Questions on Machine Quilting the first time
 

I pieced an I spy quilt with 5" squares. I don't want the quilting to show much, so I can't take it the long armer. I'm relatively new to quilting, so I'm hesitant about my plan. I plan on spray basting and using warm and natural cotton batting which says you can be 10" between seams. I bought a walking foot for my vintage slant needle Rocketeer. I plan to stitch in the ditch with disappearing thread. (I still haven't figured out what disappearing thread is.) The reason for the disappearing thread is that the front is very light and the back is very dark.

The quilt is for a 2 year old and is intended to be a play quilt.

Are there any gaping holes in my plan?

bkay

The top:

I have never used the monofilament thread, the last I knew it was like a very fine fishing line. I would use a 50 weight white thread on top and a dark three to match the back in the bobbin. I have started using "bobbin" thread in the bobbin, and it seems to blend in better than the standard quilting thread.

The back is kind of like a navy blue "blender". It's not solid, but reads that way. It matches the dark corner squares.

bkay

I might worry that the invisible thread would "poke" the child if there are any ends at all on the quilt top. Why not talk to your long-armer about using a thinner thread on the top so that it "sinks" in to the quilt. Ann

Invisible thread can be tricky to work with but doable. I find that one my Bernina, I have to drop the top tension WAY down so it doesn't break. I haven't worked with invisible thread on my Rocketeer so I don't know what it does. You could use white thread in the top and darker in the bobbin. The white probably wouldn't show much.

Monofilament thread is not recommended for children. Besides, it its washed much the thread will disintegrate. I know this from experience!

I have successfully quilted with YLI nylon monofilament thread. If you are using a walking foot, the stitching will be safe for children. The safety issue comes in only if you have big "toe catcher" stitches (which are more common in FMQ by beginners, not really an issue with experienced FMQers). It holds up just fine over time. It *can* deteriorate if exposed to a lot of sunlight for long periods of time (years), becoming yellow and brittle; however, with normal use it can easily last 20 years.

Some people prefer polyester monofilament thread, such as Superior sells. This thread does not turn yellow or break down over time, so you might want to use that instead of nylon monofilament. I prefer nylon monofilament for invisible machine applique because it is less noticeable; however, if I were quilting I would probably choose Superior's polyester monofilament thread. Also, polyester monofilament is less stretchy than nylon so it requires fewer adjustments to tension than nylon does.

For nylon monofilament, you want to reduce the upper tension considerably. This is to compensate for the stretch in the thread. It is also important with nylon monofilament to underfill the bobbins; for a metal bobbin, fill only about 3/4ths full. Those are the two major adjustments I make for nylon monofilament. Polyester monofilament is similar, but you would probably need to loosen the upper tension somewhat less.

Whether using nylon or polyester monofilament, brand is important. The only ones I recommend are YLI for nylon and Superior for polyester. Neither of these threads is "pokey". The nylon is as fine as baby hair (which is where the risk comes in for baby quilts if the thread gets wound around a toe or finger). Polyester is just slightly thicker and a little more milky in color, whereas nylon is clear (or smokey).

If you are wary of monofilament, then I would suggest going with Superior's "Bottom Line" in silver. This is a very fine thread, and the silver blends in with everything. Here is a link to it:
http://www.superiorthreads.com/shop/...om+line+silver

If you have never quilted a quilt before, I would go with cotton thread. A new technique is hard enough to master without additional complications. For a child's quilt, I wouldn't worry too much about the color of thread on the backing.

The batting will hold up, but quilting 10" apart will put a ton of stress on the thread & fabric for a utility quilt. Children's quilts generally should be quilted 2" or LESS apart to provide enough sturdiness for regular washing & heavy use. 10" apart with cotton thread will last generally for about 2 years if laundered regularly before issues with the thread or fabric can start to crop up; because mono doesn't swell like cotton thread, as the needle holes start to wear, mono thread will not fill that space in like cotton. Cotton thread is easier to work with for new beginners than mono & will hold up a bit better in the wash.
I would pick a 50wt/ 2ply (or 60/3) cotton thread that matches the top & not worry about the back. 50/2 is very thin & really will not show up. Working with a Walking Foot is pretty easy to learn; it's not like learning to FMQ. If you still really want to use mono, I'd do mono only on the top & a matching 50/2 cotton in the bobbin.
Once you've done a couple of pieces with cotton thread, I do believe there are some rare instances where mono is the best choice. That said, after seeing for over 20 years, I STID'ed my first quilt, using mono because I thought that was the best choice for newbies. It was a nightmare to work with & after maybe a dozen or so trips through the wash, the stitches started snapping in probably 8 places & I've had to re-quilt the whole table runner. That is not a flaw of mono thread -- it's a problem that happens when inexperienced quilters try to work with one of THE most finicky threads out there without making the many accommodations needed to successfully quilt with mono.