Best Thread For Machine Piecing Quilts

Use the best quality thread you can find.

Best thread for machine piecing quilts.

40 weight cotton aurifil s thread weight is determined by something called number english or ne. Under this system the lower the number the thicker the thread. All cotton threads are readily available and are the best choice for piecing our quilting fabrics. Generally speaking cotton fibers are also softer and more pliable than most other fibers.

Ne is a measure of linear density and refers to the number of hanks of skein material that weigh 1 pound. I use the cream thread for light fabrics and the grey for darker ones. A cream or neutral colour and a light grey. That means it s best to avoid polyester threads and overly strong cotton threads.

Inferior cotton threads create a lot of lint especially when machine sewing. Inexpensive polyester threads are not recommended because they can actually cut the fibers of cotton fabrics. For most piecing good quality cotton or cotton covered polyester is the thread of choice. Most quilters prefer cotton thread when it comes to piecing the term piecing is used more than sewing because the sewist is piecing together their quilt blocks because cotton fibers have a high heat tolerance and is therefore iron safe on high heat.