FMQ - COTTON OR POLYESTER
#41
Super Member
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: East Tennessee
Posts: 1,053
I use polyester thread pretty regularly on my longarm. I've heard the whole "quilt police" theory about never, never using polyester thread on cotton cloth but I've also done some reading from people who appear to have a little more to substantiate their case that say that's nonsense. I use cotton if I want a thicker, more distinctive stitch--otherwise, poly is my go-to choice.
#42
Super Member
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Here and there
Posts: 1,669
Originally Posted by Zhillslady
Need more feedback than my own. I have always done my fmq with cotton thread and used whatever brand I happened to find in color I wanted. This week I quilted one using Isacord polyester. I purchased $300 starter pack last year when I was thinking of using embroidery machine. Sold machine so thought I'd use thread for fmq as colors were so pretty. A friend who teaches told me this week that you can never fmq with polyester as we have no way on knowing how well it will hold up in your quilt in a hundred years. Anyone else use polyester? Do I really care if 100 years from now the thread breaks?
My earliest quilts have been mechanically washed and dried many times and are still going strong even though they were made before I had a clue that WalMart fabric and Coats and Clark thread were verboten. They are about 50 years old now and when they are 100, it won't matter to me one way or the other whether a thread has broken. If it matters to the person who owns them then, they can fix them! It will give them something to do.
I gave my best friend my whole stash of invisible thread because she loves it.
froggyintexas
#45
Super Member
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Littlefield, TX, USA
Posts: 1,077
It used to be (for some, still is) the norm to use only cotton thread for sewing/quilting. That was probably due to nylon and rayon threads being used. Those threads don't hold up well.
I used polyester thread (serger cone) for a log cabin quilt I made 20+ years ago...it's still in use!
If you go to Superior threads and look at the education link...you will find that poly threads are fine to use on cottons. Unlike nylon, poly thread will not cut into cottons, will not rot like nylons.
I use poly threads all the time...the sheen and colors are beautiful on quilts.
Use what works for you.
I used polyester thread (serger cone) for a log cabin quilt I made 20+ years ago...it's still in use!
If you go to Superior threads and look at the education link...you will find that poly threads are fine to use on cottons. Unlike nylon, poly thread will not cut into cottons, will not rot like nylons.
I use poly threads all the time...the sheen and colors are beautiful on quilts.
Use what works for you.
Originally Posted by Zhillslady
Need more feedback than my own. I have always done my fmq with cotton thread and used whatever brand I happened to find in color I wanted. This week I quilted one using Isacord polyester. I purchased $300 starter pack last year when I was thinking of using embroidery machine. Sold machine so thought I'd use thread for fmq as colors were so pretty. A friend who teaches told me this week that you can never fmq with polyester as we have no way on knowing how well it will hold up in your quilt in a hundred years. Anyone else use polyester? Do I really care if 100 years from now the thread breaks?
#46
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Brownwood TX
Posts: 747
I have 2 very used quilts, on the couch, that I quilted on the diagonal with cotton thread and the thread snaps like crazy when u pull on the quilt. Don't know about FMQ but any quilting I do on the diagonal from now on will be with poly thread. I was told the reasoning about not quilting with poly is that as the fabric ages the poly thread really doesn't and it will cut the fabric because it will be much stronger.
Robin in TX
Robin in TX
#47
Banned
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: England
Posts: 2,365
Don't know what fmq is, was told that you should never piece with poly as iron can melt it and wreck your work.
I like king tut as it is thicker and doesn't screw up as much, but have many times used poly, think sometimes it's a bit of snobbery.
I like king tut as it is thicker and doesn't screw up as much, but have many times used poly, think sometimes it's a bit of snobbery.
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