meg Posted June 18, 2010 Author Report Share Posted June 18, 2010 i'm trying to use rainbows/sewfine for quilt for my aunt. i'm wondering about the needle size. the bottom of the cone says MR4.0. it is leaving big holes on my practice piece. have any of you had any luck with rainbows and a smaller needle? and advice greatly appreciated - as always. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meg Posted June 18, 2010 Report Share Posted June 18, 2010 i'm trying to use rainbows/sewfine for quilt for my aunt. i'm wondering about the needle size. the bottom of the cone says MR4.0. it is leaving big holes on my practice piece. have any of you had any luck with rainbows and a smaller needle? and advice greatly appreciated - as always. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
witha'K'quilting Posted June 18, 2010 Report Share Posted June 18, 2010 I always use 3.5 for rainbows. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
witha'K'quilting Posted June 18, 2010 Report Share Posted June 18, 2010 I always use 3.5 for rainbows. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zora Posted June 18, 2010 Report Share Posted June 18, 2010 I have used a 3.5, but I think it depends on your fabric. I just did a batik, and it wasn't going to work with that! Kept breaking every inch or so. I had to go up to a 4.5. I imagine your batting choice might affect it, too. All you can do is try and see how it goes! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zora Posted June 18, 2010 Report Share Posted June 18, 2010 I have used a 3.5, but I think it depends on your fabric. I just did a batik, and it wasn't going to work with that! Kept breaking every inch or so. I had to go up to a 4.5. I imagine your batting choice might affect it, too. All you can do is try and see how it goes! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltmonkey Posted June 18, 2010 Report Share Posted June 18, 2010 Originally posted by meg i'm trying to use rainbows/sewfine for quilt for my aunt. i'm wondering about the needle size. the bottom of the cone says MR4.0. it is leaving big holes on my practice piece. have any of you had any luck with rainbows and a smaller needle? and advice greatly appreciated - as always. These big holes will close up over time, or if you rub them with finger tips. Also washing/blocking the quilt will completely close the holes. Try a 3.5 if you want to but I think when you are just starting out with Rainbows, use 4.0. Remember, Rainbows is somewhat of a finicky thread. At first I had a hard time "figuring it out" (it broke a lot) but if you stick with it, after you experiment, you will have no troubles with Rainbows. I love Rainbows thread. LOVE IT! Now I can go really fast high speed (non SR mode) without breaks. Just gotta be patient, experiment, practice. You will tame it. After you get real comfortable with Rainbows, you can try going down to a 3.5. I think it's better if you start out with less of a challenge and then it tweak from there by going to a smaller needle later. JMHO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltmonkey Posted June 18, 2010 Report Share Posted June 18, 2010 Originally posted by meg i'm trying to use rainbows/sewfine for quilt for my aunt. i'm wondering about the needle size. the bottom of the cone says MR4.0. it is leaving big holes on my practice piece. have any of you had any luck with rainbows and a smaller needle? and advice greatly appreciated - as always. These big holes will close up over time, or if you rub them with finger tips. Also washing/blocking the quilt will completely close the holes. Try a 3.5 if you want to but I think when you are just starting out with Rainbows, use 4.0. Remember, Rainbows is somewhat of a finicky thread. At first I had a hard time "figuring it out" (it broke a lot) but if you stick with it, after you experiment, you will have no troubles with Rainbows. I love Rainbows thread. LOVE IT! Now I can go really fast high speed (non SR mode) without breaks. Just gotta be patient, experiment, practice. You will tame it. After you get real comfortable with Rainbows, you can try going down to a 3.5. I think it's better if you start out with less of a challenge and then it tweak from there by going to a smaller needle later. JMHO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corey Posted June 18, 2010 Report Share Posted June 18, 2010 I am quilting right now with rainbows and bottom line, I had to switch to 4.5 needle and looser tension because my thread just kept on breaking. I am now halfway done with this twin size quilt and quite happy with the way it is working. You can always spritz the stitching wiith water to shrink the holes. Corey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corey Posted June 18, 2010 Report Share Posted June 18, 2010 I am quilting right now with rainbows and bottom line, I had to switch to 4.5 needle and looser tension because my thread just kept on breaking. I am now halfway done with this twin size quilt and quite happy with the way it is working. You can always spritz the stitching wiith water to shrink the holes. Corey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quiltsinmotion Posted June 18, 2010 Report Share Posted June 18, 2010 I always use 3.0 to 3.5 needle no matter what thread I use ,I like smaller needle holes , when I get a quilt with alot of small pieces I use a 4.0 just quilted a king size with 5832 2in half sq triangle I used rainbows for thread you just have to loosen your top tension until you find the sweet spot , when using batik fabric I go to a 2.5 needle . Good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quiltsinmotion Posted June 18, 2010 Report Share Posted June 18, 2010 I always use 3.0 to 3.5 needle no matter what thread I use ,I like smaller needle holes , when I get a quilt with alot of small pieces I use a 4.0 just quilted a king size with 5832 2in half sq triangle I used rainbows for thread you just have to loosen your top tension until you find the sweet spot , when using batik fabric I go to a 2.5 needle . Good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quilting Heidi Posted June 18, 2010 Report Share Posted June 18, 2010 I've used 3.5 or 4.0 with no problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quilting Heidi Posted June 18, 2010 Report Share Posted June 18, 2010 I've used 3.5 or 4.0 with no problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meg Posted June 19, 2010 Author Report Share Posted June 19, 2010 well i am glad i asked cause i have a loose bobbin and a tighter top. it sounds like i might want to reverse this? am i reading your posts right? i had no breaks on the practice piece - just the big holes and i wasnt thrilled with the bottom tension, altho i couldve lived with it. should i try to reverse the top & bottom tensions? the top stitches looked great, but that is never my problem anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meg Posted June 19, 2010 Author Report Share Posted June 19, 2010 well i am glad i asked cause i have a loose bobbin and a tighter top. it sounds like i might want to reverse this? am i reading your posts right? i had no breaks on the practice piece - just the big holes and i wasnt thrilled with the bottom tension, altho i couldve lived with it. should i try to reverse the top & bottom tensions? the top stitches looked great, but that is never my problem anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
witha'K'quilting Posted June 19, 2010 Report Share Posted June 19, 2010 I would certainly run the rainbows on top looser and adjust the so fine in bobbin to be tighter to make a pretty stitch! second thought...if you had no problems with the tension and no breakage...then why fix what isn't broken? the above is how I run that combination on Frogger...obviously what you have done is working for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
witha'K'quilting Posted June 19, 2010 Report Share Posted June 19, 2010 I would certainly run the rainbows on top looser and adjust the so fine in bobbin to be tighter to make a pretty stitch! second thought...if you had no problems with the tension and no breakage...then why fix what isn't broken? the above is how I run that combination on Frogger...obviously what you have done is working for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quilting Heidi Posted June 19, 2010 Report Share Posted June 19, 2010 Meg, Just loosen your quilt sandwich a little. What don't you like about the bottom tension? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quilting Heidi Posted June 19, 2010 Report Share Posted June 19, 2010 Meg, Just loosen your quilt sandwich a little. What don't you like about the bottom tension? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltmonkey Posted June 19, 2010 Report Share Posted June 19, 2010 Originally posted by meg well i am glad i asked cause i have a loose bobbin and a tighter top. it sounds like i might want to reverse this? am i reading your posts right? i had no breaks on the practice piece - just the big holes and i wasnt thrilled with the bottom tension, altho i couldve lived with it. should i try to reverse the top & bottom tensions? the top stitches looked great, but that is never my problem anyway. Go a little looser on both just experiment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltmonkey Posted June 19, 2010 Report Share Posted June 19, 2010 Originally posted by meg well i am glad i asked cause i have a loose bobbin and a tighter top. it sounds like i might want to reverse this? am i reading your posts right? i had no breaks on the practice piece - just the big holes and i wasnt thrilled with the bottom tension, altho i couldve lived with it. should i try to reverse the top & bottom tensions? the top stitches looked great, but that is never my problem anyway. Go a little looser on both just experiment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meg Posted June 19, 2010 Author Report Share Posted June 19, 2010 Originally posted by hmerrill Meg, Just loosen your quilt sandwich a little. What don't you like about the bottom tension? i am not sure if it is the holes that the larger needle is leaving that is shredding the fabric a bit, but it looks like the thread is not lying flat. the stitches just arent as pretty on the bottom. it is alkways the nottom thread that gives me trouble. lola always makes such beautiful stitches on the top that i think the bottom should look that good too. and it should. and it will. eventually. i think i will try to reverse everything tomorrow and see if that helps. thanks everyone for the ideas - i will try then out and let you know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meg Posted June 19, 2010 Author Report Share Posted June 19, 2010 Originally posted by hmerrill Meg, Just loosen your quilt sandwich a little. What don't you like about the bottom tension? i am not sure if it is the holes that the larger needle is leaving that is shredding the fabric a bit, but it looks like the thread is not lying flat. the stitches just arent as pretty on the bottom. it is alkways the nottom thread that gives me trouble. lola always makes such beautiful stitches on the top that i think the bottom should look that good too. and it should. and it will. eventually. i think i will try to reverse everything tomorrow and see if that helps. thanks everyone for the ideas - i will try then out and let you know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltmonkey Posted June 19, 2010 Report Share Posted June 19, 2010 If bottom thread does not look good it's either 1) "too loose" or 2) you need to tighten up your top tension a wee bit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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