Of thread and rotary blades....
#81
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: New England
Posts: 865
I sort and store my threads by weights and composition, such as rayon or cotton or poly or metallic, etc. I first figure out what weight and composition of thread I need, then go see what colors I have of that type of thread. How do you sort/store your thread?
#82
Whatever thread you go with, before you buy a bunch of it, make sure your machine likes it. My machine got really picky after I used about four spools of Connecting Thread, so I bought Aurofil thread to try. I really like Aurofil. I went back to try Connecting Thread again and my machine did fine. Connecting Thread is $2.49 a spool, while Aurofil is $8-$9. I use Coats and Clark when I need to match a color and have had no problem.
#83
I am surprised to see only one mention for threads from Threadart.com I have used their threads for over 6 years now and have all my pupils on their threads. Very low lint on the cotton threads, http://www.threadart.com/c-661-cotton-thread-sets.aspx Their colour twist thread http://www.threadart.com/c-9-color-twist-thread.aspx is wonderful for embroidary and I have used it for quilting with great success.
#84
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: San Joaquin Valley, California
Posts: 829
I use different threads. Coats and Clark double duty xp for most of my piecing. I also use Aurafil Egyptian thread it is very fine and does not lint up my machine only problem is that it is about $11. a spool of 1200 yards.
For blades I try to buy a 5 pak so I always have a spare (but I used to work at a quilt store and got a discount, not anymore..). I tried a sharpener but was never satisfied with the results.
For blades I try to buy a 5 pak so I always have a spare (but I used to work at a quilt store and got a discount, not anymore..). I tried a sharpener but was never satisfied with the results.
#85
I took a class on threads, and we studied them under microscopes and with magnifying glasses. Many threads, including Coats and Clark apparently, are short pieces of thread sort of stuck together with many starts and stops; in other words, not good quality. Auriful is the best quality, as seen under the microscope. Superior isn't bad. Gutterman is so-so. I haven't looked at Connecting Threads. The best thread is long-staple Egyptian cotton, according to what I learned in class.
50 weight/3 ply of most threads is good for piecing and can be used for quilting. 40 weight/3 ply is for quilting, holding the three layers together. It is thicker. Most machines will take those threads. 30 weight and 12 weight are mostly for decorative uses. Rayon is mostly decorative; I would not expect it to hold my quilt top, batting, and back together when the quilt is used a lot. 60 weight thread would not normally be used for quilting (Bottom Line might be the exception, as is silk, possibly.) There are other threads, other weights, and hand dyes as well. Many machines will not take every thread. (I have one machine, called the Old Piecer, which is a Model 15 clone and excellent for piecing, but it will not sew with a thread heavier than 50 weight.)
I am cautious about YLI. I was in a class where we used YLI threads and 30 of 32 machines from a variety of manufacturers had problems with it, five or six machines having to go for repair. The innards of those machines were so snarled with that YLI thread that it took me five hours to cut it out of my Singer 301, which until that time handled any thread, and I am a sewing machine mechanic I had to take the machine apart. It is very loosely wound thread, despite wonderful colors.
Spun polyester is the lowest quality of polyester, I was told.
I do use Coats and Clark for homeless quilts. I do not use it for heirloom or "good" quilts. I think the dual duty is cotton-wrapped polyester, which works okay for clothing. If you like cotton-wrapped poly, try Permacore. It is excellent for general sewing and even quilting; google it or try ebay. I've used it for years with no problems. It is also cheap. It comes in cones only.
I have had friends sharpen blades for me with portable sharpeners and they were dull within the hour. (I do a lot of cutting.) I bought a large order of the Harbor Freight blades and the first blade was fine. The following six blades wouldn't cut and some had big nicks in them, straight from the package. I won't buy them again.
50 weight/3 ply of most threads is good for piecing and can be used for quilting. 40 weight/3 ply is for quilting, holding the three layers together. It is thicker. Most machines will take those threads. 30 weight and 12 weight are mostly for decorative uses. Rayon is mostly decorative; I would not expect it to hold my quilt top, batting, and back together when the quilt is used a lot. 60 weight thread would not normally be used for quilting (Bottom Line might be the exception, as is silk, possibly.) There are other threads, other weights, and hand dyes as well. Many machines will not take every thread. (I have one machine, called the Old Piecer, which is a Model 15 clone and excellent for piecing, but it will not sew with a thread heavier than 50 weight.)
I am cautious about YLI. I was in a class where we used YLI threads and 30 of 32 machines from a variety of manufacturers had problems with it, five or six machines having to go for repair. The innards of those machines were so snarled with that YLI thread that it took me five hours to cut it out of my Singer 301, which until that time handled any thread, and I am a sewing machine mechanic I had to take the machine apart. It is very loosely wound thread, despite wonderful colors.
Spun polyester is the lowest quality of polyester, I was told.
I do use Coats and Clark for homeless quilts. I do not use it for heirloom or "good" quilts. I think the dual duty is cotton-wrapped polyester, which works okay for clothing. If you like cotton-wrapped poly, try Permacore. It is excellent for general sewing and even quilting; google it or try ebay. I've used it for years with no problems. It is also cheap. It comes in cones only.
I have had friends sharpen blades for me with portable sharpeners and they were dull within the hour. (I do a lot of cutting.) I bought a large order of the Harbor Freight blades and the first blade was fine. The following six blades wouldn't cut and some had big nicks in them, straight from the package. I won't buy them again.
One of the biggest problems with Rayon thread is that it is not color fast like a poly thread. Rayon fades with washings.
I use DMC all cotton all the time for piecing. I love DMC as it is a very good quality thread made in France.
I also use Isacord for machine embroidery. I don't know why some machines use some threads better than others, but I have found that I never have a problem with machine embroidery when I use Isacord. I do have problems when I use Mediera for machine embroidery. It is all a matter of choice.
I have the best results with metallic thread when I use Superior Metallics. Less breakage and fewer problems with shredding. But remember to use a metallic needle along with the metallic thread. Also, loosen the tension a little on your machine. I never put metallic in the bobbin.
I use poly thread when making garments because of the strength on the thread. I really don't care which brand of poly.
I never use very old thread. Thread gets old, rotten, and weak just like everything else. I wouldn't take the chance on making a beautiful quilt just to have it fall apart the first time it is washed because I went cheap on the thread and used old thread or cheaply made thread. I threw out all my Coats and Clark thread that was 30+ years old.
Remember, the larger the weight of thread the smaller the thread. A 50 weight is normal for sewing and piecing. A 40 weight is a thicker, heavier thread usually used for quilting. A 60 weight as in Bottom Line is a very very thin thread made to put in your bobbins to minimize changing the bobbin. A 30 weight is a very thick thread . . . as the number gets smaller the thread gets heavier and thicker. Just the opposite of a needle, which gets larger as the number gets larger, i.e., a size 100 needle is larger than a size 80 needle, where a 60 weight thread is smaller than a 50 weight thread! Are you confused?
Nancy
#86
Super Member
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Missouri
Posts: 1,250
Buy good quality thread like Mettler, Guttermann, no Coats & Clark. Especially colors like tan, grey, off white. I think rotary blades are pretty universal, Fiskers, Olfa are good blades. Stock up while they are on sale, they usually have a limit. You will need them evenually, and they don't take up much room.
#87
I invested in an electric blade sharpener which does the small blade as well as the next size up. Thirty seconds on each side and I have a blade which can slice through bone....just joking about the bone part, I still have my fingers. This has been such a good purchase, it has already paid for itself, and I have a brand new blade each time.
#88
BTW PM me I have a tip on the Import duty, which I don't want to go into here.
#90
atI have used Harbor Freight blades now for a couple of years and they have worked great for me.......at $1 a piece so much easier......I also like connecting threads best but also use dual duty that I have .
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