Thread for Quilting
 

I am making a log cabin quilt and wanted to know if I needed to use quilting thread to sew the strips of material together or can I just use an all purpose thread? And just use the quilting thread when I start sewing the back and felting material together.

When you say "quilting thread" does the spool actually say "quilting" on it, as in hand quilting? I would not recommend putting that through your sewing machine. Hand quilting thread has a coating on it that sewing machines don't like.

If you mean "quilting thread" for hand quilting-that will not work on a sewing machine. I use Aurifil 50 weight in my machine and it works great.

The threads that are sold as cotton quilting threads are mostly for the quilting part and not the piecing. Some of them (like the Coats & Clarks) are very linty.

I've used Dual Duty for most of the last 40 years with zero problems, like the older thread better but still using the new threads if I need the color. I'm switching over to Aurifil because my friend says the Bernina she gave me likes it best -- it's nice thread and I like it too! Since I mostly do scrap quilts, mostly I use can't match threads. With my vision issues, I can't see matched thread/fabric, so I typically use a beige and a light steel blue colors, one as my top and one as my bobbin.

I bought a large spool of white So Fine that I want to use for my piecing bobbins too. So far I'm having problems with that because the Bernina needs to go to the shop and the cheapo Brother I have as a backup has a broken bobbin winder and then the side winder doesn't like the big spool so no word to report on that.

Log cabin quilt
 

Thanks!! Glad I asked!

Thats what I have, Dual Duty from my mom's and mother in laws stash. I am sewing on my mother in laws Singer 503 machine, it's 60 yrs old, but runs so smooth. Both of them were seamstress, I'm more of a knitter, but I'm enjoying getting into sewing/quilting!

You will be doing just fine with the stashed Dual Duty. Before using old threads, do a yank test to see how easily the thread breaks. If you can easily break it, don't use it! Otherwise, good to go.

Some of those old vintage machines are lovely. I'm having various issues including I dropped the foot of my vintage Remington and something broke, which is why I am down to my portable "class" machine. Finally got it open and was impressed by how complex it was inside -- but it is definitely major part broken and not repairable by me and I didn't like seeing that little flash of electric spark that must have happened when I plugged it in to see if it still worked... I'll be able to get a new foot pedal for it. I have a vintage Pfaff that was my favorite machine from when I was still doing costuming, unfortunately, it is currently more of a TV stand than a usable sewing machine but that can be semi-easily changed.

So most of my old wood spools of cotton thread are no longer good -- but some still are! Haven't come up to a Dual Duty that wasn't usable yet, and a lot of what I use does come from estate sales and such. I used to collect vintage fabric with the intent to sell it but then realized it was only coming into the house and not leaving... also bought a lot of thread during that period.

I've been a quilter for 40 years but I have progressive vision issues and I am relearning how to knit. At least I think I'm knitting, it might be a purl! All I'm doing right now is I have a bunch of yarn that I am just doing the same stitch and it will eventually end up as a dog blanket. The beginning part is super rough, but I'm quite impressed with it having been at least 20 years since I last knitted and without my contacts I'm legally blind.

I have found that a good quality Coats and Clark works for me the best. My Janome is not fussy about thread.

I was just questing my judgement as I love to use Glide for my machine piecing and I realized I hadn't change outthe spool and have been making a bundle of face mask using my precious Glide thread. I use it mostly for machine quilting as I love the strength of the thread and the feel of it in the machine and on the quilt.