The Quilt Skipper

quilting makes me skip for joy

Jenny K Lyon

Quilting makes me skip for joy

Give Away – Teri Lucas’ Color, Thread & Free-Motion Quilting!

 

Ready for a give-away? One commenter, chosen at random will receive a digital copy of Teri Lucas’ new book, Color, Thread & Free-Motion Quilting, published by C&T Publishing. Comment below what your favorite thread is – I’d love to know! Let me tell you about Teri’s book…

I was thrilled to be asked to review Teri’s book! I have gotten to know Teri both online and in-person at the Houston Market. When I have a geeky question about my BERNINA or thread, needles, tension, or the sewing industry, she’s my go-to girl. I just plain-old like Teri – she’s full of knowledge, willing to share and breaks the rules in the most fun ways. Oh, and she’s been in the magazine/publishing/editing realm for a long time. She’s a gem.

(Picture used with permission from C&T Publishing)

The subtitle for the book makes you crack a smile: Learn to Stitch with Reckless Abandon – isn’t that exactly how you want to feel? I love thread, I’ve got quite a stash. Teri makes the case for exploring the impact of thread on your quilt. Many quilters take great care to choosing fabric and colors, yet go to default mode with their quilting thread choices. Teri makes a great case for getting to know your threads.

(Picture used with permission from C&T Publishing)

There is a fun chapter about “The Impractical Color Wheel” which amusingly, I found quite practical. She suggests you try a range of threads on each of 6 colors to see the effect of various thread colors on each. Some really surprised me. By creating an impractical color wheel, you’ll be much less likely to be ripping out entire sections of stitching, making your impractical color wheel a useful resource.I appreciate Teri’s tone – super encouraging and wise. She gently walks you through how to use a Color Tool, what the “rules” are and when to break them, and provides a nuanced approach to thread weight, fiber and ply that will help you make great thread choices. The end of the book includes a library of 36 illustrations of useful designs to choose from for your own quilts.

Every good book review should include the writer’s favorite part. I’m a simple creature; by far my favorite part was the eye candy! Throughout the book Teri includes photos of her work and her samples, all of it gorgeous. Take a gander at Teri’s work and you will see how much impact thread makes. Like this whole cloth quilt:

(Picture used with permission from C&T Publishing)

All in all, the message is play, explore, use your seam ripper liberally and without shame, and, do that wild abandon thing. Her advice supports the desire all quilters have – make it personal. There isn’t a lot out there on the effect of thread on our quilts. This is a great resource that you’ll want by your side.

So, comment with your favorite thread below and Teri will randomly choose an e-book winner for each day. The blog hop continues through Aug 6th and you can comment each day if you wish:

7/28 Melissa Thompson Maher Generation Q Magazine genenerationqmagazine.com
7/29 Susan Emory blog.michaelmillerfabrics.com
7/30 ME! quiltskipper.com
7/31 Teri Lucas terificreations.com
8/1 Paula Reid battsintheattic.com
8/3 Teresa Coates Teresacoates.com
8/4 Scott Hansen bluenickelstudios.com
8/5 Linda Pearl onequiltingcircle.com
8/6 Teri wrapping up

AMUSING EPILOGUE: Last weekend I started to quilt a piece I’d made the week before. I didn’t have the thread color I wanted so went shopping at my local quilt shop. The best color was in a brand that I did not care for, but, against my better judgement, I chose it. It did nothing but fray and break about every 24″ of stitching.

I worked through my mental checklist; all my choices and settings were dead-on. I wrote Teri who suggested a MicroTex needle, the exact needle I never would have chosen because of the slubby nature of the thread. It worked like a charm. Who knew? Teri’s book is full of information you need to keep you from having to rip out your stitching!

Comments

  1. Using superior’s Microquilter for some dense stitch in the ditch and am loving it.

  6. My choice for favorite thread depends on the purpose for the thread, but if I had to choose just one thread for FMQ it would be Fantastico by Superior Threads. It is beautiful, yet strong and my machine loves it!

  7. I used to use Aurifil exclusively, but I think my fav fmq thread at this point is Glide. Love the gentle sheen!

  8. I’ve always loved Superior Rainbow threads for a variegated thread. However it doesn’t seem available anymore.

    • You surely are the same Tecla – if you look at it and it just doesn’t look right, you have to fix it!

  9. I use Aurifil 50 wt. as my default thread. I’ve had good luck with it.

  10. The most beautiful thread that I have used is Magnifico by Superior Threads. I used it for applique. The colors are vibrant with a wonderful sheen.

  11. Looks like a wonderful book and BOY do I need it! I have just finished a quilt with my go to thread which is Marathon trilobal polyester. I have recently tried to switch from polyester invisible thread in the bobbin to bobbin thread (Superior) and I cannot get the tension right. It goes from perfect to terrible in one sitting, without changing the type of thread or bobbin. I need help!

    • Sandy I’d put a grabby thread in the bobbin, a 50 or 60 wt cotton, Aurifil would probably do it. Write me back if you have trouble.

  12. Picking a favorite thread is *so* difficult! I like different threads for different purposes or different effects. If I absolutely must choose, however, I think I’d go with Bottom Line. It’s an outstanding bobbin thread for embroidery, of course. However, it’s also wonderful for quilting when going for a subtle effect, and it’s great for piecing to help minimize bulk in the seam allowance.

  14. I have several (many?) quilt tops because I am hesitant to choose the thread and quilting design. Teri’s book is my answer to finishing the quilts.

  15. Can hardly wait to get this book. It takes me longer to pick thread than to pick fabric.

  16. I like Glide Thread but got a sample pack from Wonderfil at Quilt Market last year. I really like that too. And I do have some Isacord I’m fond of. Oh, heck, I like it all!

  18. At this point I mainly use Bottom Line. It i am hoping with practice to break out and use other threads!

  19. I love Aurifil thread, once you tried other brands you can really tell if it’s an inferior brand.

  20. I have many favorite threads! Currently, I’m using 50 wt Aurifil to create some texture in a quilt project. . .so I suppose it is my favorite thread for today! :)

  21. I loved the photos of Teri Lucas’s spectacular work. I just wanted to jump up and quilt with”Reckless Abandon”. It looks like a book that will open up new avenues of quilting in color.

  24. My go-to thread of choice has been Aurifil. My Janome loves it too, for piecing as well as fmq. And I love the 80 wt for hand appliqué. That said, I needed a certain color to finish free motion quilting a commission quilt and had nothing close. I threaded my machine with an as yet untried Isacord in a neutral color: Perfect! I have a new fave now, Isacord.

  25. I love a lot of different threads from Superior but, my favorite is the Master Piece.

  27. Wow, Jenny, this is a very difficult question! I use a lot of different threads, depending on what I’m making. My favorite piecing thread is Aurifil 50 wt., my favorite bobbin thread is Superior Bottom Line, my favorite thread for ditch stitching is WonderFil Invisifil, and if I absolutely had to name a favorite fmq thread, it would be Superior 100 wt. Kimono Silk. Teri Lucas’ book sounds very useful.

  28. I am loving Superior thread, Magnifico when I want my stitching to really stand out. My Juki TL 18QVP likes it also but I do want to try Glide soon as I keep reading great reviews for this product.

  29. I love free motion quilting and quilt all my projects on my Janome. I’ve been using Aurifil thread for over 10 years now both for piecing and quilting. I’ve tried many other types of thread but I’m never quite satisfied. I took your class several years ago and loved your trapunto technique.

  30. When I was learning to quilt on my sit down sewing machine I just used Coats thread. Then I won some Aurifil thread and have loved it from the first stitch. Thanks for the wonderful book giveaway. I would find this a great thread and machine quilting guide.

  31. My longarm machine loves Isocord, and most of the time likes Glide. Sometimes it likes Monopoly and Invisifil, but it can be persnickety with those. It has never been a fan of King Tut or Superior threads in general.

  32. Oh, how can I pick? Different thread for different purposes. I mostly use Aurifil,

  33. I use aurifil 50 wt but also love the Sulky 30 wt line, especially the varigated threads.

  37. I use Presencia 60 wt cotton thread for all my piecing and much of my quilting. Lovely thread color # 352. It is a 3 ply 100% mercerized Egyptian cotton. I bought it originally on the recommendation of The Patchery Menagerie.

  39. My favorite thread to quilt is Superior Magnifico. it is a 40 weight tri-lobal polyester. I use it for straightline quilting and use multiple colors.

  40. I love thread!!! I was gifted some Microtec thread and decided to give it a try. I either have a bad cone or my machine (longarm just hates it). I have decided to rip it out and start over with a more obviously visible thread!!! This is just a test bit, before I commit to quilting a bigger quilt of the same patttern/layout… just to see if it will work. So, glad I listened to the inner voice here and a test. I usually don’t listen!!!

  43. I love YLI variegated machine quilting threads to show off the quilting, but I also like Aurifil when I want the quilting to blend with the fabric more.

  46. No one has mentioned this yet! I especially like Superior Threads King Tut – I think I have most of the colors (and some duplicates, since I forgot I had them…). Great for the type of quilting for art pieces I do.

  47. I like a lot of different threads including Auriful and Sulky. Superior’s Bottom Line is my all time favorite for performance. Thanks for this beautiful and informative post!

  48. No way could I choose a favorite thread. Like many here I use Aurifil 50 wt. for piecing, Superior Bottom Line for the bobbin and one I didn’t see mentioned, Marathon polys and nylons when I want sheen in my quilting thread. However, if I were forced to choose just one thread it would be, Marathon #5001. This is a delightful nearly white variegated polyester thread with hints of yellows, pinks and blues, think the palest of baby pastels, that I frequently turn to when quilting skies.

  49. We’re so lucky to have so many thread choices these days. I love Magnifico for quilting. So Fine for piecing, Kimono for hand applique.

  50. I haven’t tried enough brands to have al favorite, but this book would be an immense help I’m sure!

  51. I’m new to free motion quilting (took your fabulous class in Folsom earlier this year) so I don’t have a favorite thread yet

  52. It’s very hard to pick a favorite thread! Since I am new to machine quilting, a blender is best! Thin wins!

  56. My favorite is Superior Bottom Line but I also love their Magnifico, King Tut and Rainbow, YLI metallics and I’ve had good results with Omni.

  57. If I could only choose one thread, it would be Aurifil. I use it exclusively for piecing and do most quilting with it. I also love Superior’s Magnifico for quilting. It depends on the whim and the quilt.

  58. If I could only choose one thread, it would be Aurifil. I use it exclusively for piecing and do most quilting with it. I also love Superior’s Magnifico for quilting. It depends on the whim and the quilt. I love the Superbobs for the bobbin.

  60. My longer machine loves Superior So-Fine in the needle, and Bottom Line in the bobbin. I also work with Glide thread and YLI.

  61. For thread Painting I like Isacord threads. A bit of shine to catch the light and it doesn’t break (like some other brands do) as I quickly stitch.

  62. My favorite thread for my thread painting is Isocord. I’ve just started experimented with Aurifil 50 wt and am loving it. My recently purchased long arm machine seems to hate Isocord but I’ve been managing by turning the machine speed way down. I really like a lot of threads and even do very dense thread painting on my long arm so I’m always open to suggestions. I thing sometimes a seam ripper is always in my hand.

  63. I like working with Superior Masterpiece cotton thread. I also like YLI clear and smoke.

  64. I just started using Aurifil and that is what I will be purchasing in the future. My machine loves it.

  65. My favorite thread is the one that fits the job to a T – for piecing it’s Aurifil.

  66. As beginning machine quilter I have been using what I have on hand. I some times use an 80-wt in the bobbin & it disappears in the print of the backing.

  67. Hard to pick a favorite because so much depends on what I’m quilting and the look I want, but I love all of Superior Threads, especially their variegated threads because the color changes every 1”.

  71. I’ve been trying to upgrade my thread choices and have started using Aurifil. I’ve never been too particular as long as it was the right color.

  72. i like aurifil thread best but want to start experimenting with other thread s . i am just starting to do my own quilting recently

  74. Glide is my favorite for quilting. Both 40 wt & 60 Wt. I like Aurifil for piecing and quilting if I don’t want the sheen of Glide.

  75. I still have a few partial spools of Superior Threads Rainbows. That was my favorite. Now I also like Aurifil.

  76. Mostly use Aurifil 50 wt. I have been reading great comments for Glide , so would love to give it a try.

  78. I love thread! My favorites change with the quilts I make, but over all, I love Superior’s Fantastico and their King Tut. Lately, when I have background fabric where I don’t want the quilting to conflict with the pieced quilt, but to look lovely…I love Wonderfil’s Deco Bob, an 80 wt
    polly.

  79. It is hard to pick just one, as I have a bunch of favorites and it all just depends on what I am doing and the look I want. I do love DMC 50/2 cotton thread. Stitches in a hair finer than Aurifil, comes in some great colours, and a mostly matte look which I often prefer.

  80. As a beginning quilter, I haven’t developed a thread preference yet. For my small projects Aurifill has worked well. I’m looking forward to trying Glide, Superior and other brands mentioned so that I can learn and understand the differences.

    Looks like a really interesting book!

  83. Wow wow wow.
    My favorite thread is whatever I am using at the time that flows easily from the bobbin onto my quilt. The more I learn, the more threads that become my favorite.

  84. I love the King Tut varigated colors. They don’t seem to break as often as some others I have used, and they blend in so beautifully!

  86. I’ve been using a YLI thread that might be called ‘perfect piecing’ or something like that for piecing. Love it.

  87. Haven’t explored many different threads and generally use Superior So Fine for my quilting.

  89. I can’t narrow it down to one thread! Wondefil Invisifil, Wonderfil Glamore, Superior King Tut and Superior Kimono.

  90. I agree with others who say that choosing a favorite thread is hard. I really like Invisifil by Wonderfil Threads when stitching in the ditch or doing some fine micro quilting.

  91. Aurifil is my go-to for piecing and quilting too, when I want the quilting to blend. Which is most of the time, as quilting is not my strength!

  92. My favorite thread is whatever plays well with my home machine. Glide and superior work really well. some of the major cotton threads don’t work so well and give me fits to get a good stitch.

  93. I am new to quilting. As of today, I do not have a favorite thread. I hope to someday. So much to learn!

  94. My favorite thread is Superiors Mono Poly. I use it for stabilizing my
    quilts before I start quilting. Being invisible I don’t have to worry about changing colors of thread and it runs beautifully without any tension adjustments

  97. I’ve mostly been using Aurifil 50wt. for piecing and quilting. I’ve not used a lot of different threads but have liked this as it has been cleaner for my machine an others I have tried. Much less lint to clear out when I clean the bobbin area.

  99. I’ve had really good luck with Glide and Bottom Line. Looks like a great book for my library!

  100. The comments have been so interesting to read through. Thanks for asking, Jenny. I use Aurifil for piecing on a Janome, and my Janome dealer recommended King Tut when I had thread trouble on the Bernina Classic/Handiquilter frame I use for quilting. It solved the problems.

  101. I found Aurifil 50wt threads seems to agree with my machine, very little lint created, and does not fray at the eye of the machine needle. They have a good selection of colors.

  102. Aurifil 50wt threads seems to agree with my machine, very little lint created, and does not fray at the eye of the machine needle. They have a good selection of colors.

  103. Being a newbe to quilting and free motion, I don’t really know the threads well enough to choose one…I like cotton thread for cotton but for silk??? would not know what to choose or that you needed to choose! LOL! So now I will be on a thread hunt to try out differing threads!

  105. I use Aurifil thread. But I would like to try Glide as I hear gomreat things about it.