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go to leah day's web site; she'll answer all of your questions on FMG; she does it all on a reqular machine. She has a setup for tables; nothing fancy that helps hold the quilt. You'll learn alot from her site.
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I used to use a 14 but had a lot of breakage. I now use 16 for cotton and 18 if poly as my frame manufacturere suggested and it rarely breaks.
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the needle you use must be (usable) with the thread you are using- needle size and thread size/weight are dependent on each other- the wrong needle with the thread will cause fraying/breakage/tension problems/uneven stitching...just to name a few issues.
if you visit a thread site (like superior threads they offer free charts that tell you what needle and size you should use with each different type/weight of thread- it is an invaluable chart. |
I use a bigger needle than a 12. I use a 14 topstitch needle and that seems to work for me.
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Great information from everyone... Thank you for all the replies.. I will definatley check out the websites suggested.
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Originally Posted by Maia B
It DEPENDS ON THE THREAD!!! Sorry to shout, but you might quilt with super fine silk and a 70 needle, or thick thread and a 100. The Superior Threads site has excellent, thorough info on this. Using a needle that's too small for your thread will cause shreds and breaks, too big and you are putting big holes in your fabric for no reason. It's like asking, "what size pants should I buy?". It's going to depend on what you are trying to squeeze in there :).
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How about the difference between ball point and sharp point?? Back when poly knits were all the rage I used ball point needles (at least I think that's what they were called).
Mim |
Originally Posted by Maia B
It DEPENDS ON THE THREAD!!! Sorry to shout, but you might quilt with super fine silk and a 70 needle, or thick thread and a 100. The Superior Threads site has excellent, thorough info on this. Using a needle that's too small for your thread will cause shreds and breaks, too big and you are putting big holes in your fabric for no reason. It's like asking, "what size pants should I buy?". It's going to depend on what you are trying to squeeze in there :).
I also make a practice sandwich EVERY TIME I begin to quilt. I practice with the same fabric, batting, thread, needle and to a certain degree the pattern that I'm quilting (or at least a small portion). I've quilted and thread painted with a 70 using a high quality 50wt thread with no problems. Another word. 50wt isn't always the same "thickness". A 50wt Superior, Aurifil, Mettler, or Gutterman is much thinner than a 50wt C&C or Connecting Threads. I believe it is dependant on the staple length used to make the thread (I'm referring only to cotton thread). So you can't just go by the weight ... feel it and use it. |
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