You're great quilting debate series has been so awesome! Polyester thread doesn't shred fabric, you're right. My mom and grandma have explained it to this way; the poly thread is strong so when it's used for piecing cotton with regular use and wear over time the weave of the fabric wears at a faster rate than the thread used. This leaves seams in a state that is difficult to repair. If cotton thread is used for piecing the thread is likely to giveaway before the fabric leaving it in a condition that is easier to repair. I really think this is less applicable to machine quilted quilts as the quilting does most of the heavy lifting. I've only had one quilt tear apart at the seams, the first quilt my mom ever made and it was tied. It lasted 25/30 years.
Thank you for sharing Lindsey! I didn't realize this whole thing was about piecing, not quilting! But then the rumor mill just decided polyester was bad at everything. Huh..It's so funny how these things get started and keep going!
I read something else that you had written saying you like Isacord and I too was having thread breakage so decided to try it....OMG. It has been amazing! No more breaks, thread nests and multiple needle changes. Thank you for the advice. BTW, I'm old enough to have used the old poly threads and they were definitely different. Not like today's threads at all.
I took a class of yours on Craftsy and was introduced to Isocord thread then. I couldn't find any in my local quilt store so bought the polyester they had and ended up with breaks. I did find a place to order Isocord from here in Canada (on the other side of the country) and got a mixed set of colours and what a difference!! Hardly any breaks ( and I am a beginner Fmq). When I ran out I tried the other brand again but the breaks started again. I swear by Isocord and that is the only thread I use for my free motion quilting. Thanks for the interesting topics and the great tutorials you produce.
Thank you for being willing to tackle this. You go against most of the quilting books I have in my library-- But I'm totally WITH you - I just ignore these people who tell us what we can or can't use. Thank you for encouraging quilters to THINK. I just hate it that so many people think that Jane Quilter will follow them blindly - without thinking for herself. (Maybe way too many people do - as evidenced by the depth of this deeply embedded myth.) I think you could make the argument that thread might tear the fabric if it is large thread - cotton, linen, poly, silk etc. Doesn't matter what it's made of - if it is a heavy weight thread and sewn pretty densely and then you try to rip it out - it will probably tear the fibers of your cotton fabric. Also, back in the 70's polyester double knit was a big deal - and that fabric will last 2 or 3 people lifetimes of constant use! So, maybe by contrast, cotton fabric tore easily. Maybe. ?? I was a teenager back then but I certainly wasn't quilting.
Thank you for sharing Becky! I'm so glad you're enjoying the podcasts! Yes, I think it was a combo of bad polyester thread and weak cotton fabric. But it's high time we let this one go and enjoy using the beautiful polyester threads we have to play with now!
i have been quilting for a long time...since the early 90's. I have always used polyester thread without any issues. Quilts that I did 25 years ago with polyester thread look the same. I guess I never gave it a second thought. I also throw in some polycotton blends, cause I can. I agree, I do what I want. I do piece with poly with no issues. Love to see you spinning...I was at my loom today weaving which is great therapy. No motor, plug in, touch screen, electric, apps, just me and a loom. Good times!
Thank you for sharing this experience! You're right - use what works and don't worry about the "rules" and opinions from the peanut gallery. I'll have to do a video on spinning. It's so relaxing!
I would bet that when the fabric shredded was the fault of the fabric most quilters I knew back then used scraps from sewing projects & some of it was old & some were clothing that was cut up to make those quilts.
Thanks Leah, I totally agree, Isacord works great and Aurifill breaks all the time. I`m so thankful that I learned that from you by the time I started free motion quilting.
Great discussion! I have to admit, I’d always been something of a purist when it came to threads. And while I still love Aurifil and King Tut for quilting, I finally tried poly threads and am hooked in a very big way now. I’m just glad my Gammill loves thread, no matter what I put in it. B
That's great! Yes, it's easy to get stuck in a box with this stuff. Just be open to trying new things. Some things work, some things don't and that's how we learn!
Thank you for clarifying things. I'm a new quilter and could use all the helpful tips and ideas and I've found your to be the best in so far as making sense to me . Love ur videos and thank you for helping me become a better quilter. I hope you and your family have a safe and Merry Christmas.
I started quilting back in the 90s and used cotton thread because I heard the seam should be the weakest part of the quilt. I used it for quilting too because hey, I already had it. I still do it the same way, used to it I guess. I did make cotton garments with poly thread in the 70s and they seemed to handle a rough tomboy without shredding.
Thank you, thank you thank you!!! I have a lot of polyester thread that I use for machine embroidery, it is beautiful thread, and am glad to hear that it really isn't the taboo to utilize it's use in quilting as I'd been told it was.
In the UK when you buy a new sewing machine they always think they are doing you a big favour by adding in little extras, usually lots and lots of spools of cheap thread (they don't tell you that of course). Over the years I have purchased a few sewing machines going from a basic machine to my now ultimate machine and I didn't seem to have any problems with the thread, at least I didn't think I had problems but now your debate has made me think and I did used to get lots of thread breaks but just thought it was cheap thread. When I started quilting someone mentioned Aurifil thread so I got a couple of spoils of that thread and I still got the threadbreaks but no where as bad as the cheap threads. Then I came across a young lady named Leah Day and her teaching was so good and she was such a dynamic person that I found I copied everything she did and did everything she said, always use cotton fabric, always use Isaacord thread. Because she was so good I listened and only brought cotton fabric and Isaacord thread and I can honestly say that for the past 2 years I have never had a threadbreak so once again Leah I have to agree with your teachings and thank you for saving my hair - all these threadbreaks made me want to pull my hair out.
Wow! No thread breaks in 2 years?! That is incredible! I agree, thread breaks make me want to pull my hair out too. I'm so happy you've been able to avoid them so long!
Isacord is fantastic. I've tried other poly threads in the embroidery genre and it broke and shred. I love that you share all of this so we don't have to buy a gazillion threads only to be disappointed. Yep, you're the best
Yep I heard this rumor too that is how I am finding your channel I was looking up the truth to this rumor. The way I understand it if your thread snaps or shreds you need a different needle. IF the thread is too large it will frey ?
Leah, I just purchased my first spool of Isacord, I'm excited about using on the quilt I'm working on but was wondering if I should use it for the bobbin as well since it is such a silky thread...also, what about mixing types of thread ie...polyester and cotton for the bobbin. I love Aurafil for piecing but wonder if I could use it as a bobbin thread with the Isacord or if this would produce problems later.. thanks Leah!
Yep, I use Isacord in the top and bobbin of the machine. No I don't ever mismatch threads. Using two different threads, especially different weights automatically creates tension issues. Unless you want a headache of tension fiddling, just use the same thread in the top and bobbin of your machine!
@@LeahDay Thank you so much Leah, having a headache doesn't appeal to me!! LOL I'm sure my machine will also like not having lint as well. I still love Aurafil but I'm always willing to improve especially FMQ. I have a couple more questions if you don't mind..1. when you talk about ironing and starching in some of your other videos... do you steam press the entire pieces of fabric before quilting and then starch and then again after each block or???? I love using starch so I stock up I just don't know how often and when to use it.. I starch before i cut my pieces, after the block is finished and again after the quilt top is finished... is that overkill or what? 2. Do you feel that using the center of the quilt top for measuring and cutting borders is incorrect? In a way it makes sense but borders are the toughest part of the piecing and most sensitive to me, I currently measure both ends and middle and figure the average to cut but I also like short cuts...whats your thought...I try to keep up with your videos but sometimes I miss them so I don't know if you have previously mentioned these areas, I'm sure you have so point me in the right direction if you can..
I enjoy watching your videos and quilting. Isacord thread was the thread recommended to me for my long arm. Fortunately for me the machine/quilt store in my area has a huge selection of Isacord thread to choose from. I have used polyester threads to quilt with on my domestic machine and never had any problems. I do use cotton thread to piece. Thanks for sharing. Happy holidays and Merry Christmas!
Thanks Leah. I'm a new quilter and much of the thread I have is what I would use for sewing garments which is polyester. So I used poly. But my thread was breaking and yes, frustration. I was getting skipped stitches and trying everything all the quilting gurus are saying you must do if this happens or that happens. I'd change my needles, mess with my tension, went out and bought 100% cotton thread and still my thread would break, skip stitches and make me swear this machine was a piece of junk. I took it in to the local repair store where I bought it and $89 later get back a machine that they say there is nothing wrong with. In the meantime while the machine was in the repair shop behaving itself, I watched your video on your new Juki and started to look further into those. Well, I could't afford a Juki but found a Brother just like your Juki and my husband bought it for my Christmas present. I have polyester thread in there and it sews like a charm. So I guess Baby Lock is best for garment sewing and polyester thread is not going to get me arrested by the quilt gurus. But I have not tried Isacord Polyester Embroidery thread. I will look into that. Then when I go to my Baby Lock for decorative stitches maybe I won't get the breakage. Want to thank you for your one segment also on quilt as you go with your block and join method. That is what I'm using for my second ever quilt and I'm in the process of squaring up my blocks now and in a few days should get to the cutting binding strips. That video is a blessing to me. I am not confident to put a Queen size quilt in my machine and try to quilt that, but am enjoying working on a more manageable 12" block. Great tips.
Love your videos. I have always used cotton thread. I will have to buy some polyester thread and try it. I also love the tree picture. I watch the video and I think and it came out perfect. Leah have a great week.
Thank you for this 1 Leah! I took a longarm class and started a quilt war among various camps. Interestingly the instructor mentioned that organizations that collect heirloom/antique quilts are recommending polyester threads for the quilting since cotton thread deteriorates over time. I use cotton for piecework but leaning towards using polyester on the longarm. I am still trying to find the right thread that will work for me on the long arm.
Sue McCoy what type of long arm do you have? I tried Omni on my tinlizzie but was getting a lot of thread breaks even with the tension being at basically 0.
I bought a Babylock coronet last spring. Isacord works the very best. I tried other threads but came back to Isacord and won’t use anything else.I first learned about this thread from Leah Day a couple of years ago.
I agree - the polyester thread is the only thing that doesn't break on my machine every 5 minutes. It still does, but I do get a good run. I like Bottom Line in the bobbin because I've never had bobbin issues with that. At the moment I've been using So Fine. One brand of cotton thread was always breaking and that was even just making a tote bag with a walking foot! I use the rest of it for hand sewing or basting - can't waste it! Then I found out the lady in my local quilt shop had the same issues with the same thread. So far I haven't tried doing more quilting with other brands of cotton, although I like piecing with it. I remember someone saying that the reason they didn't use polyester threads were because they were more abrasive than cotton. But times are different as you say and the manufacturers are more keen to get their product known for reliability. I do hope I get your book for Christmas - it was a big hint to a member of my family! :D
Thank you for sharing your experience Kerry! I agree - times have changed and threads are made much better these days. I do hope Santa comes through for you!
I have some old quilts from the 70's that have held up pretty well considering how many times they have been washed... :) How can you tell what kind of thread was used on a quilt??
I used probably a lower quality polyester thread to quilt my first quilt. I'm using it on my bed, and it's breaking in stressful areas. (I quiltted it really good, so it's not going to fall apart!) I think the newer threads would have been a better bet, but I bought a lot of colors of the same thread back in 2013. They look pretty, but I'm not impressed! I'm back to quilting with cotton thread, now. I trust it more!
Busy woman! Me too. This time of year is always hectic. I found a few months ago on TH-cam thread lectures where they dispelled a lot of myths. I wish I could remember the name of the company that did it. It was very interesting
Found it! On the superior threads TH-cam channel they have "thread therapy with Dr. Bob". There are several videos covering various thread related topics
It all depends....if you are making a hand stitched quilt that requires patience, long hours, days or weeks along with heavy duty quilting thread polyester will hold. But the trick is to also incorporate cotton batting.
I have tried different kinds of thread and have not had problems with either cotton or polyester breaking. All but just a couple of my threads are new (bought in 2017 when I resumed sewing). My machine is also new (Christmas gift last year), and that may help, plus I try to use the right needle. However, I like to experiment with thread. I used rayon (Sulky) when quilting (FMQ) a full sized grand mother’s flower garden. That was because I heard it has a nice sheen and was soft. I use invisible thread on top for stitch in the ditch. The bobbin gets the thread that I plan to use with the FMQ. I have used cotton quilting thread from the LQS and used that on a couple of quilts. Then there are metallic threads. Love using them in table runners and wall hangings. Now how do I get back in the cotton only box....
Thanks so much for discussion. I've only been using cotton and I am having thread breaks more frequently as I am trying more challenging quilting designs. I'm definitely going to try some polyester thread. I hope to ease the frustration that is thread breakage.
Hi Leah, should your bobbin match your upper thread color, the reason I am asking is my quilt is red and white being my main backing and the back of my quilt is red paw print, not sure what color to use if I use red it will show on my white but nice on the back of the quilt and if I use white it will be nice in the front but the back of the quilt will show. This is my first quilt not sure what to do.
I know this sounds scary, but yes, you should use the same color in the top and bobbin. The reason is no matter how perfect your tension, most machines tend to pull a bit to one side or the other. This will appear as little pops of the wrong color on both sides. So as scary as it sounds, I would recommend quilting with white or light pink thread. Yep, it will show on the back. Practice a bit on your backing fabric and see what you think. If you hate it, pick another backing fabric!
@@LeahDay thank you so much Leah, this really helps, I will try some colors on some pcs first. I really appreciate your feedback, and love your tutorials.
I use Aurifil 50 wt mako cotton for piecing. It can also be used for machine quilting but does break on me occasionally which is why I usually only use it for piecing.
Hey Leah please please keep a book for me, I know most of you don't ship outside of the U.S. so I'm going to see how best I can get mine thank you, and that button craft tree final works out great well done my friend, it looks good
Exactly leah, use what works and I find no problem with polester threads. I didn't know you were a spinner I am too. Are you planning to put up a spinning video sometime? Might get a few more younger ones spinning, it's a really good craft to know, dyeing different types of fleece with all sorts of things is alot of fun.
I completely agree! I haven't made any spinning videos mostly because I've never bothered learning the proper names for everything and my method is pretty slap dash. Grab something that looks spinnable and play...I'm not sure that would make for a great tutorial but I'll give it a go!
Polyter. Thread is what I use when I'm sewing quilts or pretty much any thing cause I fond that when I use cotton threads it misses up my sewing meachine and it breaks all the time
You said in this video that you don't use the polyester thread for machine piecing, well isn't that where those rumors of the past have been an issue? I always took the rumors as just that and I used polyester thread for machine piecing myself for years before I switched to cotton thread although I admit I do still like working with polyester better. The stretch on quilts isn't as hard on quilting as it is on piecing when you pull a quilt on the bed, for instance, it may have some effect on the quilting, but wouldn't it have just as much of an effect on the seams that are pieced with polyester? I think if someone saw tears and such, those tears are at the seams where the piecing occurred over the quilted areas. Thus, it makes me curious of the effect of polyester with piecing, but since I know that polyester really has no effect with piecing and at least 8 quilts that are over 25 years old now with polyester thread and no tears, I am pretty sure that polyester also wouldn't be bad for piecing either. Back then, I don't think they even made a cotton thread and if they did it was not widely available. My own quilt shops carried polyester threads so I didn't think anything of the fact that some quilters thought polyester was bad for the quilt, as a seamstress, you work a lot with polyester thread and you know it really doesn't play a huge effect on most fabrics except for delicates as it will tear silks, and lightweight fabrics. Back then machine quilting was not a popular idea either, I still did that anyway because I totally agree with you, you do what you feel comfortable yourself with and not worry about what everyone else thinks. :) I also don't think every quilt has to have cotton only... and your right, it's funny how some people think on all these funny issues. The reason I switched to cotton for piecing had nothing to do with how it affected piecing, but more how it felt with cotton over polyester. Polyester is a strong thread and can leave a "thickness" of sorts, whereas cotton is much lighter in weight and presses without the thickness involved in the seam. My newer sewing machine sews the cotton just fine, but my newer embroidery machine dislikes cotton thread as much as it dislikes rayon threads. I also think thread tension on the machines is at issue when we have those thread breaks, so machines just need that tension adjusted for different types of thread. I'm coming to realize this with my newer embroidery machine as it dislikes many types of threads but if I relax the tension a bit I don't have the thread breaks.
I've always been asked about polyester in relation to quilting so that's what I was addressing here. I don't think there's a single right or wrong thread. I just decided not to use Isacord for piecing because it's pretty slippery and I noticed for chain piecing and strip piecing the edges fray a bit more than I like. Thank you for sharing your experience!
Leah Day it would be a fun conversation during a podcast. I received your email and would love to be interviewed in the spring. I'll reply with my contact information. Perhaps we can chat. 😁
Dear sweet Leah. I am always amazed at how much you do for so many people in so many ways. I do not know how you do it. Do you have hours in your day compared to everyone else? Well my point is this (and I hope you wont take offence at some advice from a 52 year old mum who home-educated her two girls until college and knows all about 'burn-out' as it is known in the home-ed world) - don't stretch yourself too thin so you are not enjoying what you are doing and definitely definitely (I cannot stress this enough) take time out for yourself. Batteries need recharging for everyone else they go flat :) So there is a bit of advice from someone who cannot help playing Mumsie to anyone and everyone. Take care and I hope you and your family have an amazing Xmas. Above all I hope you enjoy your much deserved special week afterwards. Best wishes x
Thank you Tracey! I couldn't agree more. This is why I don't travel much, and I don't teach quilting in person even though I really love it. It's too exhausting and I end up feeling very depleted. But even with those limits set up, I was still feeling overextended so I'm scaling back and getting really focused on the videos I need ready for January 2018. I'm also planning the podcast ahead as well as taking time for me to just sit and be still. Balance is always the goal. I hardly ever achieve it, but it's always my goal!
I don't know whether you have one but I was bought a Filofax last Xmas and it has made such a difference to my time planning....so long as I stick to it :) I wish you a relaxed and creative 2018.
The thing is I see isaacord thread in Jamaica, its mostly polyester thread, I thing it's a myth remember it's also have to do with tension, at least I think so if its too tight then you'll have a lot of breakage
I love watching you videos because i learn so much so thank you fir taking the time to do them so well. I've only been quilting for 1 year now and polyester thread is the only thread I can find here in the Dominican Republic. So I used that. I order my threads online now. The Only thing I do not do is piecing with polyester anymore after my 1st quilt. I hand pieced my first quilt (which I'm still hand quilting) lol but the experience of hand piecing I had with poly was when I went to set my seems with iron and iron them to whatever side the poly thread shrank making fabric pucker. That is it. So I don't peice with poly. Now I haven't quilted yet with poly but I am going to try because I'm having the same thing with quilting a inch and breakage. So I'm going to give it a try and see because I'm still learning about everything having to do with quilting and I have no clue about threads and brands nothing so I'm going to give it a try. Have a nice day and Happy Quilting.
Thank you for sharing your experiences Yolanda. I would try using a pressing cloth between the fabric and the iron and that might help with the shrinking effect you were seeing on the polyester thread. The key is to just keep trying new things and then stick with what works for you!
Leah Day yes, however auto captions arent always the best. If you say something to fast or unclearly or with an accent sometimes th captions turn to gibberish or completely inaccurate. As an example someone could say : "I made this quilt out of this beautiful striped cotton and i love the effects of it" and the auto captions can easily turn it into " i made this cut ulta this beautiful striped coat and olive the at ex off it" this is a major problem with auto captions.. Will you consider maybe asking your viewers to add captions if you dont have the time to add them yourself? I know its alot of work for you, but Us deaf people really appreciate having clear and accurate captions and equal access to information that hearing people have to the audio.
Please everyone, avoid polyester all together. There is a scientific reason why polyester and synthetic fibers develop bad odor, while natural fibers do not. "In the study, the researchers had cyclists wearing cotton, synthetic, and mixed-fiber T-shirts complete one hour of intensive biking. Afterwards, they sealed the sweaty shirts in a plastic bag for 28 hours. Then they performed a sniff test, and found that polyester tees smelled less pleasant and more intense, musty, sweaty, and sour than their cotton counterparts. Polyester tees-and other synthetics-also showed high growth of a particularly smelly kind of bacteria called micrococci, which was practically absent in cotton samples. “Micrococci transform the hormones and amino acids in the sweat into odorous compounds,” says study author Chris Callewaert, Ph.D. The kinds of bacteria that flourish in cotton don’t have that same stench-stimulating ability."
I quote a scientific fact here, not an opinion. Polyester is basically plastic, and can be made from recycled PET water bottles and different kinds of plastic, on top of the terrible tendency it has to hold micrococci bacteria onto it that causes it to stink terribly, which basically makes it unwearable under any circumstance. The only thing allowing industrialists producing it to make cash is because the public is uninformed and uneducated and will buy a material just because it is cheap without even knowing what it is and where it came from. Boycott polyester which is toxic, and encourage natural fibers.
You're great quilting debate series has been so awesome! Polyester thread doesn't shred fabric, you're right. My mom and grandma have explained it to this way; the poly thread is strong so when it's used for piecing cotton with regular use and wear over time the weave of the fabric wears at a faster rate than the thread used. This leaves seams in a state that is difficult to repair. If cotton thread is used for piecing the thread is likely to giveaway before the fabric leaving it in a condition that is easier to repair. I really think this is less applicable to machine quilted quilts as the quilting does most of the heavy lifting. I've only had one quilt tear apart at the seams, the first quilt my mom ever made and it was tied. It lasted 25/30 years.
Thank you for sharing Lindsey! I didn't realize this whole thing was about piecing, not quilting! But then the rumor mill just decided polyester was bad at everything. Huh..It's so funny how these things get started and keep going!
I read something else that you had written saying you like Isacord and I too was having thread breakage so decided to try it....OMG. It has been amazing! No more breaks, thread nests and multiple needle changes. Thank you for the advice. BTW, I'm old enough to have used the old poly threads and they were definitely different. Not like today's threads at all.
That's wonderful! I'm so glad to hear that Shari!
I didn't even consider the difference when I made my first quilt, have learned a lot from you, thanks for '"empowering us."
You're very welcome Joan. There's no right or wrong way or wrong materials to use so just use what works!
You saved me so much stress worrying over thread. I will never used any thing else. It’s made my quilting awesome👏👏👏❤️
Yay! I'm so happy to hear this Terry!
I took a class of yours on Craftsy and was introduced to Isocord thread then. I couldn't find any in my local quilt store so bought the polyester they had and ended up with breaks. I did find a place to order Isocord from here in Canada (on the other side of the country) and got a mixed set of colours and what a difference!! Hardly any breaks ( and I am a beginner Fmq). When I ran out I tried the other brand again but the breaks started again. I swear by Isocord and that is the only thread I use for my free motion quilting. Thanks for the interesting topics and the great tutorials you produce.
Thank you so much for sharing your experience. I'm delighted to now I've introduced so many quilters to Isacord!
Thank you for being willing to tackle this. You go against most of the quilting books I have in my library-- But I'm totally WITH you - I just ignore these people who tell us what we can or can't use.
Thank you for encouraging quilters to THINK. I just hate it that so many people think that Jane Quilter will follow them blindly - without thinking for herself. (Maybe way too many people do - as evidenced by the depth of this deeply embedded myth.)
I think you could make the argument that thread might tear the fabric if it is large thread - cotton, linen, poly, silk etc. Doesn't matter what it's made of - if it is a heavy weight thread and sewn pretty densely and then you try to rip it out - it will probably tear the fibers of your cotton fabric. Also, back in the 70's polyester double knit was a big deal - and that fabric will last 2 or 3 people lifetimes of constant use! So, maybe by contrast, cotton fabric tore easily. Maybe. ?? I was a teenager back then but I certainly wasn't quilting.
Thank you for sharing Becky! I'm so glad you're enjoying the podcasts! Yes, I think it was a combo of bad polyester thread and weak cotton fabric. But it's high time we let this one go and enjoy using the beautiful polyester threads we have to play with now!
Excellent, perfectionist, knowledgable, teacher. Thank you for your talent,
Thank you! I really appreciate your kind words!
i have been quilting for a long time...since the early 90's. I have always used polyester thread without any issues. Quilts that I did 25 years ago with polyester thread look the same. I guess I never gave it a second thought. I also throw in some polycotton blends, cause I can. I agree, I do what I want. I do piece with poly with no issues. Love to see you spinning...I was at my loom today weaving which is great therapy. No motor, plug in, touch screen, electric, apps, just me and a loom. Good times!
Thank you for sharing this experience! You're right - use what works and don't worry about the "rules" and opinions from the peanut gallery. I'll have to do a video on spinning. It's so relaxing!
I would bet that when the fabric shredded was the fault of the fabric most quilters I knew back then used scraps from sewing projects & some of it was old & some were clothing that was cut up to make those quilts.
Thanks Leah, I totally agree, Isacord works great and Aurifill breaks all the time. I`m so thankful that I learned that from you by the time I started free motion quilting.
Thank you! I'm so glad those tips helped!
Great discussion! I have to admit, I’d always been something of a purist when it came to threads. And while I still love Aurifil and King Tut for quilting, I finally tried poly threads and am hooked in a very big way now. I’m just glad my Gammill loves thread, no matter what I put in it. B
That's great! Yes, it's easy to get stuck in a box with this stuff. Just be open to trying new things. Some things work, some things don't and that's how we learn!
Thank you for clarifying things. I'm a new quilter and could use all the helpful tips and ideas and I've found your to be the best in so far as making sense to me . Love ur videos and thank you for helping me become a better quilter. I hope you and your family have a safe and Merry Christmas.
Thank you Anna! I'm so happy you found this helpful! Merry Christmas!
I started quilting back in the 90s and used cotton thread because I heard the seam should be the weakest part of the quilt. I used it for quilting too because hey, I already had it. I still do it the same way, used to it I guess. I did make cotton garments with poly thread in the 70s and they seemed to handle a rough tomboy without shredding.
Thank you for sharing your experience Karen!
Thank you, thank you thank you!!! I have a lot of polyester thread that I use for machine embroidery, it is beautiful thread, and am glad to hear that it really isn't the taboo to utilize it's use in quilting as I'd been told it was.
Unless you've personally experienced something bad, it's fair game! Have fun!
In the UK when you buy a new sewing machine they always think they are doing you a big favour by adding in little extras, usually lots and lots of spools of cheap thread (they don't tell you that of course). Over the years I have purchased a few sewing machines going from a basic machine to my now ultimate machine and I didn't seem to have any problems with the thread, at least I didn't think I had problems but now your debate has made me think and I did used to get lots of thread breaks but just thought it was cheap thread. When I started quilting someone mentioned Aurifil thread so I got a couple of spoils of that thread and I still got the threadbreaks but no where as bad as the cheap threads. Then I came across a young lady named Leah Day and her teaching was so good and she was such a dynamic person that I found I copied everything she did and did everything she said, always use cotton fabric, always use Isaacord thread. Because she was so good I listened and only brought cotton fabric and Isaacord thread and I can honestly say that for the past 2 years I have never had a threadbreak so once again Leah I have to agree with your teachings and thank you for saving my hair - all these threadbreaks made me want to pull my hair out.
Wow! No thread breaks in 2 years?! That is incredible! I agree, thread breaks make me want to pull my hair out too. I'm so happy you've been able to avoid them so long!
Isacord is fantastic. I've tried other poly threads in the embroidery genre and it broke and shred. I love that you share all of this so we don't have to buy a gazillion threads only to be disappointed. Yep, you're the best
Aw! Jennifer you're such a sweetheart. I can't promise it will work for everyone, but it worked a whole lot better than cotton thread for me!
Leah, thanks for your thoughtful and logical presentation.
Yep I heard this rumor too that is how I am finding your channel I was looking up the truth to this rumor.
The way I understand it if your thread snaps or shreds you need a different needle. IF the thread is too large it will frey ?
Leah, I just purchased my first spool of Isacord, I'm excited about using on the quilt I'm working on but was wondering if I should use it for the bobbin as well since it is such a silky thread...also, what about mixing types of thread ie...polyester and cotton for the bobbin. I love Aurafil for piecing but wonder if I could use it as a bobbin thread with the Isacord or if this would produce problems later.. thanks Leah!
Yep, I use Isacord in the top and bobbin of the machine. No I don't ever mismatch threads. Using two different threads, especially different weights automatically creates tension issues. Unless you want a headache of tension fiddling, just use the same thread in the top and bobbin of your machine!
@@LeahDay Thank you so much Leah, having a headache doesn't appeal to me!! LOL I'm sure my machine will also like not having lint as well. I still love Aurafil but I'm always willing to improve especially FMQ. I have a couple more questions if you don't mind..1. when you talk about ironing and starching in some of your other videos... do you steam press the entire pieces of fabric before quilting and then starch and then again after each block or???? I love using starch so I stock up I just don't know how often and when to use it.. I starch before i cut my pieces, after the block is finished and again after the quilt top is finished... is that overkill or what? 2. Do you feel that using the center of the quilt top for measuring and cutting borders is incorrect? In a way it makes sense but borders are the toughest part of the piecing and most sensitive to me, I currently measure both ends and middle and figure the average to cut but I also like short cuts...whats your thought...I try to keep up with your videos but sometimes I miss them so I don't know if you have previously mentioned these areas, I'm sure you have so point me in the right direction if you can..
I enjoy watching your videos and quilting. Isacord thread was the thread recommended to me for my long arm. Fortunately for me the machine/quilt store in my area has a huge selection of Isacord thread to choose from. I have used polyester threads to quilt with on my domestic machine and never had any problems. I do use cotton thread to piece. Thanks for sharing. Happy holidays and Merry Christmas!
Thank you for sharing your opinion Rebecca! Merry Christmas!
Thanks Leah. I'm a new quilter and much of the thread I have is what I would use for sewing garments which is polyester. So I used poly. But my thread was breaking and yes, frustration. I was getting skipped stitches and trying everything all the quilting gurus are saying you must do if this happens or that happens. I'd change my needles, mess with my tension, went out and bought 100% cotton thread and still my thread would break, skip stitches and make me swear this machine was a piece of junk. I took it in to the local repair store where I bought it and $89 later get back a machine that they say there is nothing wrong with. In the meantime while the machine was in the repair shop behaving itself, I watched your video on your new Juki and started to look further into those. Well, I could't afford a Juki but found a Brother just like your Juki and my husband bought it for my Christmas present. I have polyester thread in there and it sews like a charm. So I guess Baby Lock is best for garment sewing and polyester thread is not going to get me arrested by the quilt gurus. But I have not tried Isacord Polyester Embroidery thread. I will look into that. Then when I go to my Baby Lock for decorative stitches maybe I won't get the breakage. Want to thank you for your one segment also on quilt as you go with your block and join method. That is what I'm using for my second ever quilt and I'm in the process of squaring up my blocks now and in a few days should get to the cutting binding strips. That video is a blessing to me. I am not confident to put a Queen size quilt in my machine and try to quilt that, but am enjoying working on a more manageable 12" block. Great tips.
Thank you so much for sharing your experience Sherry! I'm so glad you found these videos helpful!
Love your videos. I have always used cotton thread. I will have to buy some polyester thread and try it. I also love the tree picture. I watch the video and I think and it came out perfect. Leah have a great week.
It's worth giving it a try Deb! Thank you for watching!
Thank you for this 1 Leah! I took a longarm class and started a quilt war among various camps. Interestingly the instructor mentioned that organizations that collect heirloom/antique quilts are recommending polyester threads for the quilting since cotton thread deteriorates over time. I use cotton for piecework but leaning towards using polyester on the longarm. I am still trying to find the right thread that will work for me on the long arm.
Omni from Superior Threads works great on long arms. Lot of colors as well as variegated available on 6000 yard cones.
Sue McCoy what type of long arm do you have? I tried Omni on my tinlizzie but was getting a lot of thread breaks even with the tension being at basically 0.
Whoa! That's interesting! Now I really want to get a quilt archivist on the podcast and pick her brain.
I bought a Babylock coronet last spring. Isacord works the very best. I tried other threads but came back to Isacord and won’t use anything else.I first learned about this thread from Leah Day a couple of years ago.
Aw! That's so great to hear Linda! Thank you!
What kind of thread do you use to piece?
I like Aurifil 50 wt mako cotton for piecing.
@@LeahDay do you recommend Colton thread for piecing, or is poly thread ok for piecing?
I agree - the polyester thread is the only thing that doesn't break on my machine every 5 minutes. It still does, but I do get a good run. I like Bottom Line in the bobbin because I've never had bobbin issues with that. At the moment I've been using So Fine. One brand of cotton thread was always breaking and that was even just making a tote bag with a walking foot! I use the rest of it for hand sewing or basting - can't waste it! Then I found out the lady in my local quilt shop had the same issues with the same thread. So far I haven't tried doing more quilting with other brands of cotton, although I like piecing with it.
I remember someone saying that the reason they didn't use polyester threads were because they were more abrasive than cotton. But times are different as you say and the manufacturers are more keen to get their product known for reliability.
I do hope I get your book for Christmas - it was a big hint to a member of my family! :D
Thank you for sharing your experience Kerry! I agree - times have changed and threads are made much better these days. I do hope Santa comes through for you!
I have some old quilts from the 70's that have held up pretty well considering how many times they have been washed... :) How can you tell what kind of thread was used on a quilt??
I used probably a lower quality polyester thread to quilt my first quilt. I'm using it on my bed, and it's breaking in stressful areas. (I quiltted it really good, so it's not going to fall apart!) I think the newer threads would have been a better bet, but I bought a lot of colors of the same thread back in 2013. They look pretty, but I'm not impressed! I'm back to quilting with cotton thread, now. I trust it more!
Thank you for sharing this experience Joanne! Is the thread breaking clean or shredding on your quilt?
Busy woman! Me too. This time of year is always hectic. I found a few months ago on TH-cam thread lectures where they dispelled a lot of myths. I wish I could remember the name of the company that did it. It was very interesting
Found it! On the superior threads TH-cam channel they have "thread therapy with Dr. Bob". There are several videos covering various thread related topics
It all depends....if you are making a hand stitched quilt that requires patience, long hours, days or weeks along with heavy duty quilting thread polyester will hold.
But the trick is to also incorporate cotton batting.
I have tried different kinds of thread and have not had problems with either cotton or polyester breaking. All but just a couple of my threads are new (bought in 2017 when I resumed sewing). My machine is also new (Christmas gift last year), and that may help, plus I try to use the right needle. However, I like to experiment with thread. I used rayon (Sulky) when quilting (FMQ) a full sized grand mother’s flower garden. That was because I heard it has a nice sheen and was soft. I use invisible thread on top for stitch in the ditch. The bobbin gets the thread that I plan to use with the FMQ. I have used cotton quilting thread from the LQS and used that on a couple of quilts. Then there are metallic threads. Love using them in table runners and wall hangings. Now how do I get back in the cotton only box....
LOL! It sounds like you've opened pandora's box! I don't think you'll ever be able to go back.
Thanks so much for discussion. I've only been using cotton and I am having thread breaks more frequently as I am trying more challenging quilting designs. I'm definitely going to try some polyester thread. I hope to ease the frustration that is thread breakage.
I'm so glad you found this episode helpful! Yes, definitely give a high quality polyester thread a try and see what you think!
Hi Leah, should your bobbin match your upper thread color, the reason I am asking is my quilt is red and white being my main backing and the back of my quilt is red paw print, not sure what color to use if I use red it will show on my white but nice on the back of the quilt and if I use white it will be nice in the front but the back of the quilt will show. This is my first quilt not sure what to do.
I know this sounds scary, but yes, you should use the same color in the top and bobbin. The reason is no matter how perfect your tension, most machines tend to pull a bit to one side or the other. This will appear as little pops of the wrong color on both sides.
So as scary as it sounds, I would recommend quilting with white or light pink thread. Yep, it will show on the back. Practice a bit on your backing fabric and see what you think. If you hate it, pick another backing fabric!
@@LeahDay thank you so much Leah, this really helps, I will try some colors on some pcs first. I really appreciate your feedback, and love your tutorials.
I love Isacord too, what thread do you use for piecing?
I use Aurifil 50 wt mako cotton for piecing. It can also be used for machine quilting but does break on me occasionally which is why I usually only use it for piecing.
Hey Leah please please keep a
book for me, I know most of you don't ship outside of the U.S. so I'm going to see how best I can get mine thank you, and that button craft tree final works out great well done my friend, it looks good
Yes, we do ship internationally! You can still find the books right here: leahday.com/products/explore-walking-foot-quilting-download-ebook
I think they call these stories "urban legends" and most have no basis in reality!!!
LOL! That's exactly right!
What are you winding on this machine
All of us cannot be experienced the same thing, we as a ppl hold onto myth than rather have to experience thing for ourselves
Exactly leah, use what works and I find no problem with polester threads. I didn't know you were a spinner I am too. Are you planning to put up a spinning video sometime? Might get a few more younger ones spinning, it's a really good craft to know, dyeing different types of fleece with all sorts of things is alot of fun.
I completely agree! I haven't made any spinning videos mostly because I've never bothered learning the proper names for everything and my method is pretty slap dash. Grab something that looks spinnable and play...I'm not sure that would make for a great tutorial but I'll give it a go!
Polyter. Thread is what I use when I'm sewing quilts or pretty much any thing cause I fond that when I use cotton threads it misses up my sewing meachine and it breaks all the time
So, what do you use for piecing?
I like Aurifil 50 wt mako cotton for piecing.
I totally loved your video! Great info here! What is the brand of the isacord thread you use? What type of thread do you use for piecing?
Isacord is the brand of thread I use. There's only one type - Isacord polyester embroidery thread. I use Aurifil 40 wt cotton thread for piecing.
Do you think using 40 wt is better than using 50 wt for piecing?
You said in this video that you don't use the polyester thread for machine piecing, well isn't that where those rumors of the past have been an issue? I always took the rumors as just that and I used polyester thread for machine piecing myself for years before I switched to cotton thread although I admit I do still like working with polyester better. The stretch on quilts isn't as hard on quilting as it is on piecing when you pull a quilt on the bed, for instance, it may have some effect on the quilting, but wouldn't it have just as much of an effect on the seams that are pieced with polyester? I think if someone saw tears and such, those tears are at the seams where the piecing occurred over the quilted areas. Thus, it makes me curious of the effect of polyester with piecing, but since I know that polyester really has no effect with piecing and at least 8 quilts that are over 25 years old now with polyester thread and no tears, I am pretty sure that polyester also wouldn't be bad for piecing either. Back then, I don't think they even made a cotton thread and if they did it was not widely available. My own quilt shops carried polyester threads so I didn't think anything of the fact that some quilters thought polyester was bad for the quilt, as a seamstress, you work a lot with polyester thread and you know it really doesn't play a huge effect on most fabrics except for delicates as it will tear silks, and lightweight fabrics. Back then machine quilting was not a popular idea either, I still did that anyway because I totally agree with you, you do what you feel comfortable yourself with and not worry about what everyone else thinks. :) I also don't think every quilt has to have cotton only... and your right, it's funny how some people think on all these funny issues. The reason I switched to cotton for piecing had nothing to do with how it affected piecing, but more how it felt with cotton over polyester. Polyester is a strong thread and can leave a "thickness" of sorts, whereas cotton is much lighter in weight and presses without the thickness involved in the seam. My newer sewing machine sews the cotton just fine, but my newer embroidery machine dislikes cotton thread as much as it dislikes rayon threads. I also think thread tension on the machines is at issue when we have those thread breaks, so machines just need that tension adjusted for different types of thread. I'm coming to realize this with my newer embroidery machine as it dislikes many types of threads but if I relax the tension a bit I don't have the thread breaks.
I've always been asked about polyester in relation to quilting so that's what I was addressing here. I don't think there's a single right or wrong thread. I just decided not to use Isacord for piecing because it's pretty slippery and I noticed for chain piecing and strip piecing the edges fray a bit more than I like.
Thank you for sharing your experience!
I have the actual story for this wives/quilt tale, would love to share it with you 😊
That would be great Clare! Shoot us an email at www.LeahDay.com/Contact
Leah Day it would be a fun conversation during a podcast. I received your email and would love to be interviewed in the spring. I'll reply with my contact information. Perhaps we can chat. 😁
Dear sweet Leah. I am always amazed at how much you do for so many people in so many ways. I do not know how you do it. Do you have hours in your day compared to everyone else? Well my point is this (and I hope you wont take offence at some advice from a 52 year old mum who home-educated her two girls until college and knows all about 'burn-out' as it is known in the home-ed world) - don't stretch yourself too thin so you are not enjoying what you are doing and definitely definitely (I cannot stress this enough) take time out for yourself. Batteries need recharging for everyone else they go flat :) So there is a bit of advice from someone who cannot help playing Mumsie to anyone and everyone. Take care and I hope you and your family have an amazing Xmas. Above all I hope you enjoy your much deserved special week afterwards. Best wishes x
Thank you Tracey! I couldn't agree more. This is why I don't travel much, and I don't teach quilting in person even though I really love it. It's too exhausting and I end up feeling very depleted. But even with those limits set up, I was still feeling overextended so I'm scaling back and getting really focused on the videos I need ready for January 2018. I'm also planning the podcast ahead as well as taking time for me to just sit and be still. Balance is always the goal. I hardly ever achieve it, but it's always my goal!
I don't know whether you have one but I was bought a Filofax last Xmas and it has made such a difference to my time planning....so long as I stick to it :) I wish you a relaxed and creative 2018.
Leah, could you please share about your spinning wheel?
Yes, I plan to! It's on my list for some short videos this month once I have January squared away.
The thing is I see isaacord thread in Jamaica, its mostly polyester thread, I thing it's a myth remember it's also have to do with tension, at least I think so if its too tight then you'll have a lot of breakage
I love watching you videos because i learn so much so thank you fir taking the time to do them so well. I've only been quilting for 1 year now and polyester thread is the only thread I can find here in the Dominican Republic. So I used that. I order my threads online now. The Only thing I do not do is piecing with polyester anymore after my 1st quilt. I hand pieced my first quilt (which I'm still hand quilting) lol but the experience of hand piecing I had with poly was when I went to set my seems with iron and iron them to whatever side the poly thread shrank making fabric pucker. That is it. So I don't peice with poly. Now I haven't quilted yet with poly but I am going to try because I'm having the same thing with quilting a inch and breakage. So I'm going to give it a try and see because I'm still learning about everything having to do with quilting and I have no clue about threads and brands nothing so I'm going to give it a try. Have a nice day and Happy Quilting.
Thank you for sharing your experiences Yolanda. I would try using a pressing cloth between the fabric and the iron and that might help with the shrinking effect you were seeing on the polyester thread. The key is to just keep trying new things and then stick with what works for you!
You're a spinner too! So do I. I also weave as well. I knit and crochet too.
Me too! I have so many craft addictions, but you could say quilting is my one true love.
Excellent
Thank you!
I will have to order from you
i use poly thread too.
That's great to hear!
You spin too! I spin also!
Hi I need closed caption for deaf pls
I believe TH-cam has updated this to now have auto closed captions. It might not be when a video immediately goes up so please be patient.
Leah Day yes, however auto captions arent always the best. If you say something to fast or unclearly or with an accent sometimes th captions turn to gibberish or completely inaccurate.
As an example someone could say :
"I made this quilt out of this beautiful striped cotton and i love the effects of it" and the auto captions can easily turn it into
" i made this cut ulta this beautiful striped coat and olive the at ex off it" this is a major problem with auto captions..
Will you consider maybe asking your viewers to add captions if you dont have the time to add them yourself? I know its alot of work for you, but Us deaf people really appreciate having clear and accurate captions and equal access to information that hearing people have to the audio.
WoW! I’ve learned SEW much. Thank you! 👍🏻
That's great! Thank you for watching!
Please everyone, avoid polyester all together. There is a scientific reason why polyester and synthetic fibers develop bad odor, while natural fibers do not.
"In the study, the researchers had cyclists wearing cotton, synthetic, and mixed-fiber T-shirts complete one hour of intensive biking. Afterwards, they sealed the sweaty shirts in a plastic bag for 28 hours. Then they performed a sniff test, and found that polyester tees smelled less pleasant and more intense, musty, sweaty, and sour than their cotton counterparts.
Polyester tees-and other synthetics-also showed high growth of a particularly smelly kind of bacteria called micrococci, which was practically absent in cotton samples.
“Micrococci transform the hormones and amino acids in the sweat into odorous compounds,” says study author Chris Callewaert, Ph.D. The kinds of bacteria that flourish in cotton don’t have that same stench-stimulating ability."
Thank you for sharing your opinion, but I don't regularly cycle wearing a quilt!
I quote a scientific fact here, not an opinion. Polyester is basically plastic, and can be made from recycled PET water bottles and different kinds of plastic, on top of the terrible tendency it has to hold micrococci bacteria onto it that causes it to stink terribly, which basically makes it unwearable under any circumstance.
The only thing allowing industrialists producing it to make cash is because the public is uninformed and uneducated and will buy a material just because it is cheap without even knowing what it is and where it came from.
Boycott polyester which is toxic, and encourage natural fibers.