Quilting Thread, Buying And Selecting Quality Thread

My sister-in-law has become quite a quilter. She has done several quilting projects over the past few years. Her projects have included wall hangings, throws and bed coverings. She has also completed several baby quilts. I have dabbled in quilting from time to time, but my finished product never seems to look as nice as my sister-in-laws. I asked her what her secret is and she said that the quality of the quilting thread used makes a big difference.

I knew that there was quilting thread that was used for projects. I had a few spools of quilting thread in my sewing basket, but I had not realized that it came in varying qualities. There is a difference in what the thread is made out of. My sister-in-law told me it is important to match the material of the thread to the material of the quilt. If you are making a quilt that is primarily cotton fabric it is important to use cotton quilting thread.

One of the wall hangings she completed was a pattern of different colored silk. The colorful pieces were arranged in geometric patterns and hand quilted on a soft white background. The quilting thread she used for this was also made of silk. As we were talking more about the difference in the threads, she suggested that we go over to her favorite quilting store. She would show me the different quilting thread options. I had heard her talk about this store many times, but had never been in the store myself.

I could not believe the things that were in this store. There are fabrics in every possible color and coordinating prints. There are samples of projects that can be completed. There are kits that are precut and measured. You purchase the kit and sew the pieces together by following the enclosed directions, and then you quilt the project by hand. The projects come with coordinating quilting thread to complete them. You do not have to worry about matching solids and patterns, or what amount to get of each fabric; the project is ready to go. My sister-in-law is very skilled at matching colors and patterns, but for the beginner these projects can save time and frustrations. My sister-in-law admits that it was by doing one of these kits that she learned about quilting thread and how important it is to match fabric content. She used polyester quilting thread on the first wall hanging that she did. The wall hanging was made of cotton. The quilting did not look as neat because the polyester thread had more stretch to it than the cotton fabric. This caused some of the stitches to appear loose.

I bought a kit to make a wall hanging. My sister-in-law said that she would help me if I need it. I am sure that this project will turn out better being all my fabrics and quilting thread are made from the same material.