Making It Shiny
 

I am thinking about using embroidery thread for hand quilting. I wonder if any of you have done this, and how did it stand up to being washed. I would like for the quilting to stand out nicely. Would this be folly?

I think it would wear well as it is 100% cotton usually, but not sure if it would tangle more when quilting? Would you use a double strand? I used a thicker Perle Cotton when I did the big stitch on my hexies quilt so only the one thick strand to keep straight.

If you are talking about rayon machine embroidery thread (i.e. Sulky type), I wouldn't do it. I machine quilted a quilt several years ago with rayon embrodery thread and after several years of washing, I'm not looking at possibly having to redo the quilting because the thread is starting to break and come undone.

Thanks. I will stick to the regular thread. I was wanting it to be gold or silver. Maybe I can get close with what I have.

Do you mean hand embroidery thread or machine embroidery thread? I use trilobal polyester machine embroidery thread all the time in the longarm. It has a beautiful sheen and is very strong.

I use polyester embroidery thread in my quilting machine all the time with no ill effects. Its 40wt and the shine doesn't seem to really show up as much as you would think. Since its polyester it should wear as well as when you put it on clothing items that get washed a lot.

As another member pointed out, the rayon will break down over time. I don't like it, and don't use it. I do use polyester or wrapped polyester embroidery threads a lot with no issues. I like the shine on most quilts, and to answer your question, it does hold up well, and I have quilts that are 30+ years old quilted with poly and they're fine.
Now...you are thinking of gold/silver, and that's another thing! They are metallics, and I have used them. Some are more tempermental than others for machine quilting, but if you're hand quilting, you should be fine. They really do add a lot to the right quilt. IMO, I would do it, just not with rayon.

I find it difficult to use rayon/polyester thread for any kind of hand sewing. But that's just me.

If you mean cotton hand embroidery thread, I have not used it for quilting, but have old hand-embroidered items that have held up for many years in things like pillowcases that have had lots of washing. It does wear out sooner than the machine sewing thread in the seams of the same pillowcases, though. I have not tried to hand sew with machine embroidery poly thread, but have noticed that when I take a spool off the machine and wind the last bit back on it tends to have a noticeable twist that recoils as you handle it, and perhaps that would create problems. I use Thread Heaven or wax when I hand sew anything, but have only done that with regular thread. If you like the look of the shiny poly, you could create something the size of a potholder or mug rug and put it through the wash a few times. That would give you information about how it handles and whether any problems showed up early on. I have items that are machine embroidered and have been washed many times with no ill effects. Polyester fibers generally wear better than cotton and the worst potential problem might be that they could cut through the cotton fibers of the quilt over time.

Use machine embroidery thread. If you want to use either silver or gold, chose the thicker kind and use a metallic needle.