Sew, Mama, Sew has asked people to answer a few questions about their thread collections. Since I come by my blog name honestly (my oldest child named it), I have quite a thread collection! They are giving away a couple of beautiful new Amy Butler and Kaffe Fasset thread collections. You can never have too much thread!
Here goes!
How did you select colors for your personal thread collection?Mostly I just buy thread that I like and colours that catch my eye.
Do you always match the color perfectly to your project?Very rarely. Usually I find that colours on a quilt blend well. I use lots of variegated thread too.
Do you ever use contrasting thread?Yes, when I want something to pop out.
Do you use the same color in the bobbin as the upper thread?Probably 80% of the time. When I am piecing I try to, but when I am quilting I find that it doesn't always matter. If the tension is correct I don't usually have a problem.
What if a fabric has big areas of very different colors?I think that the thread used for quilting is supposed to enhance the finished project and so different colours don't bother me. If I don't want the thread to be so noticeable I use a very fine thread (100WT).
Do you have any tips or suggestions about choosing thread?Try many different threads to see what you and your machine like. I also try out different sewing needles (different types and sizes). For hand sewing there is a lot more freedom to experiment with many types of thread.
Can you show us a picture(s) of your thread collection?Probably too many! Hello, my name is Joanne and I am a thread addict...! (pictures at the end)
Do you ever buy thread because you fall in love with the color (without a particular project in mind)?Is there any other way to buy thread?
Do you “invest” in thread?I have recently started to buy more expensive threads (silks, fine cottons, ...) and am amazed at the different results.
What types of thread do you have? (elastic, quilting, all-purpose, wool, etc.)
So many! Mainly different weights of cotton for machine sewing and hand sewing. I also have silks (again for hand and machine sewing). I have started using a very fine (100wt) polyester thread for machine quilting - it has the same look as fine silk thread, just much cheaper. My machine doesn't seem to mind that polyester thread. Usually it has troubles with polyester thread.
I also have lots of hand embroidery (and tatting) thread. I have been embroidering for about 30 years, so have threads have accumulated (multiplied?)!
Now for some pictures!
My main stash of quilting thread. Mainly Aurifil, YLI silk, Invisafil and Sulky Blendables
Regular sewing thread. Mainly Gutermann.
I have this little table that a friend and I made out of an old cash register's drawers (dated 1914, from a store on Portage Ave, Winnipeg). They were in the garage of our second house. We added legs, table top,
back and replaced a drawer front.
It is fantastic for storing embroidery threads (and one drawer for beads - Crazy Quilting is still one of my favorites!).
Here are the drawers -
Beads, button and charms.
Silk buttonhole twist, Watercolors, Brazilian embroidery thread, silk ribbon, Krienik...
Mainly pearl cotton.I am embarrassed to say that there is more! Mostly different embroidery threads - I used to do much more embroidery, now quilting seems to have taken over! Embroidery is still my favorite thing to do while sitting in front of the TV, or when I need a project to take-along.
I finally finished this pair of socks I have had on the go for over 6 months! This pair was for a pattern I am making (two at a time on one needle). It is much more fun to make socks with self patterning yarn or hand dyed, but I thought this plain colour would be better for the pattern. The wool is Scheepjes Invicta Extra, 75% wool and 25% nylon.
The barley is ripening.
We found a frog too.
This is a pattern from Bella Moon (from Vancouver's The Cloth Shop). It is like a four patch in a four patch. The pattern calls for fat quarters (20 or 38), I only had 12 FQ's (from April's Bali Club - also from the Cloth Shop) . The quilt top came out to 48" x 66" - a nice lap quilt size. It was very easy to make and there was only a few scraps of fabric left!
They are 12" blocks, in a 4 x 5½ block layout.
Another quilt top waiting for quilting. I will have lots to do in the fall!
This year I decided to put all the roses in the garden together. When I moved them I added Epsom Salt to the soil and this year the roses have never looked better! Tons of blooms!
The blocks all ready to be sewn together.
The other day we had a rain/thunder storm with lots of hail. This picture was just as the hail was starting. I had to stop taking pictures and wipe up all the water that was leaking in our new window!! They are coming to fix it again tomorrow - third times a charm (I hope!). Luckily we didn't have too much damage - just broken plants.
Very technical I know!
I think I will work on filling in the some of the areas now.
It is very easy and only takes one layer cake (border, binding and all) to make a 45" x 60" quilt. The layer cake is Harvest Home by Blackbird designs (Moda). I bought it on special from Hamels, when I went to a quilt show this spring (it is still listed for the same price on their web site - $32).
I finished quilting the border on the little Schnibbles quilt. I drew the vein for the center of the feather and then did the loops free hand. I did a wavy center line but then did loops to fill the width of the border.
All the machine quilting is finished!!
Sewing on the binding. Regular Aurifil thread and a walking foot.
Hand stitching the binding to the back.
The little Schnibbles is all finished!! I am really pleased with how it turned out. I can see why people are so addicted to them. It was a lot of fun to make and the pattern was so well explained.
These flowers are one of my favorite - must have - flowers! They are Night Scented Stocks. They close during the day and open up in the evening, and give off the best scent! I usually plant them near windows and doors so the smell can come in the house. They are great to add to cut flowers too. I usually combine these in pots with other flowers, since they can be a bit straggly looking.
My youngest helped pick out the quilting pattern from some samples I tried and I think he made a good choice. I am using Invisafil thread (100wt) with an #80 Microtex needle. I used Warm and White cotton batting for this quilt.
This is the first bloom on this Winnipeg Parks rose.
Bike rides in the country
The little Schnibbles all ready to be quilted!
My goals for the months of July and August are to finish this little Schnibbles quilt. Today I sewed all the blocks together.
It was so bright!!
Our house is somewhere in those trees. The big building is the local school.
I have been working on Romanian Point lace flowers. Six more finished , 16 more to go. These will be part of a big piece of lace.
My main stash of quilting thread. Mainly Aurifil, YLI silk, Invisafil and Sulky Blendables
Regular sewing thread. Mainly Gutermann.
I have this little table that a friend and I made out of an old cash register's drawers (dated 1914, from a store on Portage Ave, Winnipeg). They were in the garage of our second house. We added legs, table top, back and replaced a drawer front. It is fantastic for storing embroidery threads (and one drawer for beads - Crazy Quilting is still one of my favorites!).
Silk buttonhole twist, Watercolors, Brazilian embroidery thread, silk ribbon, Krienik...
Mainly pearl cotton.
