Nylon thread for Quilting?

Hey Kathy A. (and anyone else too):

When machine quilting, what is your usage of nylon thread?
a.) Try to use (and why)
b.) Try to never use (and why)
c.) Have well defined rules for using (and what your rules are)
d.) none of the above, but here's my 2 cents. (always welcome)

-------------
Thou shalt use thine scraps to makes quilts for charity, so that those less
fortunate may know they joy of sleeping beneath a quilt.
"rjwhite6" wrote in message
...
Hey Kathy A. (and anyone else too):

When machine quilting, what is your usage of nylon thread?
a.) Try to use (and why)have used it for small quilts and wallhangings.
did not want to have any thread showing on the top of the quilt
b.) Try to never use (and why)
c.) Have well defined rules for using (and what your rules are)
d.) none of the above, but here's my 2 cents. (always welcome)

I like to use it. I tend to use it when a color of thread will seem odd,
or a misfit, or when I am doing something where I want the effect of the
quilting to show, with the quilting to be less obvious.

Christina

rjwhite6 wrote:
Hey Kathy A. (and anyone else too):

When machine quilting, what is your usage of nylon thread?
a.) Try to use (and why)
b.) Try to never use (and why)
c.) Have well defined rules for using (and what your rules are)
d.) none of the above, but here's my 2 cents. (always welcome)

I guess my answer is c). I don't like how it feels--little hard prickles in
an otherwise really comfortable, all cotton except occasionally for the
batting, quilt that I"ve labored over for months. Seems just plain silly to
add something I don't like after all that work to make something I really
like! But, I MQ, and not all that well, either (altho' I have certainly
gotten better), and I've never found anything else which will look decent on
a whole bunch of colors so close together. Usually I use it just in the
multi-colored places and use cotton (or cotton-covered polyester--Coats and
Clarks) thread to quilt the more uniformly colored areas.

Dogmom

"rjwhite6" wrote in message
...
Hey Kathy A. (and anyone else too):

When machine quilting, what is your usage of nylon thread?
a.) Try to use (and why)
b.) Try to never use (and why)
c.) Have well defined rules for using (and what your rules are)
d.) none of the above, but here's my 2 cents. (always welcome)

(b) I never use it on a quilt that is going to have a hard life. So far, I
haven't made any other kind. My quilts are made to be loved to pieces.
Really. Plus - just a tiny suspicion here - I wouldn't be surprised if nylon
wasn't capable of cutting into cotton fabric. I haven't made a billion
dollar government study or anything, but you can take a nylon thread and
slice an angelfood cake with it. Sort of like using dental floss. Just
something I picked up in home ec back in 1917. Ummm, now, what was the
question? Polly

dogmom wrote in message
...
I guess my answer is c). I don't like how it feels--little hard prickles
in
an otherwise really comfortable, all cotton except occasionally for the
batting, quilt that I"ve labored over for months. Seems just plain silly
to
add something I don't like after all that work to make something I really
like! But, I MQ, and not all that well, either (altho' I have certainly
gotten better), and I've never found anything else which will look decent
on
a whole bunch of colors so close together. Usually I use it just in the
multi-colored places and use cotton (or cotton-covered polyester--Coats
and
Clarks) thread to quilt the more uniformly colored areas.

Dogmom

"rjwhite6" wrote in message
...
Hey Kathy A. (and anyone else too):

When machine quilting, what is your usage of nylon thread?
a.) Try to use (and why)
b.) Try to never use (and why)
c.) Have well defined rules for using (and what your rules are)
d.) none of the above, but here's my 2 cents. (always welcome)

Actually, Polly, it depends on the thread. The old nylon thread you could use
for cutting cakes. But not the new, really fine stuff. It will break.

I use SewArt or Sulky (YLI is supposed to be really good too) that is very fine
for some machine applique and some quilting. it is very fine and very soft.
Harriet Hargrave recommends it in her books.

It can be tricky to use. My oldest machine doesn't like it. But neither of the
newer machines have a problem with it.
It does disappear into the background and so on. but it does work best with a
smaller needle.
Use of it depends on a number of different factors.

Pati, in Phx


Polly Esther wrote:

(b) I never use it on a quilt that is going to have a hard life. So far, I
haven't made any other kind. My quilts are made to be loved to pieces.
Really. Plus - just a tiny suspicion here - I wouldn't be surprised if nylon
wasn't capable of cutting into cotton fabric. I haven't made a billion
dollar government study or anything, but you can take a nylon thread and
slice an angelfood cake with it. Sort of like using dental floss. Just
something I picked up in home ec back in 1917. Ummm, now, what was the
question? Polly

dogmom wrote in message
...
I guess my answer is c). I don't like how it feels--little hard prickles
in
an otherwise really comfortable, all cotton except occasionally for the
batting, quilt that I"ve labored over for months. Seems just plain silly
to
add something I don't like after all that work to make something I really
like! But, I MQ, and not all that well, either (altho' I have certainly
gotten better), and I've never found anything else which will look decent
on
a whole bunch of colors so close together. Usually I use it just in the
multi-colored places and use cotton (or cotton-covered polyester--Coats
and
Clarks) thread to quilt the more uniformly colored areas.

Dogmom

"rjwhite6" wrote in message
...
Hey Kathy A. (and anyone else too):

When machine quilting, what is your usage of nylon thread?
a.) Try to use (and why)
b.) Try to never use (and why)
c.) Have well defined rules for using (and what your rules are)
d.) none of the above, but here's my 2 cents. (always welcome)

Have 5 of them quilted with it. Only "tears" in the fabric is where the
fabric actually got 'caught' on something and tore--not from the thread.
These are daily use quilts that get frequent washings as well. Yes, even
the aforementioned King and Queen sized quilts that were sewn on the serger.
HTH
Butterfly

Julia Altshuler wrote:
b.) My whole point in quilting is to enjoy the whole process or as much of the
whole process as possible. Nylon feels like plastic to me. I like the feel of
cotton. Especially for bed quilts, I want to be able to say that the whole
quilt is cotton (though I know my Warm & Natural batting has some polyester in
it). I've heard that the stronger nylon thread can tear the cotton fabric as it
wears, but I have no experience with that.

--Lia


rjwhite6 wrote:

Hey Kathy A. (and anyone else too):

When machine quilting, what is your usage of nylon thread?
a.) Try to use (and why)
b.) Try never to use (and why)
c.) Have well defined rules for using (and what your rules are)
d.) none of the above, but here's my 2 cents (always welcome).

Just did the 'break' test on several threads:
Coats Cotton covered 'Polly Esther' (hee hee hee) sewing thread,
cotton 50/3 thread,
and YLI .004 nylon.

The nylon was easier to break than the cotton.
It was noticeable but not extremely easier to break than the cotton.
To me it felt like the proper strength difference.
They say the thread should not be stronger than the fabric.

The cotton covered 'Polly Esther' (hee hee hee ) thread was MUCH
harder to break than the cotton, which is why it is not recommended
for piecing or quilting.

On Tue, 12 Aug 2003 21:59:12 -0500, "Polly Esther"
wrote:
snip
Plus - just a tiny suspicion here - I wouldn't be surprised if nylon
wasn't capable of cutting into cotton fabric. I haven't made a billion
dollar government study or anything, but you can take a nylon thread and
slice an angelfood cake with it. Sort of like using dental floss. Just
something I picked up in home ec back in 1917.
snip

I haven't used 'nylon' thread; but do you mean monofilament?
If the former, I wouldn't use it as it is too unforgiving - to my hands!
and presumably to fabric. Not good for cot quilts.

If you mean monofilament, I have used that and it worked just fine. Is
Ok for cot quilts, too, as it breaks under pressure.
I think I probably used it due to lack of confidence in choosing a
quilting thread colour on a multi-colour quilt. I had not done anything
with so many different colours before, and didn't know how to handle it.
My attitude towards the actual quilting is changing, and I am now more
confident with coloured quilting thread. In fact, when I look at the
one done with monofilament , I feel a bit sorry that this quilting is
not more visible!!

In article , rjwhite6
writes
Hey Kathy A. (and anyone else too):

When machine quilting, what is your usage of nylon thread?
a.) Try to use (and why)
b.) Try to never use (and why)
c.) Have well defined rules for using (and what your rules are)
d.) none of the above, but here's my 2 cents. (always welcome)


--
Best Regards
pat on the hill

I use Sulky monofilament thread for some of my machine quilting; it is
polyester instead of nylon and was recommended by the sewing center
where I took a MQ class; they said it would take more heat and be less
likely to melt if touched by a hot iron than nylon.

I use it when I don't want my quilting to be too obvious, though I never
use it for baby quilts. There is some thought that a loose end could be
dangerous to a baby, so I don't take any chances. I am less likely to
use it now than when I first started quilting because I am a little more
confident of my skills and I am beginning to enjoy experimenting with
some more decorative threads.

Julia in MN

rjwhite6 wrote:
Hey Kathy A. (and anyone else too):

When machine quilting, what is your usage of nylon thread?
a.) Try to use (and why)
b.) Try to never use (and why)
c.) Have well defined rules for using (and what your rules are)
d.) none of the above, but here's my 2 cents. (always welcome)



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