the walls of quilting hell...

....are stitched with silver metallic thread!

I've been working on trying to finish quilting my son's Wizards &
Warriors quilt, and it has some fabrics with metallic prints and stuff,
so he wanted some metallic quilting. I bought some silver metallic
Sulky thread and have been trying to quilt with that and UGH is it
terrible!! I don't know if it's the wrong kind of thread, or my machine
(juki) is finicky, or my needle is wrong or what but it took me a long
time to get things set up so I could actually sew with it. I've been
unable to do FMQ with it, so I just did some 1/4" outline quilting with
it and I'm now moving on to better, if less flashy, thread for the rest
of the job!

Any tips for if I EVER decide to try this sort of thing again?

Ann

metallica needles designed for working with metallic threads make free
motion much easier.

--
Kim Graham
Nanaimo, BC, Canada
http://members.shaw.ca/kigraham
THE WORD IN PATCHWORK

"Ann Adamson" wrote in message
...
...are stitched with silver metallic thread!

I've been working on trying to finish quilting my son's Wizards &
Warriors quilt, and it has some fabrics with metallic prints and stuff,
so he wanted some metallic quilting. I bought some silver metallic
Sulky thread and have been trying to quilt with that and UGH is it
terrible!! I don't know if it's the wrong kind of thread, or my machine
(juki) is finicky, or my needle is wrong or what but it took me a long
time to get things set up so I could actually sew with it. I've been
unable to do FMQ with it, so I just did some 1/4" outline quilting with
it and I'm now moving on to better, if less flashy, thread for the rest
of the job!

Any tips for if I EVER decide to try this sort of thing again?

Ann

Can I order them online somewhere?

Kim Graham wrote:
metallica needles designed for working with metallic threads make free
motion much easier.

From: Ann Adamson

Can I order them [[[metallica needles]]]
online somewhere? ........

Yep -- I know that Nancy's Notions and Clotilde both carry them. I do some
machine embroidery and ran into the same problem when stitching with gold
metallic thread. I posted about it to the machine embroidery group and the
best tip I got was to set the thread AWAY from the machine! I have a serger
that sits right next to my sewing machine so I put the spool of metallic on one
of the serger spool pins and ran the thread from there over to my sewing
machine and threaded as usual. Some people put the spool in a coffee mug and
set that away from the sewing machine. Quite often, people will tape a
paperclip to the edge of the coffee mug and another to the edge of the sewing
machine and use those as thread guides before getting the thread threaded onto
the sewing machine.
Anyway, having the metallic thread a distance from the sewing machine helps
it to relax and uncoil so there isn't as much tension on the thread. Once I
started putting the spool on the serger spool pin, it never broke again! I am
here to tell you that machine embroidery puts a LOT more stress on thread than
machine quilting! Why not give this a try and see if you can go back to doing
a bit more specialty quilting on the kiddos quilt using the metallica needles
AND setting the thread somewhere away from the sewing machine spool pin??
CiaoMeow ^;;^
..



PAX, Tia Mary ^;;^ Queen of Kitties
Angels can't show their wings on earth but nothing was ever said about their
WHISKERS!!
Nothing is complete without a few cat hairs!

I love the metallics by Superior which I pick up when I go to quilt shows
(better prices than their on lines prices). I am using the Sulky right now
for my niece's quilt (don't have gold Superior at the moment). I use a
Metallica needle, size 90/14, lower the bobbin tension, don't put the thread
throught the first slot when threading the machine, AND it is important that
the thread be in the horizontal position, not the vertical. If you have a
thread stand, that is suppose to help as it increases the distance the
thread is from the needle and cuts some of the tension while also coming off
the thread pulled up a bit-- I don't have the stand. I am having really good
luck using the thread, am using a decorative stitch on the machine since
this is a crazy patch quilt.

HTH

Debbi in SO CA


"Ann Adamson" wrote in message
...
...are stitched with silver metallic thread!

I've been working on trying to finish quilting my son's Wizards &
Warriors quilt, and it has some fabrics with metallic prints and stuff,
so he wanted some metallic quilting. I bought some silver metallic
Sulky thread and have been trying to quilt with that and UGH is it
terrible!! I don't know if it's the wrong kind of thread, or my machine
(juki) is finicky, or my needle is wrong or what but it took me a long
time to get things set up so I could actually sew with it. I've been
unable to do FMQ with it, so I just did some 1/4" outline quilting with
it and I'm now moving on to better, if less flashy, thread for the rest
of the job!

Any tips for if I EVER decide to try this sort of thing again?

Ann

Ann Adamson wrote:

Any tips for if I EVER decide to try this sort of thing again?

I have found that working with the Sulky metalic is too much like sewing
with tinsel. It breaks very very easily. I do use a metallic needle. I
prefer to use the Gutterman, since it has more of a thread consistency-
it's actually got a core to it and spin, instead of just stretchy
filament. That's what I normally use and what I used on the HP
wallhangings. Even with this thread and needle, I still get the thread
to break every other 12 inches stitched. When I use the tinsel Sulky, I
can go about 4 inches before it breaks- if I am quilting. I can usually
work with either thread very well on only one layer of fabric. I would
consider doing the metallic embellishments before making your sandwich
as well, and then just quilt with invisible or other thread.

I have a Kenmore.

I have heard that metallics work better from the bobbin, but I haven't
tried that- because I like my quilting to emphasize the design, and it's
hard to see the design through the quilt. =)

-georg

I love metallic threads. The easiest way to use them that I have ever found
is to use a cone thread stand with a horizontal spool adaptor. Set the
thread stand to the back and right of the machine..... not behind the
machine but to the back then right. The horizontal adaptor allows the
thread to come off the spool the way it went on, because you pull it up to
the hook on the stand, then ooooover (and slightly down) to the first thread
guide on the machine. That distance allows the thread to "relax" and helps
cut down on static.
Works like a dream.
Also use a needle designed for metallics, the eyes of these needles are made
with a silicone or telfon type coating to cut down on friction.
If your machine allows it, use some Sewer's Aid on the thread too. Or at
least periodically on the needle.
Loosen your top tension as much as you can and still get a good stitch. And
slightly lengthen your stitch too.

Try these and you will be amazed at how much easier sewing with metallics
are.

Pati, in Phx

Ann Adamson wrote:

...are stitched with silver metallic thread!

I've been working on trying to finish quilting my son's Wizards &
Warriors quilt, and it has some fabrics with metallic prints and stuff,
so he wanted some metallic quilting. I bought some silver metallic
Sulky thread and have been trying to quilt with that and UGH is it
terrible!! I don't know if it's the wrong kind of thread, or my machine
(juki) is finicky, or my needle is wrong or what but it took me a long
time to get things set up so I could actually sew with it. I've been
unable to do FMQ with it, so I just did some 1/4" outline quilting with
it and I'm now moving on to better, if less flashy, thread for the rest
of the job!

Any tips for if I EVER decide to try this sort of thing again?

Ann

Try your local TSWLTH. We carry the "Metallica" needles at ours.
ME-Judy

"Ann Adamson" wrote in message
...
Can I order them online somewhere?

Kim Graham wrote:
metallica needles designed for working with metallic threads make free
motion much easier.