Home › Top 10 Questions Of 2004 | FAQS From 2004
Top 10 Questions Of 2004 | FAQS From 2004
1. Is it OK to use polyester in my quilt?
Thread will not tear through a fabric solely due to its fiber content. If a thread ever tears through a fabric, it is because it won the strength contest, regardless if it is cotton or polyester. Some cotton thread is stronger and more wiry than polyester.
2. What is Trilobal Polyester?
Trilobal polyester is a premium, lint-free polyester. It is not spun poly, but a continuous fiber thread and has a very nice sheen, similar to rayon or silk. It is soft, lint free, and colorfast.
3. What are the best types of threads to use for general quilting and embroidery?
Cottons and polyesters. Rayon is not always colorfast. Nylon melts and discolors. Silk is very expensive. Hand dyed threads are often not colorfast.
4. When should I use a fine thread and when should I use a heavier thread?
Fine threads will blend. Heavier threads will show. If you like variegated colors, choose a medium or heavier weight thread because a fine thread will not show. There is no reason to have a fine-weight variegated thread.
5. Why are some variegated threads dyed in precision short color change increments and others are random longer color change increments?
It depends on the technology used in the dyeing process. Dyeing thread in precise, short color change increments requires high tech machines which are not widely available. The advantage of precision dyeing in short color change increments is the end result. For embroiderers, it won't give the striped look. For quilters, it gives a beautiful and consistent color flow instead a patchy look.
6. What are the main causes of thread breakage?
50% is the quality of the thread.
20% is the needle: either the wrong size, the wrong type, or both.
20% is the tension setting. A too tight tension causes breakage.
5% is the condition of the machine: lint buildup, timing, burrs.
5% is the thread delivery system. The machine may be mis-threaded, or the thread is coming off the spool wrong. Thread on cones should come off over the top of the cone. Thread on spools may need to come off straight (not over one end) so the spool rotates as the thread unwinds. This usually requires the spool to be positioned on the vertical pin spool holder.
7. What's the best needle to use?
For decorative and specialty threads, the Schmetz Topstitch needle is the needle preferred by most educators and professionals. The Topstitch needle has a deeper groove which accommodates a heavier or decorative thread. Sizes 90/14 and 100/16 are the two sizes most commonly used. Once you try this needle, you'll probably never use a Universal, Quilting, or Embroidery needle again. For metallic threads, a Topstitch or Metallic 90/14 is recommended. Most retail stores sell the 80/12 size. That's not the right size for these threads. Make sure you have a 90/14. Ask your local stores to order them.
8. Does the top thread need to match the bottom thread in size and fiber content?
No. It is OK to mix fiber types (for example, cotton on top and poly in the bobbin). It is also OK to use different weights in the top and bobbin. The upper tension adjustment makes this possible. All machines have an upper tension setting adjustment to accommodate differences in thread types and sizes. That's what it is there for. By learning to adjust it, your machine will do things you never thought possible.
9. My machine has an automatic tension setting. Is that adequate?
No. The best thing you can learn in order to sew with all types of threads is how to override the automatic tension setting. Most decorative threads require loosening the upper tension. The factory-set tension is often too tight for many threads. On a scale of zero to ten, factory preset tensions average a five. Decorative and sensitive threads may require loosening the upper tension all the way down to a one (for metallics) or two (for other decorative threads).
10. Is it ever necessary to adjust the bobbin tension?
Sometimes. Adjustments should be made by turning the screw in increments equal to a clock. A one-hour position equals one increment. Remember "righty-tighty and lefty-loosey." A fine, smooth thread may require a tighter tension setting to prevent spooling off or backlash and a heavier decorative bobbin thread may require a looser tension to allow the thread to pass through the tensioner.
(I get this question a lot) "How did you get involved in the thread business?"
My kids are sometimes embarrassed to tell their friends, "My dad sells thread." So I changed my job description from "selling thread" to "Petrochemical (that's polyester) and agricultural (that's cotton) product distribution." That sounds a lot more impressive. My lovely wife Heather (also known as Mother Superior) is a self-acknowledged fabric-holic (she's completely taken over three rooms so far) and quilt addict. We had to find a way to support her habit. We lived in Japan for 10 years and made good contacts with the world's best thread producers. We personally design each new thread type and every color pattern.
Retail