Saturday, November 22, 2008

Superior Threads

Superior Threads
When I first started quilting, it was all by hand and I used a simple cotton thread. That was the old days. Now I still enjoy hand quilting, but the bulk of my work is definitely by machine. I can't use the same old thread I used to use. In fact there are so many threads available today, it is overwhelming to choose. And I have bought a number of skunky threads and you know which ones I am talking about. The ones that break no matter what kind of needle you use or what tension you set your machine for. The ones that look great on the spool, but not so great on your fabric. Yuck!

However, I haven't bought any of those stinkers from Superior Threads. All quality!! My favorites are King Tut and Bottom Line. I bought some new colors at the Quilt Festival in Houston a few weeks ago, and decided to play with them on this dyeing experiment. Really it was just an exercise to get the creativity juices flowing. I love the varigated threads that Superior makes. And let's not forget the bobbin! I use Bottom Line for almost all my bobbins now. It just seems to last forever, many bright colors available, and it also works GREAT as a top thread when you want very closely spaced quilting lines and fine lines. On this little quilt I used 5 varieties of King Tut, and Bottom Line for the bobbin.
 And while I am on my thread soapbox, I wish when we listed materials used on our quilt entries for quilt shows, that the organizers would put the threads on the quilt signage. We all notice the fabric, and for the most part, we can recognize it if we want to buy some. But the thread contributes so much to the final look of the quilt, and I don't know about you, but I can not tell recognize thread brands by looking. Maybe it's my ignorance, or the fact that my eyes are getting old, but I would LOVE to see what threads people are using on their quilts!!



5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Kathy , this piece is really cool.. Looks like you had a great time in Houston.. I just saw Laura and Frieda at the Mancuso show in Illinois... nice and close to home for them and me...Laura

Unknown said...

I am a die hard Superior fan too. I love the Rainbows and have been using the King Tut lately and loving it too. Bottom line is just a must for me.

thehummingcat said...

I don't like to use threads you can see, I try to hide my quilting. If I could quilt like you I would use glow in the dark threads!!

Lyric said...

Gorgeous piece! How did I miss you at Houston?

Good to "see" you again!

Sarah said...

The Bottom Line thread is great - It works well and lasts for ages.