lpepperl

I am brand new to quilting and have only completed 3 baby quilts. Today, I began to FMQ a lap quilt that I am making for my husband's birthday. I noticed a spot where some of my piecing was coming apart so I stopped and repaired the spot. While repairing it, my thread broke three times. I walked over to my machine and pulled some of the thread from the bobbin. It broke quite easily. This is a brand new large spool of sulky embroidery thread and I am 3/4 of the way finished quilting this quilt. I am furious!!!! Should I rip out everything I've quilted so far or should I risk that the thread will hold. The thought of ripping 3/4 of a quilt out makes me want a stiff drink!! My husbands birthday is in two weeks and I so wanted to be finished on time. Also, can you tell me what kind of thread I should use to avoid this situation in the future?? Please advise!! Thanks, Lynn

Tartan

I would finish quilting it with the thread you are using. Embroidery thread is really not recommended for machine quilting because it is fragile. I would then go back in and do a grid pattern in quilting thread or invisible thread to further stabilize the quilt if possible.

bearisgray

I second that embroidery thread - while pretty - is not as strong as 'regular' thread.

If the overall quilting is okay - just quilt more densely - and I think it will be all right.

With a more fragile thread - I think if the quilting lines are close together - it will hold - at least, it will hold better than if the lines are far apart.

lpepperl

I was told, at the Bernina dealer, to quilt with this embroidery thread. What thread should I be using??

Prism99

I like Glide thread for quilting. Glide is a polyester thread. For my domestic sewing machine, I also like Aurifil 50wt 2-ply cotton thread for quilting.

Is your embroidery thread by any chance rayon? Rayon is typically not used for either piecing or quilting because it cannot stand up to the wear and tear that quilts get. Rayon is often used for embroidery thread because it has a nice sheen and fills up designs well.

bearisgray

I should have stated that RAYON embroidery sewing machine thread is not as strong as regular cotton, cotton-poly, or polyester thread.

I had forgotten that sewing machine embroidery thread comes in other fibers, and I don't know enough about them to make an intelligent statement.

Terri D.

Agree with Tartan that embroidery thread is too fine for quilting. 30-, 40-, or 50-weight 3-ply cotton thread is typically recommended for quilting as it offers the strength needed to hold the three layers together.

I would hesitate, however, about finishing the quilt with a thread that is already showing signs of stress--before the quilt has transitioned into normal, everyday use--as I fear you may be constantly repairing it, which may turn out to cost you more time in the long run than had you ripped out the quilting stitches you've put into it so far.

A year ago, I helped repair a botched binding job on a very large quilt. It took 2-1/2 hours, but I got real comfy, listened to one of my favorite movies, and it wasn't so bad.

Whatever you decide, I hope your hubby loves his new quilt!

pocoellie

I've been using machine embroidery thread for my FMQ and haven't had any problems. I have heard and read that rayon machine embroidery thread isn't very strong but what I use is a poly, so maybe your problem is that your thread is a rayon.

jo bauer

Well, good advice here, but I use emb. thread for quilting on my machine, either polyester or rayon when I want the sheen, especially on Christmas stuff. Need a 90 needle, and slower speed on the pedal and hands. If the thread of any kind breaks, I just back tack and carry on. Oh, do you make sure you pull your bobbin thread up when you begin? I don't know why, but it seems to help.

BettyGee

Tartan is right as usual. Embroidery thread just doesn't hold up with the machine.