What brand of thread do you always use for piecing and machine quilting and why do you like it? And what thread will you no longer use and why? I have been quilting for about a year now and I am just exploring different threads. Also could you give web sites that have great prices for your thread of choice. Thanks in Advance

Karole

I prefer Superior threads, Mettler or Guterman...I will not use Coats and Clark because it is so fuzzy. Forgetting about brand names, the best threads are trilobal or long staple Egyptian cotton...these threads are made of longer fibers, creating less lint and less breakage.

I used Mettler thread for years in my Bernina sewing machine, but have finally decided it creates too much lint.

Have heard that Aurifil creates much less lint, so that is what I am going to try now. It's a thinner thread too so that more yardage fits on a bobbin. I'm ordering from the website below that someone else here recommended, as she is having a sale on Aurifil (50 wt is the one I'm planning to use for piecing) for $6 a spool thru December 31st. (Yikes, have to get my order in!)
http://www.sewezdesigns.com/index.html

Have also seen Masterpiece from Superior Threads highly recommended for piecing. It seems to me it is very similar to Aurifil, and I think I figured out that Aurifil is cheaper.

King Tut is often recommended for machine quilting. It is a little thicker than Aurifil and 3-ply instead of 2-ply. I am going to try the Aurifil variegated for machine quilting, but I'm tempted by the King Tut as it would be a stronger thread. It's just that it is about twice as expensive as the Aurifil on sale.

I use Master Piece for piecing and the thinnest thread possible for quilting wallhangings, otherwise Master Piece also for quilting larger quilts. A long armer friend gave me her stash of Master Piece when she realized that it can not be used in a long arm and I have a decent stash.

For piecing, I use Coats & Clark Dual Duty Plus on top & Sew Fine or Bottom Line poly prewound bobbins. There is a little fuzz but not much.

For quilting, I used to fight with C&C Machine Quilting thread but no more! I just tried a spool of Robinson Anton 50 weight cotton and it ran as smooth as silk. It does fuzz quite a bit but not as much as C&C and the quality is much better. Someone gave me a spool of Sulky Blendables and it was heavenly to work with but it's expensive. I also bought some King Tut but haven't used it yet. Many, many people swear by it, though.

I just finished 2 quilts and used the C&C Dual Duty thread in the bobbin with no problems at all. My plastic prewounds won't work in my mid-arm and I don't have any cardboard ones yet. I like the poly prewounds because they hold so much more thread and no lint. Also, I have to drag out my old mechanical machine to wind the metal bobbins for my mid-arm since I don't have a bobbin winder and they won't fit on my embroidery or piecing machines.

I use the thread from Connecting Threads. Love it.

I use Aurifil for both piecing and quilting.

Do you use different weights for piecing and quilting? I have just ordered lots of the 50wt, but I'm wondering if the 40wt would be better for machine quilting.

I use Coats & Clark Dual Duty Plus on top and bottom (for pieicing) because it's readily available and I can run to Joann's if I run out and I'm cheap so I try to use a coupon if it's not on sale for 50% off and I still consider myself a beginning quilter and don't know better yet and I have two boys who will inherit a lot of UFO's which will end up in the trash if I don't get busy soon. I do clean my machine often to dig out all the lint but I don't mind.

We generally use Connecting Threads for piecing and either CT or Maxi-Lock (100% polyester) for quilting. The CT creates a lot of lint, but we clean the bobbin cases with every change so it isn't a big problem.

Darren