I don’t think much about thread. I’ve been buying the same brand and same weight for years, taking for granted that I could get what I wanted easily and for a fair price. How does the old saying go? If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
Then I heard news that Joann was closing 500 retail locations. So long, reliable, ubiquitous source of thread! Suddenly, I was open to other options. When Superior Threads offered to send me a few products to try out earlier this year, I jumped at the opportunity.*
So Fine!
One product I played around with is So Fine!, a 50-weight polyester product. I prefer polyester products because they make my machine happy. I sew on a Janome 1600P-QC, a super-fast straight-stitch machine, and she likes polyester. That preference is most apparent during free-motion quilting. For those projects, I often experience fraying and breakage with cotton thread, but polyester works without issues.
I’ve been exclusively piecing and quilting with 40-weight polyester thread for years and years, and I was skeptical of a 50-weight option. (Remember, the smaller the number, the thicker the thread. In other words, a 40-weight thread is thicker than a 50-weight thread.) I really liked it with piecing--the thinner thread made a difference! It wasn’t a night-and-day change, but I noticed that my pieces ironed flatter.
I also quilted with So Fine! In the past, I’ve argued that a thicker thread is more forgiving, hiding the wobbles of my straight-line quilting better than a thinner thread. I sewed my latest Fire Truck Quilt with Sew Fine! in a pale gray (without marking a single line, I might add), and everything turned out beautifully. Go figure!
Sew Sassy
The one exception to my long-held polyester-only rule was when I finished bindings by hand. For that, I’ve employed 12-weight cotton thread, and it has worked fine. I was surprised, then, when Sew Sassy, a three-ply 12-weight polyester thread was easier to use.
With a cotton thread, I have to make sure I don’t cut off a piece longer than 15 or 16 inches: The more the thread is pulled through a quilt sandwich, the more likely the plies will loosen. That wasn’t an issue with the polyester. The integrity of the thread held up despite its travels in and out of the binding of my Windmill Weave project.
I won’t toss my old cotton 12-weight, but from here on out, I’ll purchase polyester.
Metallic
I also requested a gold metallic thread. (How very un-Michelle of me!) When I went to QuiltCon 2025, there was a special exhibit of work from keynote speaker Tara Faughnan, and I was surprised to see occasional quilting lines of metallic gold thread in multiple pieces. I haven’t found the right project for the spool I have on hand, but you’ll be the first to hear about it when I do.
Are there any other polyester fans out there? I’d love to hear your thoughts on when you use different weights. Tell us all about it in the comments!
* Please note: I received these product free. This post contains my own, unbiased opinion about them.
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I haven't used a lot of polyester thread, but I fully support everyone using what works best for them and their machine. I ended up being a cotton Aurifil (50wt specifically) years ago because of a VERY finicky machine (honestly, it was a lemon and I'll never purchase a sewing machine of that brand again). Thankfully the machine I purchased to replace it was also happy enough with the stash I had accumulated.
ReplyDeleteI have used Coats and Clark thread for years. And of course I would get it at Joann's. It worked on all of my machines. So I don't know what I will do when I run out. I guess time will tell.
ReplyDeleteHi Michelle, for piecing, I use what ever works - neutral colours if I can but more matching colours if I have to. In that case, I don't care if it's cotton or not. Generally for FMQ, if I can, I try to use my cotton thread first. I have a gorgeous collection of variegated King Tut Superior thread - I love it! However, sometimes some projects just don't want cotton. For the few big quilts that I've made, I've had to use polyester thread - so fine is one of my favourites and I have a few colours that will blend with anything. I suspect that there's more tugging and pulling on a large quilt and the cotton just won't do. Anyway, I'm a huge fan of Superior thread - not always easy to find but I get some when I see it.
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