Best Metallic Thread Tip

I tried out a lot of tips for easier stitching with metallic threads today, but this one thing made way more difference for me than anything else. Thread lubricant works! I applied it to the thread itself by squirting a couple of drops on a scrap of fabric and then running the free end of the thread through it, picking up a light coating of lubricant as it went. I then threaded the top of my machine with the lubricated end of the thread, and I couldn't believe the difference.

See the looped, loose stitches on the back of this sample? It's the second line of stitching from the top. That's BEFORE tread lubricant. The rest of the stitching was done AFTER thread lubricant. Wowser. Here's the front view, all done after the lubrication:

MUCH better. Sorry about the photo quality...we'll get much better shots in the studio Wednesday for the February/March issue of McCall's Quick Quilts.

You can buy thread lubricant at any quilt shop or fabric store. The one I used was a Collins product, available on Amazon.com and lots of other places. If you're planning to stitch with metallic thread, this is definitely something you want to have by your machine!

Not So Heavy Metal

Threads courtesy of Brother, Presencia, and Sulky

Lots of quilters shy away from stitching with metallic threads. They've heard the stories. The thread breaks every 10 stitches, there's no way to get a nice-looking stitch, they're just not worth the trouble. It's all kind of...heavy. But stitching with metallics doesn't have to be a drag. It can be downright fun, and nothing else can give your quilts so much sparkle and shine so easily.

I'm getting notes together for a tip column on this subject for the February/March 2014 issue of McCall's Quick Quilts, so I've been doing my research. Here are some things that I'm finding out really matter when sewing metallics:

• Type of sewing machine needle 
• Thread lubricants
• The direction the thread is mounted on the machine 
• Thread tension
• Stitch length
• Sewing speed

I've got samples to make this weekend, so if I come up with anything else I'll let you know!

Metallic Thread Research

I've been surfing the web for tips on machine stitching with metallic threads. In an article on the Quilting Daily website, Pokey Bolton lists favorite tips by Liz Kettle that I am definitely going to try out. There's also a lot of information out there about the relation between how the thread is wound onto the spool at the factory and how the thread should come off the spool at your machine. The Presencia thread in this photo is cross-wound, but there are also stacked varieties, and each should be handled differently. I have a lot to learn here...looking forward to time this weekend to experiment.