I'll be interested in the responses to this; I had a bad time FM quilting my last project with threads breaking. I used my usual cotton piecing thread then.

I'm about ready to switch over to polyester/acrylic/whatever to see if it will behave better for FM. My Viking is not the brightest and best machine for FM, but does well for straight line quilting.

Teresa

edit: just remembered that my friend (who does beautiful FM quilting) uses the Bottom Line for quilting.

This post was edited by teresa_nc7 on Tue, Sep 9, 14 at 13:01

I usually use machine quilting cotton, either Guittermann or King Tut but I have used Coats Cotton. I have also used polyester for extra shine, I use the kind that is sold in the LQS here, either Exquisite or Superior So Fine.

I use one machine for piecing, which will take almost any thread, and another for FMQ, a machine I never piece on. The FMQ machine breaks lots of brands of thread and I do best with Superior's King Tut or Aurifil. It also takes a lot of fiddling with the tension knob if I go between the two. Any other thread breaks and shreds and I can never get adjustments right so I just stick with the two I know. I had to be convinced to try the Aurifil but it did work. I always use Superior's Bottom Line in the bobbin, a poly, because it is very fine and I can get twice as much on a bobbin. It never breaks.

I know quilting on a frame isn't really FMQ, but it's also not a long/mid arm, so maybe the information is still valid.

My Juki is finicky and will only take King Tut up top and Bottom Line in the bobbin. Anything else and there's constant breakage. Took me a long time to figure this out. Now, I don't try anything else...just stick with what works.

Jennifer, do you have a photo of your Juki on a frame? I'd like to see what your set-up looks like.

Interesting, Jen, my Juki doesn't care what thread I use! I quilt with C&C cotton 30 wt and a big honking needle (18 I think).

I piece with machine embroidery bobbin thread (very fine, maybe 60 wt) and whatever top thread is handy, often C&C Dual Duty.

Jen, what frame do you have the Juki on? Mine is an original Hinterberg.

Donna

My dinky 9" Pfaff isn't picky, but I love using Glide thread for a shiny thicker thread when I want the quilting to stand out. It is what the longarmers use. I also use a topstitch needle - size 16, 18 or even 20 depending on the thread. Needles are very different. I use the Connecting Thread Essentials in the bobbin often and will use it as the top thread when I want the piecing to stand out.
The faster sewing machines -1500 - 1600 stitches ( not anywhere as fast as the Long arms) still put a lot of stress on the needles and the thread when stitching fast and changing directions, so you need a stronger needle and thread.

Fil-tec, the maker of Glide thread will send you samples. They are a great company. I like all their thread.

Here is a link that might be useful: Glide thread

I have my Juki on a Pennywinkle frame... This is what it looks like. I got this second hand, and though I'd done some research, at the time I knew less about frames than I probably should have.

The major difference in this one is that you work from the back of the machine. This decreases your ability to see the needle and where you're working. But then, it also takes up less space...

As I very inexperienced at FMQ I find this interesting...I was of the opinion that if I was sewing on cotton I should use cotton thread but apparently that isn't the case.
The person who sold me my latest machine told me she prefer polyester thread to sew with, including on cotton.
I checked out the glide thread and see it is polyester. Is this the new way??

I use whatever type I have in the color I need. I have several hundred spools and cones, so I am usually never lacking in any color. If I want shiny, I use rayon, poly or metallic. If I just want color but no shine, I use whatever I have in that color. I think that people have realized that poly lasts just as long if not longer than cotton. Think about those indestructible polyester quilts from years ago. I have one that my grandmother made that has really been put through hell, but looks just like it did when she finished it.

'Nother good question ... In one of the more recent Quilty issues, there was a chart with thread weight, use by weight and needle size for types of thread. Essentially, I was using whatever I had on hand in the color I needed. That chart helped me escape from my machine fickleness when I was FMQ my nieces quilt....so many little things, or big things, make a sewing day fun or frustrating...and sew it goes!
V.

Although there are still some die-hards around, the use of poly thread on cotton quilts is not as much of a no-no as it used to be. I used to think "only cotton all the way" but I've moved on. Poly threads have a sheen that I like, especially if I'm doing a particularly showy quilting pattern that I want to get a little more notice.

Yesterday I did some internet research after responding to this post. The one thing that was mentioned over and over again was the importance of using the same thread on the top and in the bobbin.

Leah Day, known for her books and patterns for FMQ, says that today's polyester thread is not the same polyester thread that we have shunned for years. Her web site offers Isacord polyester thread at very reasonable prices, so I might give this a try for my next project..

Years ago I was fortunate enough to see a baby quilt that I had made for a co-worker's baby girl. Little Madison was 5 at the time and had "loved" her quilt almost to death. The only thing holding it together was the cross-hatch quilting done with cotton thread! I'll never forget that - it so warmed my heart.

I've added a link to Leah Day's web site.

Here is a link that might be useful: Leah Day's free motion quilting

My Juki (on a table, not on a frame) doesn't care what thread I use. The Elna doesn't seem to care either but since I got the Juki I do all my FM on that. I use Isacord Polyester Embroidery thread if I want a strong design because that's what I learned to use in Juanita Yeager's class. It's glossy and strong. It comes in amazing colors. In the bobbin I use whatever I have. Typically that's the inexpensive stuff from Connecting Threads. I buy their thread by the boxfull and use it on everything.

I use King Tut because I love their variegated and there is usually one I like for almost any quilt. I use the same one top and bottom because the back is usually coordinated to the top in some way. The last quilt I worked on didn't like the 18 needles, so I switched to the 16. Unfortunately, King Tut is very linty, so on my Babylock Jane, the one I use exclusively for machine quilting, I have to clean it every time I change the bobbin. I suppose that's a good thing that it's done regularly.

I would love to know what thread to use for a showier top. I saw a quilt sample in a shop that used something like my Pffaf's "quilting" stitch that doubles back one stitch and brightly colored thread in strong lines. I really like the modern look, but didn't think to ask what the thread was.

LindaB/CA

As for the "quilting" stitch on my Viking, it looks pretty, yeah, but it is a bear-and-a-half if you need to remove any stitching.....so.....I never use that "quilting" stitch!

YMMV on other machines with a similar stitch.....

Teresa