I am finally getting my squares together to sew them together and than sew the strips together and than sew the blocks together. I am making a scrappy quilt.

I am sewing them on my sewing machine...the question is this:

Should I use Quilting Thread to sew my squares together and plus the rest of my squares or can I use the Coats n Clark All Purpose Thread for my sewing machine.

Or

does it make any difference at all?

Let me know...Thanks for your help

There are different "quilting threads" out there, so you have to make sure you are not buying the kind for hand quilting if you plan on using it in your machine. The hand quilting thread can throw your timing/tension off on your machine.

100% cotton machine thread is best, but I use the cheaper Coats & Clarks double duty for my scrappy quilts too.

Good luck and have fun.

If you have a lesser expensive sewing machine you can get away with lesser quality thread. If you have a more sensitive, expensive, computerized machine you want to make sure you buy nicer, more lint free thread. 100% cotton thread to match 100% fabric.

As sewfunquilts said, don't use a hand quilting thread. The standard for most piecing / quilting threads is a 50/3 weight thread. I have a couple friends who use the all purpose threads, because their machines don't like the 100% cotton. My personal preference is to use 100% cotton for piecing and quilting. Gutterman is a good quality, medium priced thread, and I stock up when JoAnn's runs a 40% discount. It works well in all my machines (I have 4 Berninas, 3 Singer Featherweight 221s and a Singer treadle). My sister likes the threads from the Connecting Threads website. It is very reasonably priced and comes in a multitude of colors. The most expensive thread I've used is made by Precensia (a company in Spain) and is a 60/2 weight thread. I order it from Harriet Hargrave's website.

Just remember, the better quality the thread, the less lint is created, which means you spend less time cleaning under the feed dogs.

I use mostly neutral colors - white, beige, taupe, grey and black - for piecing, then match the threads to the top and back when I quilt.

Yes, what the others said, plus I like to use 50 wt or less for piecing. Quilting thread IMO is too thick.

Bluphrog said it - sorry, hadn't seen your post before I replied! I now use YLI 60 wt in the shades Bluphrog mentions. :-D

great info.

Thanks for all of your help....I don't have a expensive singer sewing machine....mine is nice and it does have some other fancy stitches to it and I can quilt on it too if I wanted to.

Next month I am going to stock up on Threads for my sewing machine as well as for quilting. I have one spool of Quilting thread and that is it. The rest of them is the All dual purpose Clarks Threads.

Once again thanks for your help.

This gives me an idea than what I need to buy and what to use the threads for.

If you are stocking up on threads check out Connectingthreads.com. They have wonderful thread that is much cheaper than Coats and Clarks and sews so nice. And they offer free shipping if you spend enough.

All good advice, definitely don't use hand quilting thread on your machine, it can wreak havoc. Always do a few practice lines on some scrap before starting each sewing session...just to make sure things are ticking along nicely.

My 2 cents: I don't use the Coats and Clark anymore. It gives my machine fits. Machine is approx 25 yrs old, a Singer and not the top of the line. I mostly use Gutterman or Mettler, all 100% cotton but I do have some silk glace 100% cotton that I just love. I think ConnectingThreads.com might carry it but not sure. I know I have seen it on the web somewhere. I got mine when stationed in Germany with the Army.

I have a Babylock and can usually get away with using Coats & Clark all purpose thread, but I have better results using 100% cotton thread, either by Coats & Clark or Gutterman. Sometimes the all purpose thread gets jammed up in the bobbin case. And I guess I just like the idea of using cotton thread on a quilt that is cotton.

Great information, thanks for starting this thread!

Thanks for all of the information about the thread and what to use and what not to use.

This was really helpful.

I use the big spools of Maxi lock thread to piece the quilts together and sometimes I have quilted small Lap quilts with the same thread but using the variegated kind.

I built a spool holder for the large spools out in my studio but I have devised a way of making them fit on my machines without the spool holder. Looks funny seeing a Singer 66 with a HUGE spool of thread sitting there but it works and I do not have to change spools out for an entire quilt.

But mainly I use the C&C machine quilting thread for the quilting part because I bought so much of it on sale (50% off) and after I clear them out I am going to Connecting Threads and buy from them.

Billy

Billy I just bought 10 large spools of thread but I don't know how to attach to my singer sewing machine I have it just sitting on the table next to machine. And then then through the holes but I would like to figure a way to attach on machine any ideas or how did u do it?

Your going to laugh when you hear this. :lol:

I was working on my sons Scrappy quilt and I was using up my quilting thread so I went to my studio and grabbed one of the big spools and came in and sat there thinking "there has got to be a way"......

Then it hit me shove the standard spool in the hole and make sure it is good and centered so it will unwind right and put it on my machine. It worked like a charm, looks kinda stupid, but works great!!!

Here is a photo of it on my Kenmore that is for sale in the Classifieds.......

Billy

Just don't do like my friend. She had trouble with her sewing machine...an old one. Found out it would cost $$$ to have it "fixed". So she declined and her mother bought her a new sewing machine for Christmas. Later, she realized she was trying to use UPHOLSTERY thread in the sewing machine. She changed back to regular thread and the old machine works great!!! LOL I STILL think she did that on purpose!

Joann's has a stand that holds the cone spool so you can use it on the sewing machines. Works great! About $7.00

I found a paper towel holder for now hope it works good

I love this set up Billy

Great thread, I was just wondering the same thing myself. I have lots of thread, small spools, normal size, all brands. Many years of accumulation, plus I buy it at yard sales when I find it. I also have lots and lots of machine embroidery thread and serger thread. My question is, can I use the cone thread when quilting? For some reason I always felt that I had to keep it all separate. I have always just used the thread that is for the serger, on the serger and the same with the embroidery thread.

Any thoughts?

Paper towel holder didnt work good I guess I have to go to Joannes for the other thing for 7.00.

I agree. I LOVE their thread! :D

My very favorite thread is SULKY..but it is expensive, so mostly use it for machine applique or machine quilting.
Coats & Clark cotton works fine for piecing.

Don't use the heavier weight quilting thread for piecing. It will take up too much room in your seam, and throw off the size of the pieces. I like to use Aurifil or John Flynn's "So FIne" from Superior threads. Both seem expensive right of, but have a lot of thread on the spool. I generally order them both online from Superior Threads and Red Rock threads.

The responses you've already received are good. In case, like me, you want to know WHY an answer is good, you might enjoy checking out the thread tutorials at: http://www.superiorthreads.com/
They, of course, want you to purchase their threads, but the information Dr. Bob, the thread doctor, gives you, is wonderful.

Of all the ideas given so far, I have to repeat the following: -- don't use hand quilting thread in a machine (it's processed differently at the factory, for one thing, and can mess up your machine, -- don't waste time or money matching colors when piecing - neutral colors will work fine for this part...light neutral for light colored fabric, etc, -- cheaper thread may break more often and leaves a lot of lint in your machine which requires cleaning and could effect your tension the wrong way, why spend all that time and money making a quilt with cheap thread that can wear out when a few cents more can help ensure the quilt lasts a long time? -- "long staple" thread reduces lint and is stronger than short staple (Dr. Bob can explain.

And remember that even when you get the right thread, you need to make sure you use the right needle to go with it...but that's another thread! :lol:

I find it is important to keep the same weight of thread in the top and the bobbin. My favorite is Star thread which is a Coats and Clark off-shoot. I have used it for sewing, topstitching and quilting. Sometimes, I just use up what I have.

Some people say to use only 100% cotton thread with 100 cotton fabric. I think that is a little overkill. My goodness, how much strain will be put on a quilt that the oly-wrapped thread will tear the fabric?

Someone mentioned that they use Maxi Lock thread on their machine. If that is for sergers like I think it is, it's a poor quality for piecing or regular sewing. Serger threads on the big cones can, and usually are, made a little more cheaply than regular sewing threads. Since you usually use three or four threads (if not more) for serging, each thread doesn't need to be made as strong as regular sewing thread.

Also, for those using old threads - test to make sure it's still good. Generally, if you can break it easily with your two hands, it's old and should be thrown away...note I said easily!

My Sewing Machine does not have room enough to take the threads that are on the Cones so I have to use the smaller size spools of threads. My Sewing Machine is a Singer.

I use pretty much whatever thread is handy and is a regular weight. Before I got one of those thread holders I used a large mouth Mason jar to hold my large spool of thread as my thread holders are horizontal and the thread kept catching on a rough spot on the spool. Just toss it in the jar and thread your machine as usual. Worked like a charm. My embroidery machine doesn't always like threads on a horizontal thread pin but worked fine on the spool holder or in a jar. Seemed to unwind more evenly. If you are having problems it's a cheap fix to try.

Would you please let us see a photo of the thread in a jar setup? Thanks

Thank you for that tip...I'll have to try that.

I almost always use Aurfil, as mentioned it may seem expensive but it is a very thin thread and ALOT is on a spool. I go between three or four neutral colors and that may last me a year, my niece does not sew as much as me and one spool lasted her almost a year; I do ALOT of sewing. Also it makes a difference in how your seams lay it is so fine it does not add to seam allowance or bulk. JMHO :) More get wound on your bobbin so it lasts longer before haveing to wind another:)

Here is my two cents. I agree with everything said here about handquilting thread. That is a big no no and it is definitely not meant for machines of any kind.

I use C&C all purpose or heavy duty thread all in neutrals for piecing. On the few occasions I've attempted machine quilting, I use machine quilting thread and I have usually gotten it for more money at the LQS because they are nice enough to explain the thread they carry than at JoAnns when they just want you to hurry up and buy already.

I think since you are a beginner, you can work with the C&C all purpose for a while and then experiment with other threads if you want. All I require of piecing thread is that it not jam up my machine and it holds the seam. I cannot buy those more expensive threads yet. But I'm hoping to catch Connecting Threads when they have a sale.

Thank you for all of the tips on the Threads.

I use only the large cone spools on my White , and -or Singer. My DH cuts a big spools 2/3 up and glues it in the bottom of the LCone. when the cone get empty just prise it out an put it in another. I have conespool prepared for future color fabrick. Not all big spoolare the same size, just compare the spool to the cones bottom opening. We use superglue. Theresse