buying thread

[scq]

Hi Everyone. I would like to know where you all like to buy your thread. Do you always order from KingsMen or a place like that...or can you ever find it locally. If so, where? At Joanns? Or a quilt store that has it. I would like to actually see the thread before I buy....instead of looking at a computer screen. What weights can we use on our machines? (I have a Millenium). Can you use serger thread. Obviously, I am still new to this....my Mille came w/ a huge thread package )that was the special deal in Feb) but I need to buy some more colors now and I'm not quite sure what to get.

Any help and advice from all you pros would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks so much.

Annette

[sewingupastorm]

I buy my threads from Cranberry Quiltworks in California. They are fast and they always take time to be sure they have my order right. I use a thead chart and use the Signiture Cotton threads.

Yes you can use serger thread on a longarm but.......................it is a poor choice for quiting period because the cotton fibers are much shorter so it is a weaker thread and you will have more breakage and it will not wear as well over the life of the quilt.

[Guest Linda S]

Annette - do you quilt for yourself, or do you have a business and quilt for others? If you have a business license, you can order thread directly from Superior Threads at wholesale. I have an account with them and, I must admit, theirs is about the only thread I use. I love So Fine, King Tut, Bottom Line, Rainbows, etc. They all run perfectly through my machine and the price is great. I did buy a large cone of thread on sale at JoAnn's to use on my chain stitch machine (since I just pull that thread out and throw it away), it was so bad, I couldn't even get it to pull out properly -- too much lint and nappiness to it. Superior guarantees all of their thread and I love it.

Linda

[CLRtoQuilt]

Annette,

I buy mostly from columbia river quilting and designs. I ordered a book that has all the thread colors in it and the colors a pretty close to the actual thread. I find that trying to see the colors on the computer isn't always the same.

Good luck

Char

[BarbWetzel]

Superior is the best... I like the SoFine thread.

[scq]

Hi. Thanks for all your help. I think if I can get some thread charts I will be fine. Linda - I just quilt for myself....but planning to take customers when and if that happens....for now it's my (very intense) hobby. I just thought it would be so convenient if I could run out to a store and buy what I needed and not wait for it to come or be disappointed because the color wasn't really what I expected.

Sounds like I have great internet store sources!

Again, thanks! Love everything I learn on this site.

Annette

[PRINCESSTUCK]

Can you fine ladies give me some of the links to the thread places where you all buy your thread from? I have never heard of these places before but then again I think I am all by myself in the neck of the woods where I live. Thanks Robin

[ramona-quilter]

Here are a couple of links for you.

Columbia River

http://columbiariverquilting.com/a_e_signatrue_thread.html

Kings Men

http://www.kmquiltingsupply.com/

Bayside

https://www.baysidequilting.com/store/scripts/prodList.asp?idCategory=55

Superior

https://www.superiorthreads.com/index.php

YouCanQuiltIt

http://www.youcanquiltit.com/superior_threads.htm

Signature Thread

http://www.amefird.com/consumer_division_products.htm

And serger thread? No, never. The thread you buy at

Joann's is meant for domestic sewing machines (DSM) which

operate 600-1200 stitches per minute. Your Millie won't

even break a sweat at 1200 SPM. Longarm machines work

at much higher speeds (2400 SPM). The thread you find at

Joann's can't hold up to that speed. I agree with most

other quilters, Superior thread is just superior

When I want to use cotton, I use Signature thread.

[gable428]

My thread inventory consists mostly of MaxiLock which can be purchased at Joann's. I do have some Superior threads, but in my opinion, MaxiLock is just as good and I cannot tell the difference. It holds up just fine.

[Quiltsinmotion]

Princesstuck & gable428 I am a nebie just got my milli "Sweet Dreams " in June of this year ...... learned alot from this forum .

I have used MaxieLock for ppppppp with a low loft batting , so much lint to deal with . Then when you use a more dense batting the tension just dosen't look as nice [no matter how much you twek it] as Superior Threads , I have a LLC which helps big time with the cost . I can order whole sale price .

It is all in the tension of your machine . Every different batting and thread the tenson needs to be checked .

I so far buy only Superior thread , looking in to others for as a "newbie I want to try more then one thread , maxielock is good for ppppp but not on quilts my 2 cents any way ......................

happy quilting

[jobuck]

Annette: I had been machine quilting on my Bernina and was doing fairly well. I had a project that required a yellow/gold/orange varigated thread. I purchased a spool of YLI Machine Quilting thread at my local quilt shop. I was running low on the spool so I ordered a cone from Kingsman (before they changed their wholesale/retail pricing). I had ordered my Millie so I thought a cone waas a good purchase for future use....I tried to use the YLI on the Millie and no matter how I tweeked the tension it was break--break--break. I was ready to throw the cone in the lake(I live on one.). I can only use it in the bobbin , not on the top thread. I called APQS and basically they said some threads just won't work and recommended Superior. The So Fine and King Tut so far are great. Signature thread is very linty but will work. Happy quilting. Jo-Ellen

[Merryjo2003]

I use Superior and usually get it straight from Superior. Never had any problems. I especially like the Rainbows, but all of it's nice.

[qwltnldy]

I buy Permacore from Dallas Thread and Superior from Superior (all wholesale). I use Permacore at no charge to customers, but charge a specialty price for all other threads such as So Fine, Superior, King Tut, Bottom Line, etc. I never use Signature for anything. Tried Maxilock from JoAnns once and it was yucky.

[QuiltNutOne]

they have kingtut, so fine, masterpiece and bottom line. and even carry the new rainbow threads from superior as well. and its an all canadian site! they also carry aurifil threads as well

[TishMarshall]

Ramona and Linda,

You both are always so helpful when you add in the web links like this.

Everyone here on the site has been really helpful to say the least.

T.

Originally posted by ramona-quilter

Here are a couple of links for you.

Columbia River

http://columbiariverquilting.com/a_e_signatrue_thread.html

Kings Men

http://www.kmquiltingsupply.com/

Bayside

https://www.baysidequilting.com/store/scripts/prodList.asp?idCategory=55

Superior

https://www.superiorthreads.com/index.php

YouCanQuiltIt

http://www.youcanquiltit.com/superior_threads.htm

Signature Thread

http://www.amefird.com/consumer_division_products.htm

And serger thread? No, never. The thread you buy at

Joann's is meant for domestic sewing machines (DSM) which

operate 600-1200 stitches per minute. Your Millie won't

even break a sweat at 1200 SPM. Longarm machines work

at much higher speeds (2400 SPM). The thread you find at

Joann's can't hold up to that speed. I agree with most

other quilters, Superior thread is just superior

When I want to use cotton, I use Signature thread.

[ramona-quilter]

JoBuck,

I feel your pain with YLI thread. It is so beautiful. The color

combinations are just yummy. But I cannot run it on the top

without lots of thread breakage. I did a lap quilt last month

and broke my own rule #2 - I will not use customer-supplied

thread. She brought me 2 spools on YLI Limey thread. The

back was lime greens too. I decided to try the new YLI

Variations thread (Grass) in the bobbin and it was perfect for

the back.

After one row on the panto, I started counting the thread

breaks on this little lap quilt. I had 47 thread breaks;

which means 47 trips around the machine to fix and

re-thread. I adjusted the be-jeebers out of the tension

still could not keep it from breaking. Sewer's Aid was

no help; different bobbin case - no help; moved spool from

top spool holder to back cone holder and then back again -

no help. Never again.

[Georgene]

Originally posted by sewingupastorm

I buy my threads from Cranberry Quiltworks in California. They are fast and they always take time to be sure they have my order right. I use a thead chart and use the Signiture Cotton threads.

Yes you can use serger thread on a longarm but.......................it is a poor choice for quiting period because the cotton fibers are much shorter so it is a weaker thread and you will have more breakage and it will not wear as well over the life of the quilt.

[Georgene]

Oops. Here's the rest of my message.

I just inherited 3 new cones of Signature thread, but nowhere on the cones (nor the little label inside the cone) say the content of the thread. So I don't know if I have cotton or poly or a blend.

The Signature thread cones are white and the Word SIGNATURE is written atthe top of the cone in RED.

However, another cone that I've had for awhile that does say it's 100% cotton has the Signature in BLACK.

Could someone please check their newer thread cones to see if the lettering is black or red. I hope I have 100% cotton, but I'm not sure.

Thanks for any help.

[Guest LA]

Hi Georgene! :-)

Just to be sure, I would call the Signature company & get it straight from the horses mouth!

http://www.amefird.com/index.htm

[countrystitcher]

I was told that if you want quality quilting to buy quality thread. I use Superior, So Fine, Tut, and just tried Masterpiece and WOW it quilted like butter, no problems and it looks beautiful. My machine also seems to like pre-wound bobbins better, but we are going to try and get over that issue! Yes, it is more convenient, but I also like the top and bottom to match, at least at this point in my learning curve.

[Georgene]

I agree about the Superior thread. That is my thread of choice.

I don't have a long arm yet, so I'll be using the Signature thread that was free to me on my DSM. IF it's 100% cotton that is.

If it's not, I guess I can use it on my serger.

[qfairy]

I have been LA quilting for over 16 years and have used pretty much all I could try. Until a couple of years ago. One quilter told me to try a company out of Ca. called Salus Textile. They make Polyester and Rayon. They can be reached at: 800-447-2587. Ask them to send you their booklet of each the Poly and Rayon. Only thing the rayon is stressed against using on quilts that will be bleached as this will dissolve the rayon. But who bleaches quilts? They are in cones of 5000 yards for only $3 each. I have tons of the colors they all have this shine to them not like most threads. And they are so easy to use never a tension problem. They are considered 40 w or 120/2. Stands up to any washings. My customers just love them and never ask for my old threads any more.

[PRINCESSTUCK]

O.K. now some one mentioned pre-wound bobbins. Does everyone buy the pre-wound one or do they wind there own. To me I feel like I would be throwing my money out the window when I have my own thread already there and not winding my own bobbins. Why Granny would turn over twice if i bought pre-wound bobbins. I would like more feed back on that.

Advantages and dis-advantages of them. You all are the best!!!

[Bonnie]

That is totally a personal perference....And totally depends on what effect you are trying to get. If you are Heirloom quilting, the pre-wound bobbins are great. If you are just general quilting...I wind my own with the matching thread from the top. Its totally a whatever you want to do thing.

The advantage of Pre-wound bobbins...they hold more because they are loaded with Bottom Line if you get them from Superior Threads. I personally don't use many of the them....like you I would rather load my own.

[gable428]

Regarding prewound bobbins, I get the Superior Threads prewound bobbins and they are great! I have to admit that when I first heard about prewound bobbins, I thought to myself, "gee, how lazy can a person be?", but believe me, they are so convenient because they have so much more thread on them than the ones I wind myself. Give them a try and I bet you will love them.

Gable