TWILIGHT QUILTER'S GUILD MEETING

August, 2007 Vol. 18, #8

FUTURE MEETINGS

The Guild meets at 6:30 p.m. on the First Monday night of every month. Meetings are held at the Warner Park Community Center, 1625 Northport Drive, Madison, Wisconsin. The August meeting will be at Mill House Quilts in Waunakee. Guests and new members are welcome.

August 6th

We will be meeting at Mill House Quilts in downtown Waunakee for a presentation on what's new in quilting.

More Future Meetings:

September 10: Trunk show by Elaine (Sam) Sample. October 1: Election of Officers and quilto or other game.

PREVIOUS MEETINGS

July 9th

Business and Announcements:

The meeting at Walcott's East was facilitated by President Rose Haberkorn. She reminded members that our August meeting will be at Mill House Quilts in Waunakee. She said that she received information about a new long-arm quilter in the area who would like to attend a meeting and introduce herself. Rose will invite her to the September meeting. Rose announced that registration is now open for programs and workshops at Quilt Expo on September 13-15. They are also looking for volunteers. Information is available at http://wiquiltexpo.com.

Program:

The program on threads for piecing, quilting, and embellishment was presented by Rose Mary Huber Pauls of Walcott's Sewing and Vacuum. Rose Mary has over twenty years of experience in all types of sewing and quilting and in teaching classes on these subjects.

Rose Mary encouraged quilters to use good quality thread, just as we use good quality fabric and tools for our quilts. If you are having problems with your thread, there are several things you can check.

Check your needle. If it has a burr in it, it can cause problems, including lint build-up. You usually can't see or feel the burr. Even a brand new needle can have a burr; or you could cause one by scraping the tip of the needle on the throat plate as you insert it in the machine. Thread passes through the eye of the needle 22-24 times before it becomes a stitch. A needle that is not sharp can cause thread to fray and break. You may need to use a larger or smaller size needle to solve the problem. In sizing needles, the larger the number, the larger the needle. A 90/14 needle is larger than an 80/12 needle. The thread lays in the groove on the front of the needle. Heavier threads will require a larger needle with a larger groove. Or you may need a different type of needle. For example, a quilting needle is designed to hide the knots in the batting.

Also, check the thread itself. Whether your thread is a natural fiber or synthetic fiber, you want a thread made from long staple fibers. Thread with shorter fibers will be fuzzier and will fray and break more easily. Dual-duty thread (polyester wrapped in cotton) works well on older machines. However, the wrapping may be inconsistent and cause problems. Newer machines work better with thread made of a single fiber, eg. all cotton, all polyester, all rayon.

Also check how the thread is reeling off the spool. If you have a large spool of thread that is sitting upright, causing the spool to turn as the thread reels off, this can cause tension on the thread and result in inconsistent sewing. Lay the thread on its side or use a vertical spool pin or stand. This is especially important for monofilament (invisible) thread. When spools of thread are in a horizontal position, use a cap on the end. The cap does not hold the spool in place; it keeps the thread from catching on a rough edge on the spool. If you are using a cone of thread (eg. wide on one end and narrow on the other end), lay the thread so that the thread feeds from the narrow side. Do not use a cap, since the thread from a cone can get tangled in the cap.

Thread weight is the opposite of needle size. For thread, the larger the number, the thinner the thread. 100 weight silk thread is extremely fine. 12 weight cotton thread is heavier and is generally used for decorative stitching. Normal piecing thread is 40 weight or 50 weight.

Pre-wound bobbins have a very light weight thread (eg. 60 weight) and are excellent for decorative stitching and embroidery when you do not want thread build-up on the back of the fabric. However, because the thread is so light weight, it will break easily and is not appropriate for sewing two or more layers together.

Using the same thread on top and in the bobbin will give the best balanced stitching. If different threads are used, you may have to adjust your tension.

Rose Mary discussed the various kinds of threads available (cotton, polyester, rayon, silk, metallic, monofilament (invisible), wash-away, fusible, serger, pearl crown rayon), the differences between brands (Aurifil, Mettler, Star Superior, Gutterman, Sulky, YLI, Robison-Anton), the different weights (12 weight, 30 weight, 50 weight 100 weight) and the common uses for each weight and color options (solid, varigated, blendable, twisted).

Who knew there was so much to know about the thread we use for piecing and quilting. Rose Mary is a very informative and entertaining speaker. We all enjoyed the evening and learned a lot.

Walcotts was also having a sale and guild members received a twenty percent discount on non-sale merchandise. Some of us took advantage of this opportunity.