STRENGTH- Quilting thread is stronger than
A true hand quilting thread has a glaze or wax coating. This special coating increases the breaking strength of the thread, reduces the amount of lint that is displaced when stitching, and also helps the thread slide through fabric easier.
Quilting thread is mercerized for increased strength and color longevity. It's gassed to reduce lint and designed to smoothly pass through the fabric without damaging it. Generally, you can use machine quilting thread for hand quilting as well.
Hand quilting thread is generally 100% cotton, while machine quilting threads can be made from 100% cotton, polyester, a cotton polyester blend, rayon, mono-filament, or metallic. Hand quilting thread may be coated with a wax, which makes it stiffer and easier to glide through the fabric.
For hand quilting, us a heavy thread like a 28-weight cotton thread. The threads used for hand quilting need to be able to withstand the stress of pulling and stretching.
12wt Aurifil thread is ideal for hand quilting, big stitch hand quilting, and machine quilting. When machine quilting with 12wt thread, use 40wt in the bobbin, increase your stitch length, lower your tension, use Topstitch size 90 needles, and stitch slowly for best results.
Gütermann hand quilting thread is a beautiful 100% cotton thread specially designed for hand-sewn quilting projects. The glacé finish protects the thread from oils in your hands and prevents snarls and tangles. Not for machine use.
Sewing thread becomes heavier as weight designations decrease. Heavier weight threads are more noticeable when they are used for quilting. A 40 weight thread is a popular choice for quilting while 30 weight threads are more visible. Lighter 50 weight threads usually blend into the fabric.
Polyester Quilting Threads
Polyester is far stronger than cotton, and as a result, you can find this thread in significantly smaller sizes than cotton will be available in because the thread will still retain its strength, even at a super fine size like 100wt.
Quilting threads are typically made of cotton or polyester. They are often used for visible stitches on a quilted pattern, as opposed to more hidden ones in apparel or upholstery. That said, 40- or 50-weight threads are the most common, so that they are still ultra-fine and subtle.
As long as you use good quality thread, it's perfectly fine to use any type. There is one exception to this and that is nylon. Over time, nylon (monofilament) thread can get brittle and might even discolor. Other threads may be more appropriate than cotton for decorative quilting or embellishing.
Kevlar® thread is one of the strongest and most fire retardant commercially available threads. It is about 2.5 times stronger than nylon or polyester, has almost no stretch, does not melt, and decomposes at 800°F.
100% cotton thread is perfect for hand and machine quilting. Works well on both home sewing and quilting machines.
Drawbacks Of Hand Quilting
If your are quilting alone, working by hand can be incredibly time consuming, and perhaps even lonely if you have your project set up in an out-of-the-way room. If you're buying something hand-quilted, the expert work of those Amish seamstresses is incredibly expensive.
Technically speaking, the hand-stitched piece that uses the "running stitch" provides a stronger and more durable construction than the machine sewn piece that uses the "locking stitch".
In general, cotton thread is great for piecing, while polyester is better used for quilting. Cotton will also shrink, while polyester will not. Thread comes in thickness of 12 weight to 100 weight.
Choose thread colors that will match or blend with fabrics in your quilt. If using dark fabrics, a dark gray would be a good choice. If using light fabrics, off-white blends well. When making scrap quilts of many colored fabrics, choose a neutral thread, such as medium gray.
Is there a difference between apparel cotton and quilting cotton? Quilting cotton is a plain weave fabric always made with 100% cotton and weighs around 140gsm/4 oz per yard. On the other hand, apparel cotton can be any type of weave and weight and includes blends with other fibers.
Gutermann Thread
This high-quality cotton thread can be used for hand sewing, in addition to machine sewing. It is perfect for a longarm machine.
The ideal thread for hand quilting your binding is a cotton 8 or 12 weight in a contrasting color from your binding, so it shows up! I also suggest using a needle that has an eye large enough to easily thread but not too big that it makes it difficult to glide through the layers of fabric.
When discussing weight of thread, the smaller the number, the thicker the thread. The weight is determined by how many meters of thread it takes for a skein to weigh one kilogram. In this case, the 40 wt thread is slightly thicker (heavier) than the 50 wt thread.
The most common stitch used for hand quilting is the running stitch. To do the running stitch, insert your needle from one side of your quilt to the other and 'run' the needle and thread up and down.
Stitch with an 18" length of hand-quilting thread in your needle. You'll begin and end your stitching by burying the thread tail between the layers of the quilt; this prevents knots from showing on the front or back of the quilt.
When hand-quilting a quilt, choose a needle with a large eye that will accommodate medium-weight thread. You may want to select a size 7 or 8, as the shaft will be longer and easier to work through several layers of your quilt. The higher the number, the shorter and finer it is with sewing needles.