Thread Weight For Free Motion Quilting

You can use a thicker fancy thread on top and a 50 60 basic thread in the bobbin.

Thread weight for free motion quilting.

One of the most common topics my students want to know more about is needles and thread especially for free motion quilting so let s take a deeper look at those here. Thicker thread weights like 30 40 make the quilting stitches stand out more. Then flip the quilt over take hold of the thread tail for the top thread and un ziiiiiiiiiip those stitches so satisfying. An example of free motion quilting by catherine.

A lot of people only use 100 cotton thread in every part of the quilting process. 40wt and heavier smaller number. Fmq is different than piecing we re moving our fabric in all directions there are more layers and the needle is often clipping along at quite a pace for all that moving. She is also an advocate of using the same weight in the top and bottom while sewing to maintain good tension throughout the quilt top.

If you want to your quilting to be the star to make people notice your free motion work choose a heavier weight thread which is a lower number for the weight like 30 40 or 50 in a color that contrasts with your quilt top. Do i want the free motion quilting to show or do i prefer a more subtle texture effect. It is terrific for heirloom quilting. Once you are confident with your free motion quilting the sky s the limit as far as thread is concerned.

Finally use the lint roller to clean up your quilt there will be thread bits everywhere rebaste the freshly unquilted sections if necessary and resume quilting after a thorough tension check of course. I m in love with the look of the 100 wt 100 silk thread from yli.