Piecing with fine polyester thread
#1
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2019
Posts: 25
Piecing with fine polyester thread
Ive been working on a quilt with 1 1/2” finished half square triangles that make up a 12 1/2” block. It really is a pretty, sparkly block but all those seams were so bulky I just had to press each one open and carefully pin to match seams. Slowing down has helped as well, but my accuracy really improved when I replaced my 50wt cotton thread with 80wt polyester. Now my blocks are turning out almost a perfect 12 1/2”. Of course I’ve heard the horror stories about the abrasive nature of polyester on cotton fibers and I’m sure they are true. Im also sure some of you experts out there have done what I’ve done to get that perfect sparkly look you were after. So do you have any advice as to how I should quilt and treat the resulting finished piece. (It will be about 70” x 80”). Thanks
#2
Power Poster
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Southern USA
Posts: 16,515
There are many new threads available now that wasn't around a decade ago. Here is the myth busted about poly and fabric:
https://www.superiorthreads.com/educ...fsNE%3D.wEgjkJ
Everything you need to know about thread, needles, tension, and bobbins is here:
https://www.superiorthreads.com/education
https://www.superiorthreads.com/educ...fsNE%3D.wEgjkJ
Everything you need to know about thread, needles, tension, and bobbins is here:
https://www.superiorthreads.com/education
#4
Super Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: The Deep South near Cajun Country, USA
Posts: 5,435
I frequently stitch with a polyester thread and haven't had any problems. I don't wash my quilts any more than I have to.
A lot of quilting with a curving design, will stabilize the blocks with all those seams and will help your quilt last a long time. If the seams can move and the polyester thread can saw at the cotton fabrics, then it is likely that you will eventually have fabric failure. I have had fabric failure with a 40 wt cotton thread. It has been washed 20 or 30 times and the quilting was more sparse than I have learned to do. Do not quilt in the ditch as straight line stitching. Do some type of curving pattern that will support the 3 elements staying better without placing stress on any single parts.
fyi....For my first quilt I did a minimum of quilting as per the batting suggested spacing and did them as straight lines. As I pulled the quilt up the first night of use, I heard seams popping and quickly realized the error of my ways. I added some curvy seams and tried pulling the quilt up again. I didn't hear those angry seams popping and quickly learned a very important lesson. Seams stitched as straight have more stress when pulled than curving seams.
A lot of quilting with a curving design, will stabilize the blocks with all those seams and will help your quilt last a long time. If the seams can move and the polyester thread can saw at the cotton fabrics, then it is likely that you will eventually have fabric failure. I have had fabric failure with a 40 wt cotton thread. It has been washed 20 or 30 times and the quilting was more sparse than I have learned to do. Do not quilt in the ditch as straight line stitching. Do some type of curving pattern that will support the 3 elements staying better without placing stress on any single parts.
fyi....For my first quilt I did a minimum of quilting as per the batting suggested spacing and did them as straight lines. As I pulled the quilt up the first night of use, I heard seams popping and quickly realized the error of my ways. I added some curvy seams and tried pulling the quilt up again. I didn't hear those angry seams popping and quickly learned a very important lesson. Seams stitched as straight have more stress when pulled than curving seams.
Last edited by Barb in Louisiana; 08-20-2021 at 07:09 AM.
#7
Super Member
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Pacific NW
Posts: 9,585
Agree 100%.
#8
Super Member
Join Date: Aug 2018
Location: Greater Peoria, IL -- just moved!
Posts: 6,183
While there are threads I will not use with cottons, the modern threads like So Fine were designed with cotton in mind.
When I started quilting, way back before there were rotary cutters, there were still quilt police. The going adage was "cotton only" but I was very happy with Dual Duty, which was cotton wrapped poly. We weren't all that sure about storing fabric in plastic containers or bags either, but after 50 years I'm no longer so worried about that either...
I can tell you my early quilts from the 70s went through a lot of hard use and machine washing, and the Dual Duty thread was never a problem. The problem was I didn't quilt closely enough and the unquilted areas rotted away, leaving the seams and the in the ditch quilting strongly holding together the threads.
When I started quilting, way back before there were rotary cutters, there were still quilt police. The going adage was "cotton only" but I was very happy with Dual Duty, which was cotton wrapped poly. We weren't all that sure about storing fabric in plastic containers or bags either, but after 50 years I'm no longer so worried about that either...
I can tell you my early quilts from the 70s went through a lot of hard use and machine washing, and the Dual Duty thread was never a problem. The problem was I didn't quilt closely enough and the unquilted areas rotted away, leaving the seams and the in the ditch quilting strongly holding together the threads.
#9
Super Member
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Utah
Posts: 2,097
Well.... My 2 wedding quilts from 1984 were both sewn with polyester thread, and it cut through the fabric at the seams, in less than 10 years.
Also, if you're pressing with a cotton setting on your iron, I think it would melt the polyester. Check where the polyester setting is on your iron, compared to where the cotton setting is on your iron. I know if I let my iron tough minky for very long, it will melt it.
I have a couple friends who have used Maxilock serger thread and have pressed it using a cotton setting on their iron, and they lifted up the block and pulled on it, and the thread had indeed melted. The block fell apart.
Sorry, I don't follow what everyone else says, I use my own experience and knowledge. I choose to use cotton thread to piece cotton fabrics.
Also, if you're pressing with a cotton setting on your iron, I think it would melt the polyester. Check where the polyester setting is on your iron, compared to where the cotton setting is on your iron. I know if I let my iron tough minky for very long, it will melt it.
I have a couple friends who have used Maxilock serger thread and have pressed it using a cotton setting on their iron, and they lifted up the block and pulled on it, and the thread had indeed melted. The block fell apart.
Sorry, I don't follow what everyone else says, I use my own experience and knowledge. I choose to use cotton thread to piece cotton fabrics.
#10
I use polyester thread all the time and my quilts hold up quite nicely for years. The baby quilts get washed a lot and there has been no damage. I use Bottom Line (30 wt.) in my bobbin and So Fine (40 wt.) in the needle when I am piecing and my blocks go together so much better. I also use polyester when I machine quilt.