Polyester or cotton thread
 

I've been using king Tut cotton 40 wt thread to quilt, I just put a new quilt (100precent cotton) on and dark blue thread . I clean the machine and changed the needle but the thread kept breaking. I am also going to use a white so changed to that but the thread continued to break. I reloaded the machine with a green king tut of the same wt and the machine quilted great without any breakage. I then cut a piece from the blue, white and green thread to do a pull to break test. The white broke with little resistance , the blue took a little more to break but the green was the hardest to force a break. My question is why? Same brand, same wt. I have now ordered a polyester blue and white to use. I've read many articles on quilting with polyester but would like your input.

I prefer to use Rayon or Polyester thread. I have used cotton from Connecting Threads without any issues as well. Personal preference.....

I used to use Aurifil, but once I tried So Fine #50, I didn't look back. It's much stronger than cotton, very smooth and lint free, and the stitch quality on all of my machines that I've tried it on is tons better.

It dawned on me when I read this that when I switched to the So Fine, I also switched to topstitch needles, which I'm certain helped a lot, too. For me, it's a great combination; I haven't had any problems with thread breakage or poor stitch quality since.

could be age of thread. Once I had all sorts of trouble with a varigated blue thread. Changed thread, no probl. Also check for lint-my nemesis!

The dye often affects the thread quality. You often have problems with black thread. Sometimes it's so overdyed it's brittle and breaks easily. There's one brand where the black is so stiff, it keeps jumping out of the take up lever.

Is one newer than the other? Cotton breaks down over time so even with the same brand & same weight (or even the same color) you might get different results based on age. I've taken to labeling my spools with the month & year purchased to help me keep track of how old my thread is.

Cotton thread does lose strength over time and also when exposed to direct sunlight. You may be able to unravel some off the spool or cone and deeper down on the spool or cone it may be stronger. It isn't unusual for the same brand of thread to perform differently. The dyes also can affect the thread's strength and performance. Finally it is not unheard of that a manufacturer occasionally puts out a batch of bad thread.

Regarding preference... I quilt on a LA and I really dislike all the lint build up from cotton thread running through such a high speed machine. Inevitably, whenever I use cotton I end up with a lint blob in my bobbin case which throws off my tension. Some cottons are much worse than others. I still use cotton especially when I want a matte finish thread or need a color I can only seem to find in cotton, but I much prefer polyester for ease of use and lack of lint and I really like the shiny finish of many poly's that are marketed as embroidery thread. My go to thread is Filtec Glide but I also use many other brands and types. It all depends on the application. I will often use many different threads in one quilt.

I was told by my Bernina dealership to use Mettler silk finished thread in the 90s when I purchased my baby. I have had no problem thru the decades so I am still using this Mettler.

Different colors require different dyes and dye processes; some are more caustic than others. This is often the reason why different colors of the same thread break in different ways.

I recently took a class from Jamie Wallen, who uses polyester thread (his fave is Isacord) almost exclusively for quilting. He said that many museum curators have told him they have beautiful quilts in storage that cannot be shown because the cotton quilting thread has dry rotted. (Old quilts are often stored in less than ideal situations -- attics and basements -- and this facilitates dry rot.) Polyester thread used for quilting will actually last longer than cotton thread, especially under less-than-ideal storage conditions.

Rayon is not a good thread to use for piecing or quilting because it does not wear well over time.

Where do you purchase So Fine #50, and is it cheaper than Aurifil, which is what I now use?

Get it from Superior Thread. I buy the large cones and that way it is much less expensive. I also bought a large cone holder from Superior. It is light and folds up making it easy to take to class. I love this thread....no lint in the bobbin area, strong, fine and comes in lots and lots of colors. Because I buy the large cones I use light grey, white or black for my piecing. So much better than cotton

What she said. ;)

Actually, I've bought it both directly from Superior Thread and from Amazon, and I just ordered one of those cone holders from Nancy's Notions and I should have it in about a week. I've been putting the cones in a coffee cup when I sew, but depending on which machine I'm using the thread can get hung up on the motor.

I sometimes buy the smaller spools if I want a specific color for something, but I buy the cones in pearl, putty, silver and charcoal for piecing. I invested in the So Fine color charts when I couldn't decide which color I needed from the picture on my monitor; I'm glad I bought them, they are actual thread samples, so they're very helpful.

rvsfan, Superior has "Try Me" specials, where you can buy a spool or small cone for a deeply discounted price, so you can see if you like it first.