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This is my addiction - what is yours?


carolinequilts

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Betty - I can't say I've tried all the threads, but I know that if I ever go to MQS I would be drawn to the thread displays first!! I would buy different ones just to try. I do charge for my thread - $1 per 100 yards, so this (in my mind) justifies buying more and more :)

As for favourites... I like them all. I love the look of the heavier weight cottons (35wt - 50wt) - especially the variegated, but need to be careful with the tension of those. I've tried King Tut, Valdani (tricky with tension and linty but beautiful), Signature, Sulky Blendables (extra care to avoid breaking, not one of my favourites, but lovely colours), Coats Machine Quilting, Guterman variegated, and recently Wonderfil Tuitti.

I like to use a finer thread in the bobbin like Bottom Line, Wonderfil DecoBob, So Fine or Valdani Brilliance Polyester (a bit shiny).

So Fine is also really nice in the top, but I only use this if I am working on a quilt where it is necessary that the thread doesn't over power the quilt. You will find that So Fine is a favourite of many of the LA'ers in this forum.

All the other threads I use in the top or bobbin when I need just the perfect colour. But they aren't as pretty as the others.

Organizing the thread is easy now because I just add to my book when I get some new thread. When I first set it up I spent many evenings while watching TV wrapping thread around the embroidery bobbins!!

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Caroline, mine is fabric and quilt books. My husband has fixed 1 nice large room just off our quilting area just for fabric and books. There are floor to ceiling shelves and they are full of fabric and books. I love to piece quilts and I have plenty of fabric to choose from. I have it all arranged by colors and it looks so pretty!!! I spend a lot of time just looking through stacks of it and touching it. (addiction :P:P). I am the same way about quilt books. I buy them from ebay ALL the time. I will be old enough to retire in about 10 years so I have convinced myself that I am just investing in my future!!!! I will have plenty of everything by then :D

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Wow, Caroline that is alot of thread. So aren't you worried that it will go bad before you can use it all. What is the shelf life of thread anyway before it starts to break down. It lasts in our quilts a very long time so it must not be too short of a time otherwise all antique quilts would be in shreads. Just curious I have heard from others that it can go bad. I sure hope not for a very long time because I wouldnt live long enough to use up all that thread Caroline. :P:P

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Jeanne - most of my thread in the canning shelf is polyester. I don't think that goes bad (maybe after many years) and I am in the process of covering each one with plastic. Cotton threads do go bad after time, but I think it is years. I don't have as many cottons, but still lots. I think I will use most of those day-to-day so I'm not too worried. Those are in the plastic bins to keep dust off. I mist them on occasion to help prevent them from drying out.

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:D now that i have seen your thread collection, apparently i have no addictions....which is great news. :D

if an addiction does develop, which can never be ruled out entirely, it would be fabrics.

a friend of mine told me that there are 3 ways to buy fabric...

if you like it - buy 1 yard

if you love it - buy 3 yards

if you love, love, love it - buy 5-9 yards

she has enough fabrics to use up most of your thread!

thanks for sharing this.....i will use it to defend myself when dh complains about my shopping habits.

dh is away this weekend...but i am going to show him your pics as soon as he gets home.

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I wish I had a thread addiction. My addiction is sewing machines:o I have 9 and now looking at the new Babylock

Sashiko. I have no idea what I would use it for but it looks interesting. I have a Bernina Serger that I should sell, bought it a year ago and the only thing I sewed on it was around 10 pillowcases (I don't do garments).:(

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Caroline:

I have come back the past 3 or 4 days to re-read this post, look at your photos and check out the new responses.

Since I only quilt for myself, my thread stash doesn't compare to yours but I will admit to a small & growing problem (have you tried the 28 weight Aurifil or the Madiera Super Twist?).

Anyway, I'm writing this morning to thank you for starting this thread (get it? thread?) because it has inspired me. Instead of sewing yesterday, I spent the entire day reorganizing my own little world of thread and it feels just great! Thanks for stimulating a great discussion on the forum and for motivating me to get more organized.

Nancy in Tucson

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Wow...I love the way you've organized. I think Shannon (aka Doodlebug) did that too. I hardly have any thead compared to you guys, but I love the stuff. If I had that much, I would never be able to decide what to use!

The best part about your addiction is that they don't require feeding! Mine do, so luckily I only have four. However, there is a donkey that's looking for a new home;)

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Wow, that is a lot of thread, I love it and I am jealous also. I think you have the most thread in this forum.

Mine is fabrics, DD said that I need intervention when it comes to fabrics. I do have a roomful of fabrics though, wall to wall, arranged in open bookshelves and color coded by a (hired) friend who loves to fondle fabrics.

One time a friend came with her husband (she wanted to show her DH my STASH), they both went inside the fabric room, my DH followed (he never goes to my fabric room) and saw all the fabrics and said, "holy macro, there goes our retirement money."

Corey

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Caroline,

Oh My Goodness! That's a stinkin' lot of thread! Thank you for the pic of how you catalogue. I have been trying to figure out how to show my customers my thread supply without taking them down to my sewing studio, which is out of the question because its at the other end of an unfinished basement. The studio is finished and beautiful but the basement is an eyesore. I'm going to get to work on the catalogue. Thank you so much. :)

Jessica

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Connie...I am with you. Sewing machines is my 'dedication'. My oldest Singer is 101 years old this year.

I have a numerous machines...more than 9. In fact I have 3 featherweights! I love those little beauties.

One day I will take a picture of my older machines...and my newer ones too. I think I have 13 different machines...not counting Frogger!

I sold one this summer...that I found in a dumpster and learned to quilt on! My husband wonders why I sold it. He thought I should have kept it for memory sake! Oh well, it has moved on to a new home.

Thread comes a close second. I love thread and all kinds. Love the floss bobbin idea Caroline. Maybe I can put my kids to work! :)

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Lisa - so you spotted my CL boards hiding in the corner! Yes, another addiction.... As you can see, I'll be running out of room for those soon!

Love the idea of a sewing machine collection that some of you have. :)

I can see from the posts that there are many of us with lots of thread - Sandra - I counted 237 cones of thread - so you are way up there! We should go shopping one day!

I think as quilters, many of us have many addictions (or collections, or dedications). I love the stories about having rooms just for fabric and books. That makes me feel much better!

I'm also glad of the appeciative remarks on my thread catalogue. I'm showing the comments to my DH so he doesn't think I'm nuts (he stilll thinks I'm nuts - now he just thinks all you are nuts too) :P

PS - It's a good thing I didn't include a photo of the other side of my basement where I 'house' my bolts of batting! :D:D

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