Superior Threads

Each month we award $30 gift certificates for good ideas. Below is a list of winning ideas. To submit your own idea, visit our $30 idea submission page .

1. Could the Thread of the Month Club offer be a gift for someone and shipped to that addy, but billed to me?

2. I love the Thread of the Month Club idea.  However, I use King Tut exclusively and only buy it in the 2,000 yd. cone size.  Would you consider having another option for those of us wanting that size to offer 2 cones per month with the same free shipping offer?

3. Do you have plans to add a group of cone threads to the monthly club? I am a fairly new midarm quilter and I would love a monthly club of 2-3 cones of quilting thread. This would be a great way to build up my thread stash. Thanks.

4. I was getting ready to buy MiPad case pattern and saw that it uses Soft and Stable .  However, the description doesn't say what size package of Soft and Stable to buy.  Would it be possible to add the Soft and Stable yardage requirements to the pattern descriptions?

5. I love the So Fine thread very much but only use the cones.  Why don't you have a Thread of the Month Club with So Fine in cones rather than the spools?  You did that for the King Tut! I think So Fine deserves equal recognition.  Thanks.

6. I wanted to join the thread of the month club and I was hoping there would also be an option for those of us who prefer the larger cone. Any chance?  Thanks.

7. How about a thread of the month club for businesses?  Retail stores can offer the Club to their customers and registered businesses can collect the the entire range to use in their longarm quilting businesses.

8. I use empty thread cones to wrap my binding on.  Makes it easy to sew binding without it becoming tangled or caught under my chair.

9. I keep a “Thread Journal” along with my quilt journal. I put a sample of each thread in my journal as well as the name of thread, color, weight, swatch of fabric the thread was used on, and my likes, dislikes, and comments about the thread such as price, where to purchase, linty or not, etc.  I will be adding tension gauge settings when my new top and bobbin tension gauges arrive.

10. When will you be updating the King Tut Color Compatibility Chart to reflect the new King Tut colors? (Specifically, the King Tut to So Fine compatibility).

11. I put HandyNets over my rolled-up longarm pantograph patterns.  It keeps them wound nice and neat without ripping or wrinkling the edges like rubber bands sometimes do.

12. I was filing my latest color card (for Lava) and trying to figure out the extent to which my assorted other cards were out of date. While some have no information on them, others have something like 06/05 (my King Tut card) or 3/08 (the Lava card). This would be a lot simpler if they simply said June 2005 or March 2008. The next time you reprint these cards, would this be possible?

13. I like the idea of your thread of the month club. Could you have a customized club where you send four or five spools of different types? For instance, I’d love to try MasterPiece, King Tut, Kimono Silk, Rainbows, and perhaps So Fine, with just one spool of each per month.

14. Can we try something novel? I'd like to be in each thread of the month club for a month. In other words, January for King Tut, February for MasterPiece, March for Kimono.  Is that an option?

15. I really like the Thread of the Month Club idea.  Any way of offering a Thread of the Month 'Mix-em-up' (different kinds) club?  Thanks!

16. The links from the Products page only show instructions for the Top Thread Tension Gauge.  I'm not sure how to thread the bobbin gauge.  I was successful with the Top Gauge as the stitches looked good.  I suggest that the bobbin gauge instructions and any helpful hints be added to the link.

17. How about a Thread of the Month club for those of us who just can't decide on one type of thread?   A variety pack of several different types of thread each month? I have been wanting to join but just can't decide which.

18. Is there any chance that you will offer a Thread of the Month Club for Bottom Line cones?

19. I've recently started using Bottom Line thread for my quilting, both as a top thread and bobbin thread, and I really love how the quilting lines turn out. I went back to your website, hoping to join the Bottom Line Thread of the Month Club, but was disappointed to find that you only have a club for the small spools. As I quilt quite closely, I would actually need the 3,000 yd. cones to complete the queen and king sized quilts I usually make. I wanted to enquire if you intend to start a cone-sized Bottom Line club anytime soon, as you have for So Fine thread? I would definitely join if you do.

20. I am interested in your thread of the month club, but I find that I would like to be more diversified with the thread purchases. To be more clear, rather than just limited myself to King Tut, for example, I would like the option, of King Tut in March, MasterPiece in April, Brytes in May, etc. Is there a way to mix up the membership?

21. On your website, when ordering, you must click on Products – All Products – Thread  to get to the menu that lists all the thread lines (King Tut, MasterPiece, etc.).  After I have ordered King Tut products, I have to go back and do all that again. I suggest that you have a tab that would just take you back to Threads and the Threads menu so you can move on to another line (MasterPiece or my personal favorite, Rainbows) to order those threads.

22. Please provide a list of Mother's Superior's favorite threads for piecing, paper piecing, machine quilting, embroidery, philanthropy quilts where it not need by "show quality," applique, and so on.

23. I can't find the color comparison/compatibility charts for threads on the website. I had to go back through the old newsletters until I finally found them mentioned and clicked on the links.  Could you please include these charts in the list of Reference Guides?  And will you be making a new color comparison chart for Omni and So Fine?

24. I would like to try all the different silk threads you have. How about a TRY ME special with one of each silk thread?

25. I thought your Quick Start Guide was great and I put it in a spreadsheet.

26. LOVE the Quick Start Thread Guide!  I'm wondering if I will I be able to find it permanently on the website as I don't see it right now. This will be a big help in choosing threads in the future.

27. Color Comparison Charts for King Tut only show up for So Fine #50 and Bottom Line.  How about building one for MasterPiece?

28. I am excited to order the silk embroidery floss but found it hard to do with only a color number reference.  Please add names to the floss colors.  It would be easier to order.

29. How about letting the customer put together their own assortment of colors for the SuperBOBs?

30. I use the prewound bobbins as a top thread if requiring a small amount of thread in a colour I don't have in a spool. Works a treat!!!

31. I love my thread stand/cone holder , except when it slides off the table to the floor. I cut a circle of the rubberized shelf-liner, hot-glued it to the bottom of the holder and yippee - no more mishaps. Thank you for being there for us.

32. Just wanted to suggest to you and others what I like to do within the thread spool cases .  I like to keep the recommended sewing machine needles in a slot in the same thread case as needed for said thread.  This keeps me from looking for that small box of miscellaneous sewing machine needles that float around most sewing rooms.  I love the Superior Threads thread cases.

33. I find that your prewound bobbins can be used on many machine models not listed on your compatibility chart.  For example, they work well on Bernina 440 and Bernina 153 models if I remove the prewound's cardboard sides.  They are well wound and do not come undone in the bobbin case.

34. Why not have a contest of your thread displayed in private studios?

35. I Love Superior Threads!!! To keep my inventory up to date, I often have two spools of thread of the same colour; however, I don't want to display to EVERYONE (especially my husband) how much thread I really do have. I keep my extra spools of thread in a drawer and I put a little sticker on my partially used spools of thread that indicates how many spools of that colour I have in my drawer. This way I am only displaying one of each colour and I can see at a glance that I have more of the same colour in my drawer.

36. I'd like the option to be able to add items throughout the month in a layaway type shopping cart then when the time comes have them shipped automatically with the next Thread of the Month Club shipment or if we need something right away have those selected items shipped immediately.  Could you add a check box to the shopping cart or order page where we can decide between "ship now" or "layaway" for our purchases? Thanks!

37. I love reading your newsletter and I LOVE the threads!  I have another use for my thread stand .  When I have a quilt to bind, I roll up the folded binding and put it where the thread cone goes.  It feeds the binding so nicely and leaves my hands both free to guide it!

38. I use Dissolve with my quilt marking system and it is wonderful. To mark the Dissolve, measure the area (block, sashing, border, etc.) to be quilted. Cut the Dissolve slightly larger than the measurement on all sides.  Tape the Dissolve to a flat surface with blue masking tape, making sure it is taut.
Mark the measurements of the area to be quilted for placement of Dissolve on the quilt. Tape the stencil on top, making sure the placement is correct. Draw the pattern onto the Dissolve. If using a printed pattern from a book or other printed source, tape a copy of the printed pattern on a flat surface, put the Dissolve on top and tape down. Be sure to mark all dimension lines for placement.
Draw over the pattern directly onto the Dissolve.  After ditch-quilting my quilt, I pin with flower head pins a piece of the marked Dissolve to the appropriate place, making sure it is taut.
I quilt the area and then remove the Dissolve.  What an easy way to mark and quilt my quilts! The Dissolve comes off easily and if a small piece remains I don't worry because I know it will Dissolve in the wash. Thank you for such a wonderful product. I'm looking forward to marking and quilting my quilts because of this fabulous product. I share this new way with all my quilting friends.

39. When you re-make the first two King Tut color cards, please have the thread colors placed in numeric sequence.

40. On the visible bottom lip of the So Fine cones, I write the corresponding number of Bottom Line that matches.  This saves me from always having to look at my color chart.  And, all empty cones go into a basket and when it's time to place an order, all I have to do is look in the basket.

41. Please put the option in our account profiles to update or remove credit card numbers, especially for us who are in the thread clubs and have recurring charges. Since I live in an Eastern Time Zone I have to wait until 11 a.m. my time to call you with changes. It would be so much easier to do this online.

42. Please include on the website a way to send an order to another person. I was sending thread and needles as a birthday gift to my mother but it would only allow me to change the shipping address, not the ship to name. If you added a box to designate the order as a gift, you could then offer a gift message if you wanted to. A gift message option would be great!

43. When you use the search engine on your website, and for instance type 918, then when I click on either the 500 yd. or 2,000 yd. cone images to enlarge the picture of the thread, there is no color description. If you could add exactly what you have listed on the Products pages (the color description) it would be so extremely helpful.

44. Thank you for showing what the NiteLite ExtraGlow threads look like while glowing. I wish the photo image had labels from left to right with the colors. I know white is the brightest and I know from experience the pink glows pink, but I can't compare the glow of your green, blue, purple or yellow threads without knowing which is which. Could you add the glow color to the individual thread color image?

45. I love Hugo's Amazing Tape and use it to keep all my spools wrapped and tidy. I cut the ends with pinking shears to make the ends easier to find. While a Hugo strip is off the spool, I drape it into a cup or jar so it will be ready to reapply to the spool.

46. I would love to see color names on the threads. Just ordered black #50 Tire silk thread and had to call to see if the black that looked black on the website color chart was really black or dark blue.

47. Your OMNI thread is my new "go to" thread for any solid color thread quilting.  I bought two OMNI thread cards. I use one to check off the colors I own. The other I have taken apart (cut the strips off the card) so I can lay the strips of thread on the quilt top to see which hue is the best choice.

48. An idea that I would like to submit has to do with finding the notch on the spool ends and cone bases that hold the thread tails.  Mark the notch with a Sharpie. You will never have to search for that elusive notch again when putting away the thread!

49. I know you sell your Threadology DVD, but it doesn't include the thread, etc., that you talk about in Threadology. How about making a kit of the thread, needles, etc., that would be available to go along with your DVD?. It would also be a great kit for those who are just learning about your great products and want to just try them out. Mahalo for providing such great products!

50. Thanks for the information on the " Deal of the Day ."  Would it be possible to include the normal price in addition to the "Deal" price?  I'd like to know how good a deal I'm getting!

51. I use Hugo's Amazing Tape to keep my pantographs rolled neatly so they stay nice and flat and do not get crunched.  It keeps the corners from curling outwards and they are just like new when I use them the next time.

52. I have a suggestion for the longarmers who use pantographs.  Rather than put rubber bands or paper clips around your pantos, I use Hugo’s tape . Now they lie flatter and I can see through it also. I love this tape.

53. When using MonoPoly clear monofilament thread, I keep a black permanent marker close by to darken the end of the thread, making it highly visible when threading the needle. Some machines lack the white paint on the shank and/or an automatic threader, so keeping a small white piece of paper nearby to place behind the needle makes it easy to see the eye of the needle.

54. I wrap a thick rubber band around the thread cone pin on my longarm machine. This keeps the cone from bouncing off the holder as the thread is used up and the cone gets lighter in weight.

55. Shortly after purchasing my cutting table, I pushed it to one side in my sewing room and broke the table leg.  Not wanting to tell my husband what I had done, I used Hugo's Amazing Tape and actually fixed the table leg.  This was several years ago and it is still holding strong---no wobbling.   Have also used this tape to hold my supply cases shut when traveling to and from classes.

56. Making the thread set available with the Threadology DVD is a great idea.  How about selling the thread set separately for those of us who already have the DVD?

57. I have been using Hugo's Amazing Tape for years. I put strips of it on the bottom of my acrylic rulers to keep them from slipping. Much better than the sandpaper dots or rubber ones and you can still see clearly though the acrylic and the tape and remove it and reuse it.

58. I love all the $30 ideas that are posted and sometimes I would like to read them again. How about adding them to the "Other" section on the web page so they can quickly be referred to?

59. I use the Hugo's tape on my thread, but the 2" wide Hugo's tape works best on my large cones of thread. Could you please add this to your inventory? It is very hard to find and if you had it, I would be able to get it easily!

60. My Idea though is when you use the search engine on your website and, for instance, type in color 918. Then when I click on either the 500 yd. or 2.000 yd. images to enlarge the picture of the thread, there is no color description. If you could add the color descriptions, it would be so extremely helpful.

61. When I am shopping on your website, there are so many things I want to buy! I usually add everything I want to my cart, but then have to decide (according to my budget for the month) which of those things I want the most and clear the others from my cart. It would be great if I didn't have to remove them but instead had the choice to move them to my wish list. That way, the next time I am shopping, the items I didn't purchase last time are already in my wish list ready to jump into my cart!

62. I wish the out of stock items had a way to add them to the wish list. I was going to order but one of the items was out of stock.

63. I teach lectures and workshops and promote your threads and needles. During the workshop I always give them a couple of needles to use and keep. Do you have the needles to purchase in bulk? I use 20-30 needles of all sizes during a workshop and would like to purchase in bulk if at all possible.

64. Don't throw, or give away, that old pillow, especially the one with a zipper! I made my pillow cover w/a nice ruffle, appliqued, & then attached it to the old pillow case top. Saved me from having to do a zipper and the reverse side can be used as well.

65. I read that you do not want to bombard us with Deal of the Day e-mails but I would appreciate knowing that info without having to remember to go to the website everyday.  How about letting those who want to get a daily e-mail sign up for it?

66. Could you put Superior University under the Education tab on your home page?

67. On thread images such as King Tut, it would be nice to be able to click on the color swatch or spool image to see the larger image. I know you can click on the "View larger image" line, but I am used to clicking on pictures on websites.

68. It would be nice if the color card images would display in high resolution so I can see a close up of each of the colors side by side.  That way I could tell better which one of the golds that I wanted.

69. When I want to ‘warm up’ before starting my free motion quilting, I just fold excess backing fabric of the quilt sandwich over the edge of the excess batting and practice along the margin of the quilt.  This ensures that I am practicing on the real deal and with the thread I plan to use on the quilt.

70. I recently enrolled in Superior University and received an e-mail requesting that I check my online account to  update my account information. It would be great if you identified the link to my account with a "My Account" button instead of my email address. It took me a long time to figure out where to do this.

71. How about including a picture of the Deal of the Day item?  Also some clarification, please.  Does the Deal item have to be ordered and completed for shipment on the same day?  Or can the item be added to my thread club order and shipped with it?  So if I wanted several of the Deals over the course of the month, could they all be included with my Thread Club shipment?

72. Just wanted to let you know I've clicked the link for the "Daily Deal" e-mail several times and have no success in receiving the Daily Deal e-mail.  Yes, the box is checked.  I've tried all combination of "Daily Deal" and "Newsletter" to accomplish a subscription.  Yes, I've checked my Spam folder.

73. I like some of your great Deal of the Day offers.  Since the offers come on a daily basis, can you accumulate and hold items and ship say bi-monthly? Adding $3.95 three or four times in this time frame adds quite a bit to the overall cost of the Deal, so doing this sure would cut down on the overall cost and make these items more appealing.

74. Would it be possible to save up my deal of the day purchases for, let's say a week, then on the last day, I would place the order?

75. I love your deals of the day.  However, when it is a thread, all you give is the type, size, and color number.  If you would give the name of the color that would be so helpful.  Otherwise I have to go to your site and look up the thread number to see what color it is.  For example I wanted your Military Gold #9 to replace the one I used up, but you offered #7 and I wasn't sure that it wasn't Military Gold and had to look it up.

76. Have you thought about having a Show & Tell for the monthly Superior University projects?  I would love to see what others do with each project and read any comments that they have regarding it.

77. Would it be possible to include a description of the thread type in the Deal of the Day?  I'm not sure if Living Colors thread is cotton or polyester, 40 wt. or 50-wt. and for use in the needle or bobbin, for quilting or piecing or embellishment, etc.

78. LOVE the new thread stand and have sold some already.  It is especially useful to me, right now, with my embroidery machine (which I am new at!).  Because I use cones of thread, instead of spending time with every thread change threading it through the hole on top of the holder, I cut the thread of the old cone near the top of the cone, remove the cone, and tie the new thread on and pull it through!  The old serger trick

79. Somewhere on the Deal of the Day e-mail, could we get a button to link us to that product's main page? For example, a recent deal was for Rainbows thread and I wanted to know if it can be used on my longarm.

80. Can you add a note on the Deal of the Day e-mail showing the dates of validity?  That way I will know by what date I must place my order to not miss out on the deal.

81. On the inventory lists:  1)  add a header or footer to the pages to indicate the revision date.  This will allow customers to notice when the inventory list they are tracking has been updated, or not, from their current version.  2)  format the pages to print one or two pages.  Some of the spreadsheets are already formatted that way, but not all.

82. Many Baby Lock and Brother machines now use Class 15 (A-style) bobbins. Yes, they are compatible with the L bobbins but you must use an adapter in the bobbin case. The Class 15 (A-style) bobbins are the ones that come with the machines and are the recommended bobbins for the machine. Your bright, shiny new chart is wrong.

83. I really like the idea of a printed Thread Inventory that I can use when I stop by the Superior Thread booth at Quilt Shows. It helps me remember what I need and what I already have. But I found that the Inventory file on the Superior website doesn't print out well. So... I reformatted it. Now I can keep track of my thread stash! And when the left and right margins are both set at 0.5", I can easily print the pages I want to bring with me to the Quilt Show. All my inventory is there, in a large font, so I can see what I have. And there's room for me to mark down what I buy.

84. I need to know the expiration date for the Deal of the Day. Show the dates when I add Deal items to my shopping cart.

85. On the Inventory Lists, indicate the revision date. This will allow customers to notice when the Inventory List they are tracking has been updated.