Spools of Thread

I love thread! Like a kid in a candy store, I must stop and look at the thread. It doesn't matter if I need it or not. I must have a look.

For quilting, I always use 100% cotton thread. Coats & Clark brand was the first cotton thread I ever bought. They have some really nice multicolour threads out now. Both for machine and hand quilting. In my thread basket is a part roll of Coats & Clark hand quilting thread that goes back fifteen, twenty years and it springs off the spool like wire. Today it's hard to tell the difference between hand quilting thread and regular thread.

Gutermann thread is what I use the most, for hand applique, hand piecing, machine piecing and hand quilting. I also have a few spools of Signature and Mettler 40 wt thread for machine quilting, but have not tested them out yet.

My new favourite thread is Aurifil, from Italy. At the Creativ Festival, in Toronto, a few years back, Aurifil was giving out free samples of their 50 Cotton Mako thread. I picked out a wonderful shade of green (No. 2887) and seem to use this one the most for appliqued foliage. They also make a wonderful Wool thread that can be used for both hand and machine Folk Art applique and Penny Rugs. They have 40 Cotton Mako thread for machine quilting and 28 Cotton Mako thread for hand quilting and machine blanket stitch and, I must not forget, 12 Cotton Mako thread for redwork, sashiko, hand & machine quilting and big-stitch quilting.

I was given as a gift, a few spools of YLI Silk thread for applique. Very nice thread to work with. Previously I purchased several spools of Gutermann Silk thread. I didn't realize until later that it was 30 wt. Not so good for applique, but I'm sure I will find another use for it. Maybe for Crazy quilting.

Because I love thread so very much, I just had to make a Spool quilt! I didn't realize until after it was all pieced and I had it hanging on my design board, how well it matched the colours in my quilting room. Isn't that a perfect place for a Spool quilt anyway?

I recently started working on Lynette Anderson's Noah's Art BOM. It has been a long time since I have done any stitchery. I had to dig out my Stitch Sampler book, by Lucinda Ganderton, to relearn the different stitches. I'm using most of the same thread colours as Lynette. A few colours I did not have, so I substituted. I am working on Noah and the Giraffe's right now and will post a picture next week.

Just love the Elephants!

Also, looking forward to the Stitchers' Angel stitchery projects. This one starts August 18th, for seven weeks. Each week a different designer. I'm also looking forward to starting the Polka-Dot Girls, which I purchased from Treasured Threads, this past July.

Bargain of the Week

$4.44

I mentioned about Big-Stitch quilting last week and the supplies you need to try it. Well, did I hit the jackpot. Everything I needed, on sale, at a quarter of the regular cost.

Until next week.....happy quilting!

Karen