Cotton v Polyester thread

[Lauras]

I have a new customer. A quilt teacher who will be sending her students' quilts to me to be quilted. She wants me to use only cotton threads, because she thinks polyester will eventually harm the cotton tops. I understand that polyester threads have changed a lot and no longer pose a problem. I have a large selection of Poly thread and have been very happy with it. Any thoughts?

[PattyJo]

Bob from Superior Threads has written (and explains in his classes) all about this. I would go to the Superior Threads web site and check it out, copy it off and use that to discuss this with her. Hope this helps Laura.

[Lauras]

Thanks. I found it and printed it. There is also a good article by Dawn Cavanaugh in the March/April Fons and Porter magazine. Happy customers are my favorites:) Laura

[Lauras]

Patty Jo, I just read about your husband. Will (and just have) also pray for the two of you. God keeps proving how good He is! Laura

[PattyJo]

Yes Laura, HE does. Thank you for your prayers.

[ramona-quilter]

Laura, I have a lot of customers that prefer the look of cotton.

Cotton has a bigger foot print so you see the the quilting, not just the texture created by the quilting.

I like cotton but the poly and perma-core come in so many colors.

Cotton is also more linty; I blow out the bobbin area with every pass on a panto.

You have to change more bobbins since cotton thread is thicker, you cannot get as much cotton thread on a bobbin (compared to poly) so you have to change bobbins more often which usually translates to more stops/starts.

I don't buy into the myth that poly will wear out your quilt faster than cotton. Rubbish.

But I still prefer the look of cotton on my personal quilts.

[Lauras]

Thanks, Ramona. I appreciate that. I think I'll do some testing so I can see the difference for myself. Who knows, maybe I'll soon be preferrring cottons myself! I like the huge choice of colors in poly. Laura

[quiltmonkey]

There are so many false rumors (old wives tales) out there and these continue fly around perpetuating the uneducation of the ignorant.

I guess what I am trying to say is, over the years, with advancements in technology (e.g. sewing machines, higher quality and better construction of the fabrics we have now, and the varieties and quality of threads we have now, etc.) things that may very well have been true "way back when" may very well not be true now! So, I try very hard to seek the truth and to understand the facts before I assume what I am told is correct. I learn something new every day.

[Lauras]

Shana, I agree with you. By the way, what's the population of North Pole? An former employee of a former business of a former husband's and mine moved up there in the 80's, and I sometimes wonder what happened to them.

[quiltmonkey]

Laura, Well, if you want to include the Greater Fairbanks area, where I live (North Pole is a suburb of Fairbanks) population is about 85,000.

So, there is a slight chance that the former employee of a former business of a former husband of yours might be running around up here! LOL!

[Just Sew Simple]

Laura, back when the earth was barely cool, poly thread would "cut" cotton thread and therefore quilters would not use the two together. Time have changed and poly of today is not the poly of "back in the day." Poly won't cut your cotton, it doesn't melt like it once did and it washes well. It also provides less shrinkage over the life of the quilt as it is washed and washed. The lady who asked for only cotton is just not caught up with information in the textile industry. Sylvia

[Lauras]

Thanks, everyone. You've been very helpful. And Shana, I guess I won't ask you "Do you know Glen?" Laura