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Must I use a machine quilting thread in my machine when piecing the quilt top or another thread, and save the quilting thread for machine quilting only? What is recommended?

Barb

Minda

Hi Barb, I don't always use machine quilting thread to piece my blocks together, but I do use 100% cotton thread if my fabric is cotton. I also use a good quality thread. Hope this helps.

Boo

I learned the hard way to always use 100% cotton thread for piecing. My first quilt was made with 100% cotton fabric (not best quality) but was pieced with Coats and Clarks cotton wound poly. After a few years I noticed that the fabric was fracturing near the seamline. Eventually there were many splits of fabric and the first quilt, a queen sized log cabin was nothing more than scrap. If you use 100% cotton thread, the seam will break before the fabric will fracture. You can fix a seam, but not a fracture. Never use machine quilting thread to piece. It is usually thicker and tougher than sewing thread.

stitchinMamaw

Boo thanks for the tip ! I have been using the same Coats and Clark thread [ oops ] . I bought some machine quilting thread [ same brand ] and the crap keeps splitting and breaking . I used a new needle .

Tiffany

You can use the machine quilting thread to piece, but using a regular 100% cotton thread works just as well. Whatever you do, never mix up the machine quilting thread with the hand quilting thread. The two are not compatible!!! I learned the hard way and had to take my machine in for a good cleaning. The two threads are wound differently and the hand quilting thread is waxed, which is bad for the machine.

Boo, what a sad thing to have happen! I'm told the polyester thread they now make isn't supposed to do that, but I won't use it because of the very problem you encountered. Polyester thread is much stronger than cotton and as the quilt ages the thread will rub against the cotton fabric, actually cutting the fabric over time. I took a class from Linda Jenkins once and she was telling us about how she and her partner took a tour of the thread manufacturing plant they use. The man in charge told them to never mix polyester thread with cotton, and for that same reason. I know many quilters who don't seem to have a problem with it, but I would be devastated if a quilt I spend hundreds of hours on ended up falling apart because I used the wrong thread. You have my complete sympathy!

littlehud

I use Connecting Threads thread for piecing and quilting. Works great for me.