Thread with the least amount of fuzz in the bobbin area for LA quilting?
 

I haven't been too disappointed in using all cotton (3 ply, 40 wt.) thread on my HQ 16 LA quilting machine, but I have a friend who has the same machine and is wanting to figure out if there is a thread with less fuzz. We've been using Signature solid colors and King Tut variegated threads. Anyone have an opinion?

well..if you want no fuzz, you will have to go with non-cotton. If you have cotton fibers, you WILL get fuzz. its just the nature of the beast. I just get out an big ole' paintbrush and clean it out every bobbin change. Takes me 10 seconds...
I even have non-cotton threads that fuzz up on me.

I am using Glide 60wt (polyester) and it produces substantially less lint than Signature or King Tut. Many longarmers use Bottom Line in the bobbin. Polyester in the bobbin with cotton on top seems to work really well, as the poly lets the cotton "slide" a little for a perfect stitch.

yep, this is what I do too. I can put up with the fuzz considering that the dust bunnies in the rest of my house are a lot more scarier than this ;-)

Really good point Debra!

I often use poly thread because I want more sheen to it than cotton gives. When I go back to cotton, the dust bunnies in hordes!

plus the fact you don't have to change the bobbin as often ;-) i enjoy that aspect!

the thread is not the only cause of lint build up when quilting- the fabrics and batting all cause it too...polyester creates less lint than cotton...i've found the batts from the dream company seem to not add lint at all- i don't know how/why that is but their batts are magical-and wonderful to work with.
some fabrics are much more (linty) than other fabrics- flannel will really cause alot of fluff. you will find though that it does not matter what you use- you still need to clean the (fluff) in the bobbin area with EVERY bobbin change. it is a combination of all materials being used.
personally- i pretty much never quilt with cotton thread (on top anyway) sometimes i use it in the bobbin- i am much happier with Aurafil or the pro-quilter poly threads. and love using silk- it's expensive though so reserved for very special projects

I've only used KingTut for my long arm, but I love Aurafil for my regular sewing machine bobbin. Maybe I'll try it for my long arm. I used canned air to blow out the bobbin area when needed.

Nilla, please be careful with the canned air. After what my DH read about it he bought me an air compressor with a trigger attachment. He read with the canned air it could start a fire, or get moisture in yoir machine.

Oh dear, I never even would have considered these possibilities! I'll have to talk with my dealer (who provided the canned air as part of my package) about this. Sometimes I feel like I walk around with a black cloud over my head already so if something can go wrong, it will go wrong with me! Thank you for telling me this.

I just tried some Connecting Threads Essentials for LA and was very surprised at how nice it was to work with, top and bobbin. Some of the best stitching so far and very little lint. I usually use King Tut. I always use W&N batting. It works for me so there has been little interest to try anything else.
peace

I have been told to never blow into your bobbin area, because of moisture you might blow in there.

Superior Threads BOTTOM LINE or SO FINE work great for bobbin thread.

I've read that using canned air is good and that using canned air is bad for your sewing machine. The reason for it being bad is that it blows the lint/dust deeper into the machine and eventually clogs the machine. The reason it is good is that it cleans the dust/lint out of the machine. During my reading, I've never seen a reference to canned air starting a fire or blowing moisture into the machine, though.

Cleaning with a little lint brush works well and no worries about canned air!

I just purchased the Glide thread from Bobbin Central. I quilted a king size quilt with my Bailey, and had no lint. I checked the bobbin area several times when replacing the bobbin. I was great to quilt with.
Mary in TX

Thanks for the helpful advice. It's always good to hear the experiences of other quilters. We will both be giving some of your suggestions for threads a try.

Along with the problem with canned air if you blow into your machine, even with your breath, you can lodge the dust deep inside it. I ordered a small attachement set that connects to my vacuum to clean it out. I love Aurifil, low lint and good strength. Plus when quilting on cotton its better to use cotton thead if you want it to last longer.

I would recommend either Aurafil or Essential Pro from Connecting Threads. On my Bailey, I use mostly Essential Pro. It is a 70 wt polyester, and works great in bobbin and top. Plus, Essential Pro is priced right.