Do you love embellishment? Ok - how about machine embellishment? Right?! Me too! I especially love the heavier threads, because I feel they give you more bang for your buck. More immediate, direct impact! And what's my heavy thread of choice? Aurifil – the ultimate embellishment choice!
And a bit of full disclosure here - while I was SUPPOSED to focus on heavy thread in your machine, I'm going to ACTUALLY cover using an assortment of weights - by hand and by machine - to give you a fuller picture. Ok? Great - let's dig in!
I’m just going to admit it up front – I LOVE fusible projects. They are quick, easy, and versatile. AND fusible projects offer unlimited opportunities for embellishment with the best thread out there – Aurifil.
Do I have a favorite weight or type? Ummm…..no. I do like to mix it up. And each weight has its own unique qualities. As you’ll see, I prefer a simple, straight edge stitch for my fusible machine applique pieces. But no matter what your stitch style is, the heavier Aurifil threads work beautifully to enhance your appliques.
Floss
The Aurifil floss works like most floss. It has six strands that can be used together, or separated to vary the appearance. Don’t let the spool confuse you – this is a HAND thread. I get that question from my students. Since it is on a spool, some think they can pop it on their machine. Please don’t! But the spool does make the floss easy to work with. No nasty tangles when pulling off a length.
Fun stitch idea – mix your weights. In “Lotta Love”, I embellished this little wall hanging with floss, on wool fused to burlap. Using a mix of 6 strand, three strand and single strand, along with a variety of simple stitches (stem stitch, back stitch, straight stitch and French knots) add additional texture and interest.
In my Primitive Stitch Sampler (pattern coming soon!), I adore how six strands look on white wool, fused to colorful pink batiks. Be sure to find a large-eyed SHARP needle when stitching through tighter thread count fabrics. This is a bit harder than cross stitch, but well worth the effort!
Wool
Why, yes, you CAN use wool thread in your machine! As with the 12 weight, just loosen your thread tension (you may need to play around with this just a bit to get the right tension). It is IMPORTANT to loosen the top tension so that you don’t shred this looser twist thread. And yes, you’ll again need a larger eye needle, again to reduce stress on the thread. I also skip the last guide when threading my machine (you know that little guide right before threading the needle? – that one. Skip it – let your thread go directly from the take up hook into the needle. Really.) As with other heavier threads, use a matching 40wt cotton thread in your bobbin.
Wool thread may not look like you expect it to. If you go slow and even with your stitches, it will provide a lovely, smooth stitch that has a bit more texture than your cotton threads. You might think, based on its fuzzy texture on the spool, that you would have a line of fuzzy stitches, but that’s not the case. Personally, I find it shines best with longer, larger stitches.
12 Weight
I love the heavy look of 12 weight, done as a simple straight stitch, along the edge of fused applique motifs. It looks stunning on all fabrics, and is heavy enough to hold its own, whether in a contrasting color or in a coordinating color.
For Geraniums (another upcoming pattern), just two colors of thread (a springy green and a deep pink) add just the right amount of definition to the raw edge, fused applique.
In this table runner, coordinating 12 wt thread provide texture without any additional color to keep the lines clean and simple.
When working with 12 weight, there are a few things you’ll want to do for best results:
- Loosen your top thread tension to reduce drag on your thread
- Use a heavier needle with a larger eye opening (I like 100/16 sharp)
- Use a matching 50 wt thread in the bobbin
- GO SLOW. Not kidding. If you stitch at your regular speed, you may encounter skipped stitches. Yuck!
28 wt
For me, 28 weight is the perfect balance between a heavy statement (12 wt) and a whisper (50wt). Again, you’ll want to loosen your top tension, use a heavier needle, and use a matching 50wt in the bobbin.
Don’t be afraid to mix cotton thread with wool applique. The look is AMAZING! And I adore how the Aurifil colors are PEFECTION on a stick when matching to the wool. The simple edge stitching in 28 wt adds definition to the shapes within the appliques on the coasters from Olive You, providing a crisp clean look.
Some final tips when working with these awesome heavier threads and fusible applique:
- Lengthen your stitch length
A note on this – make a sample piece to practice on. Try different stitch lengths (and widths if doing an overcast/wide stitch) to see what will look best with your particular project.
Remember that stitch length will be “sucked up” by the thickness of the added layers of fabric, wool, or flannel. In the examples below (the pink detail on the butterfly wing and the additional layers on the flower and leaves in the border applique), I had to INCREASE my stitch length with each subsequent layer to keep the stitch length appearance the same.
- Use simple stitches
I have found that simpler stitches work best with this thread. And when I’m working with layered pieces, I find that I have to continue to lengthen my stitch as I add layers in order to achieve the same stitch length.
- Larger eye needle
Heavier threads are - well - heavier, and you'll want a larger eye needle, which in machine terms will mean a heavier needle usually. This will allow the thread to pass through the eye of the needle more easily reducing the drag on the thread, and lessening the likelihood of the thread fraying.
- Matching bobbin thread
And by matching, I mean color, not weight. With most of the heavier threads, they are NOT going to spool off the bobbin as easily. Instead, find a matching (or close to it) color thread in a lighter weight (40wt or 50wt). Why matching? Well, you've adjusted your tension. And while I'm sure you got it absolutely perfect <grin>, you may NOT have. A matching bobbin thread will help disguise any tension issues and minimize the bobbin thread showing on the top.
- Reduce top tension
Your practice piece will really come in handy with this part - reduce the top tension to decrease drag on the thread, allow for smoother stitches, and reduce breakage rate.
- Practice piece
A practice piece will save you every time. Try out stitch lengths AND the needle placement on the practice piece and write it down (I keep a post it note on my machine when working with applique pieces so I can be consistent throughout the entire construction of the project). For example, I like a fairly “close to the edge” stitch, and depending up on the project, usually find that a needle placement of 6.0 to 6.5 works best, along with a stitch length of 3.0 to 4.5. Thank goodness for post it notes!
Create your own signature looks in your projects by using different weight threads, or even mixing different weight threads, to give your work of art more color and texture. Remember that there isn’t really a wrong choice – it is YOUR project and YOUR creation. Have fun with it.
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In case you missed any of the earlier posts - or are looking for the last few - here's a listing of all posts and links:
Day 1 – September 1 – Sam Hunter: Sewing Long Seams Without Stretching – huntersdesignstudio.com
Day 2 – September 2 – Susan Arnold – Joining Binding the Easy Way – quiltfabrication.com
Day 3 – September 3 – Angie Wilson – Fussy cutting tips and techniques – www.gnomeangel.com
Day 4 – September 4 – Andi Stanfield – No-Mark HST: Let your machine be your guide – truebluequilts.com/blog/
Day 5 – September 5 – Bobbie Gentili – Say YES to Y-seams – geekybobbin.com
Day 6 – September 6 – Mel Beach – 5 Reasons to Say Woo Hoo! to School Glue – pieceloveandhappiness.blogspot.com
Day 7 – September 7 – Laura Piland – 7 Ways to Use a Laser on Your Sewing Machine – www.sliceofpiquilts.com
Day 8 – September 8 – Suzy Webster – How to solve loops in free motion quilting – www.websterquilt.com
Day 9 – September 9 – Tara Miller – Accurate Stitch-and-Flip Corners – quiltdistrict.com
Day 10 – September 10 – Latifah Saafir – Accurate Seams Using Masking Tape! – latifahsaafirstudios.com
Day 11 – September 11 – Sarah Ruiz – The Magic of Glue Basting – saroy.net
Day 12 – September 12 – Jen Shaffer – Ways to stop your ruler from slipping while cutting – patternsbyjen.blogspot.com
Day 13 – September 13 – Cheryl Sleboda – Basics of ruching (a vintage fabric manipulation technique) – muppin.com
Day 14 – September 14 – Raylee Bielenberg – Choosing quilting designs for your quilt – www.sunflowerstitcheries.com
Day 15 – September 15 – Jen Strauser – Accurate and Attractive Machine binding – dizzyquilter.com
Day 16 – September 16 – Jane Davidson – Matching points for all types of intersections – quiltjane.com
Day 17 – September 17 – Teresa Coates – Starch and starch alternatives – teresacoates.com
Day 18 – September 18 – Jen Frost – Benefits of spray basting – faithandfabricdesign.com
Day 19 – September 19 – Sandra Starley – Getting started with Hand Quilting – utahquiltappraiser.blogspot.com
Day 20 – September 20 – Karen Platt – Drunkard’s Path Made Easy – karenplatt.co.uk/blog/
Day 21 – September 21 – Kris Driessen – All Kinds of Square (in a Square) – scrapdash.com
Day 22 – September 22 – Sarah Goer – Planned Improv Piecing – sarahgoerquilts.com
Day 23 – September 23 – Kathy Bruckman – Organizing kits for on-the-go sewing – kathyskwiltsandmore.blogspot.com
Day 24 – September 24 – Cheryl Daines Brown – The Secret to Flat Quilt Tops: Borders – quilterchic.com
Day 25 – September 25 – Cherry Guidry – Pre-assembling fusible applique – cherryblossomsquilting.com
Day 26 – September 26 – Laura Chaney – Getting started with English Paper Piecing – prairiesewnstudios.com
Day 27 – September 27 – Ebony Love – Cutting Bias Strips from a Rectangle – lovebugstudios.com
Day 28 – September 28 – Tammy Silvers – Working with heavier weight threads in your machine – tamarinis.typepad.com
Day 29 – September 29 – Kathy Nutley – Create a perfect facing or frame with 90 degree angles – quiltingsbykathy.com
Day 30 – September 30 – Joanne Harris – Using Leaders and Enders – quiltsbyjoanne.blogspot.com
Thanks for joining us! What topics would you like to see covered in future blog posts and hops?