Question for longarmers - thread
 

I have checked every sewing machine store and fabric store within 35 miles of me and no one sells thread for long arm or anything suitable. Today I was in sewing machine store and asked why no one carried it. Answer, no one every asks for it. Then she said I can order it for you. I can do that. Can find all kinds of rayon for embroidering, 50 wt for piecing and of course Coats and Clark. I live in a reasonably populated area of Michigan. During the spring through fall, I buy it from a store up by the cottage. We shut the cottage down for the winter and it's too far to drive. Think in the Lansing area I could find it but that's 1 1/2 hours away. Decided best bet is to buy the color cards of thread so I can order from the internet. What do all of you do? Do you have stores by you that carry it? Order off the internet?

Even though my Fabric stores carry theads I could purchase and buy, I started with Signature thread as it was supplied with my LA I still use it. I buy it on line from Oregon, Long Arm University. $9 for a 3000ft cone. I've started buy the poly quilting thread from Connecting threads . Its thinner but very usable with a good reasonable colour selection. Reasonable cost for volume.

I buy my machine quilting thread on line from Superior Threads. The color cards do make it easier to choose a color.

I order most of my threads online too. I always looking for the best price that is available and then stock up. You need to decide what thread works best for your machine, then you can start looking for where to buy them from.

I have purchased all the thread for my longarm online or occasionally at quilt shows. I have seen some shops carrying thread, but it is much more expensive than I can find online and the selection is not as good.

When you ask for it, what are the terms you're using? I'm wondering if it's a mis-communication, such as the employee maybe doesn't know what "longarm thread" is, but instead is used to people asking for King Tut or some such thing.

Nearly all of my longarming friends use King Tut (a Superior product); same for my LQS owner who has 2 Gammills in her shop. I have one friend who uses Connecting Threads' Essentials.

I buy all my quilting threads online, mostly from Connecting Threads, both their cottons and polyesters. Also love Aurifil when I can find it on sale as all my quilts are given as gifts so have to save where I can. Superior offers a variation of threads. Find what your machine likes and go from there. I do have Superior's and Aurifil's thread charts as well as my embroidery threads' charts to give me a better view of the actual threads. I also use embroidery threads on my quilting machine at times. If I find a thread my machine doesn't care for then I'll use it up in piecing on my domestic machine. Hate to waste it.

I buy mine from Connecting Threads and Superior Threads. My machine loves the thread from Connecting Threads and I love free shipping at $50. Sometimes I want something different ( like Glide, a variegated, or a color they don't have then I turn to Superior Threads

I have fallen in love with Glide thread. It is a trilobal polyester with a lot of life. It doesn't make a lot of lint in my machine. I get it from BobbinCentral.com. I started out all cotton, not liking polyester, but then I got some at a quilt show. Love it!! The site sells wholesale and retail. If you try it, be sure to use a thread stocking. Ann

You might want to try different threads on your machine to find out which one gives you the least trouble with tension and breakage, then stock up on that thread. I have used A&E Perma Core, Tex 30, in my Gammill since I purchased it 15 years ago. It comes in many, many colors. I purchase online from several different places including Kingsmen Quilting Supply, The Quilted Rose and Nustyle at Stover, MO.