Where do you buy your varigated thread & is it cotton, a blend or something else???

I get mine from JoAnn's or the LQS. I prefer the one from the LQS, but price dictates most of the time so it's JoAnn's with a coupon. Rayon or polyester, depending on the color I need.

If you have a Hancock's in your area, they also have varigated thread, too. If it isn't on sale, you can use a coupon for it there, also.

Coats & Clark makes a cotton brown, tan variegated that I love & use a lot & I buy that at Joann's with a coupon. I use rayons & poly's too where ever I can find the color combo I am looking for.

I bought an autumn gold-rust variegated thread at JoAnn's to stitch in the ditch on my husband's quilt. It worked very nicely. There were a lot of fall colors in that quilt, and it blended beautifully with the backing.

What I'm confused about with variegated thread because the changes between colors are so subtle, or so far apart, that I can't really see the effect. Am I looking at something wrong, or expecting too much?

I got a bunch from Threadart when they had a sale.

I use King Tut from Superior Threads. I'm a true thread geek. I even belong to there thread of the month club!

I usually order online but couldn't tell you the site or the kind of thread. All I know is my machine loves it. I have ordered King Tut from Superior Threads - expensive but wonderful thread. I have also ordered from Connecting thread, works fine - again, couldn't tell you what kind
my suggestion to you is try different kinds to find what your machine likes.

YLI has some wonderful verigated threads- so does Sulky-
there are some fabulous silk verigated - i think Atlanta thread company has a special going on for the silk threads-
i buy my threads from:
connecting threads
Atlanta thread company
Superior Threads

Aurifil varigated is awesome.

Coats and clark varigated is awesome......buy mine from Walmart.

Thank you everyone for responding !

Can you do hand quilting with these threads?

love varigated threads..... harder to find for me..

I love King Tut Superior, too.

Me too, even with the postage to me in the UK their prices are unbeatable and I, n my machines, love the quality and colours: http://www.threadart.com/shop/category.aspx?catid=41 they have a special extended July 4th offer on at present, up to 33% discount :shock:

I love Aurifil, Wonderfil, YLI to name a few. I can get some at the LQS, others I get from

Red Rock Threads: http://www.redrockthreads.com/

or Sue's So EZ Designs: http://www.sewezdesigns.com/

I haven't seen any verigated thread at Connecting Threads. Am I just not seeing it? I love their thread but most important is my machine loves it.

A few months back , I called and asked them about varigated thread. They said they didn't carry it.

I think it's usually used on a machine. I haven't seen any varigated hand-quilting thread. You probably could hand quilt with the all purpose varigated thread, but hand quilting thread is harder thread and holds up much better, doesn't fray when being pulled through the fabric so much like an all purpose thread would, and will hold up in your quilt much longer.

Some have short color changes and others are longer :D:D:D

I have already used the King Tut for hand quilting and it works just fine for me. Coats has varigated thread expecially for hand quilting, it's also called Dual Duty like the solid thread colors.

I love Superior Threads King Tut, yummy stuff!

I got mine at Joann with coupons. I'm using Sulky rayon.

Poly or rayon - depending on what catches my eye....
I don't believe I've ever seen a cotton varigated....so if anyone has, please post! I've gotten the majority of my varigated @ Joanns...on sale or with coupon. Have to watch those pennies!

[quote=CompulsiveQuilter]What I'm confused about with variegated thread because the changes between colors are so subtle, or so far apart, that I can't really see the effect. Am I looking at something wrong, or expecting too much?[/quote/]

Really depends on what background you're quilting. I used a beautiful variegated in a red/white/blue on a quilt that had kona cream and batik blocks....and it really made the quilt pop. I'm a piecer and appliquer - no mid arm/long arm & frame set up yet - but most of the quilters I know believe the quilting should enhance - not overpower the quilt itself. Makes sense to me!

Sure! Looks very nice.

Superior threads Rainbows .is my alltime favourite

Jo anns or online

Each company has theirs spaced at different lengths. You will have to look at each one and decide on what you want it to look like: spaced close together or further apart.

Check out createforless.com. They have lots of items, but the thread is great. You can select just cotton threads, the brand, then colors, etc. The prices are great. I get my cotton thread for my long arm machine there, much cheaper than other places. And you can sign up for e-mails of their specials. Shipping usually takes about a week, but free if you spend $100 (I think).

I love King Tut by Superior. Superior has a webstie so you can order from them directly. Solid colors I order from Connecting Threads.

Just checked them out - what a great site. I signed up for newsletter - yipee another place to spend money :shock:

YLI and King Tut, sometimes Aurfil.

99% of my quilting (on HQ16) is with varigated thread.

The one and only time I've used it for hand quilting, it was 100% cotton and I got it at JoAnns. Very thick. Lovely, but I'll never use it again. Too hard to needle through.

I bought a case of Sulky #30 variegated at the Sewing and Expo show about four years ago. The price was half what we are paying today and I always have the colors I need. I use it a lot.

I have alot of the sulky and some YLI, got it from http://www.discountembroiderysupply.com and they will send you a color chart, great prices.

I usually buy mine online too. Love it!

The color sometimes is subtle. When I used variegated blue on my quilt, one friend remarked about it wondering if they were seeing things and was the thread variegated. My pink/orange/red thread is not subtle at all. You can tell every color change. It looks beautiful on the quilt!

I purchased mine at my LQS and it is indeed cotton.