. For quilting I use the polyester threads as they are stronger than cotton. The Isacord sews like butter in my Elegante.

I've been experimenting with thread in my Babylock Espire for the past several months and have decided to walk away from cotton as much as possible. I have been quilting with polyester--Sulky for decorative stitches and Guetermann otherwise. Cotton seems to break and fray and lint up. I have also switched to either topstitch or an embroidery needle. Both the change in thread and the change in needle for machine quilting, especially FMQ, have helped tremendously--and yes, I use either the Sulky or Guetermann bobbin thread too.

I'm a true beginner when it comes to long arming and choosing thread (just bought my long arm in October). I bought a bunch of Glide poly thread 40 wt. on line. When I tried quilting with it I had a devil of a time with breakage. Thru trial and error I found its doing the best when I use a 50 wt. cotton in the bobbin. Because I'm using a Juki 2200 QVP the repairman said it was best to always use a size 18 needle and that he would have to make special adjustments to set it up to use a size 16. Now I wish I had bought some 50 wt. colors in cotton because what I'm quilting now would look better in a heavier thread.

You're going to get various opinions on these questions, so you'll need to sort out most things for yourself and decide what works for you. I've gone to a lot of effort to educate myself on the topic and have done a lot of experimenting, and I'll share with you what is working for me.

I agree with Nammie to 7, the "Thread Therapy with Dr. Bob Educational Videos" from Superior Threads are a good place to start, and they are available to watch from their site on the web, or you can purchase a DVD (right now it is FREE). I'd highly recommend taking the time to watch this all the way through.

1- Should I be staying with 100% cotton for quilting? ~ That depends on whether you want to or not, there are opposing camps on this one. I like either a fine cotton, Presencia from Harriet Hargrave is my favorite, or Bottom Line poly thread from Superior. Both are fine 60 weight threads with very little lint. I started out using any thread that was the color I wanted, but learned along the way that cheaper, heavier threads do not perform as well and can cause all kinds of problems including inaccurate piecing, excessive lint build up and thread breakage.

2- What weight is best for quilting? ~ That depends on what finished result you want. For a fine "heirloom" look that blends in, at lightweight thread is best and again the Presencia cotton works very well. King Tut from Superior is another cotton thread that performs very well. When I want my stitching to stand out (which I often do), I use a poly embroidery thread with a bit of a sheen to it. My favorite is "Magnifico" by Superior Threads. It comes in wonderful colors and I never have problems with breakage. Whatever thread you use, be sure to use a needle that is the correct size for it. I'm 100% sold on the Titanium Top Stitch needles from Superior.

3- Does the thread weight depend on batting or density of quilting? ~ Again it depends a bit on the look you are trying to achieve, but lighter thread will give you a finer look which will work out better for very dense quilting. That also allows you to use a smaller needle so that you don't leave behind visible needle holes in fine fabrics. On the other hand, if you are quilting on a quilt that is thick and heavy weight because of the combination of batting and outer fabrics, a heavier weight thread and larger needle will work better.

These are just my opinions on what is working well for me at this time. I will tell you that when I first started FMQ I thought that there were some threads that just did not work in my machine (It is a Juki TL989Q), but as my skills improved, those same threads worked just fine...

The key is proper needle size in relation to thread weight and proper tension. My favorite is Glide, and also like Signature cotton. The inexpensive serger thread at Joann's is not very good for longarm quilting, but thread is like anything else, each machine and quilter has its own personality.

If you want 100 percent cotton, Aurifil 50wt Mako Cotton Thread is my go to for quilting on my domestic machine, Janome 6500. I also use it for piecing.

You might also try a bobbin genie in your domestic machine. Another thread for quilting with the domestic machine is Superior, one that also has some poly.

The long arm likes Glide and some other threads for the long arm. It does overall better, less breakage, with a long arm thread that has some poly because that is stronger.

Use the same weight thread in the top and bottom or a little thinner in the bottom. Use a 90/40 topstich needle in your domestic machine when quilting and a 80/12 sharp if piecing. I found that putting my machine, Janome 6500, in quilting mode, NOT dropping the feed dogs and then just quilt with above mentioned Auralfil and 90/14 topstich needle works perfectly every time for me. Keep playing with your domestic machine and find the perfect combo for your set up.

I forgot about the bobbin genie. Take the spring out of your bobbin case and replace it with the genie. They really do help and come in both L and M sizes.

Excellent advice!! So much info on their website, and you can print it out!! They even have fabric, which I did not know. Check it out!!

Lots of interesting opinions. I myself would NEVER use polyester thread. It will slowing rub against your cotton fabrics and the thread will weaken the fabric. I believe that the thread is also very linty which is hard on a sewing machine. I am from the old school of Harriet Hargrave. I use mostly Mettle Silk finished thread. I realize new threads have come out especially those for LAQ. I still quilt small items on my Bernina 1530 with Mettler.

I used Mettler silk-finish cotton thread in my Bernina 1230 for years. Once I tried Aurifil 50wt 2-ply, I would never go back to Mettler. Aurifil is a much smoother thread that leaves much less lint.

Polyester thread is not at all linty compared to most cotton thread. Aurifil is the only cotton thread I have used that is similar to polyester in terms of not leaving lint in my machine.

It may have been true in the past that polyester was so strong it would break cotton threads, but that is no longer the case. Dr. Bob from Superior Threads demonstrates that in one of his educational videos. I think it's this one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9W5OxygKlUk

Wow- thank you all for your input!! There is a wealth of experience out there, and I enjoyed reading all of your replies! I will look around on sites that were mentioned, and experiment. I can see that there is not one "right way", but many, and I just have to find what is right for my machine. Thanks again, and happy quilting!!

I read a previous thread on this subject with great interest after someone posted about frequent thread breakages when Fmq since I too had this problem whenever I tried increasing the speed of the machine away from its lowest setting. I invested quite a bit of money in purchasing superior threads which are quite lush as well as top stitch needles. The thread is really lovely however the minute I upped the speed same old issue with Fmq. I find this very frustrating because the bits of quilting in between breakages is so much nicer than when its slow because then it is difficult to get a nice flowing movement. I have a sapphire 870. What am I doing wrong?

I use Connecting Threads polyester thread when quilting. My machine is a HQ16 and the polyester thread works wonderfully in it.

It's generally not linty, although I did have one spool that was linty. That was an exception, but I'm sure any kind/brand of thread has an exception now and then. I've never had a problem with it breaking.

Density of batting makes a difference, but I think it's more of a tension/speed issue than a thread issue. I frequently use fleece for batting because it is light in weight, yet warm, and allows a quilt to drape better than any batting I've tried. The light weight is especially important to me when making a small childs' quilt. The lighter the quilt the more likely the child is to drag it around and love it to tatters!

Have you tried setting tension as shown in Jamie Wallen's video? It seems to work well for domestic machines as well as longarms: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1mRhcquZTM

Also, when you go fast with fmq, more stress is put on the thread. Try increasing the needle size beyond what is recommended for the thread. Glide thread from http://www.bobbincentral.com/ is a 40wt polyester thread that almost always works well. Contact the company to get a sample spool to try out in your machine (so you don't have to place the $35 minimum order).

I've had problems with the cotton Gutermann threads and have ended up using it in the bobbin on my Viking Ruby.

My favorite thread for piecing is Aurifil or Superior Masterpiece.

Thank you. I'm using a size 90 at the moment which is I think what's recommended but haven't meddled with the tension. The machine is meant to do that? Anyway I will watch the video. Hopefully it holds the solution to the problem!

I'm a Glide user. I love love love Glide. I got a trial spool of it through the company and loved it so much I passed it along to the other 4 big machine users in my small guild. ALL of us now use Glide. It is amazing. Every bobbin has perfect tension when it's wound. You can change colors and the tension will be the same. It is an amazing thread... and economical. Some local shops carry it. Mine does however they charge $3 more per spool so I order it online. If you have friends with big machines have them try it as well. You can go in on the order to hit the $75 for free shipping. That's what we do ;)

Never had a problem with thread. I use Coats and Clark and Connecting Threads. Both work fine for both piecing and free motion.
Guiss it depends on your machine. I have a Viking Sapphire and a Baby Lock Jane. Also use a cheap Brother on occasion. All have drop in bobbins except Jane which also has a complicated threading system. I do not like it at all.
I also use a stitch regulator with Jane which is set up on a long arm table. Have to move the machine to the end of the table to retread it. Sure wish I could afford a long arm machine.