Thread Challenges

Okay - I'm just going to put it out there. Next year, I'm planning to enter the Thread Challenge at MQS. Let's hope they have one! After several long months of experimentation, I've finally figured out how to run both metallic and Bottom Line thread in the top as well as the bobbin and get a good stitch in my longarm so I'm moving forward in my practice arena.

I've been really intrigued by the thread painting I've seen in quilts at shows over the last two years. It creates an effect that is quite different from embroidery or other quilting techniques. While at MQS last year, I took a class from Claudia Pfiel on Thread Painting basics. She's a delightful, energetic and creative teacher and I learned quite a bit from her about the basic technique. At the Quilting with Machines show last Fall, I then took a course from Jamie Wallen on Thread Painting. His class was quite a bit more advanced in terms of techniques and I could see that I have a long way to go.

My favorite quilt at MQS this year was actually one of the quilts entered in the Thread Challenge. The picture below is Judy Woodworth's quilt, Nature's Lace. Judy took first prize in the Thread Challenge with this quilt. Not only is the thread work very well done, it reminds me of my favorite place - a Hawaiian beach.

I also took a class from Renae Haddadin that dealt quite a bit with the different threads that she uses and their effect on quilts. Longarm quilting with silk thread! I've got a lot more to practice before I spend money on silk thread. Perhaps you can see some of the dense fills Renae used on this tote (the cord around the edge pulls together and this becomes a sac - instructions should be on her website this summer).

I did buy some Marathon thread that received rave reviews from several longarm quilters at the show. The other splurge on thread was something called a Magna-glide bobbin from Fil-Tec. These bobbins have small magnets at their core and are supposed to eliminate the backlash when you shift directions suddenly or come to a screeching halt. Two of the teachers raved about this advance in bobbin technology. They weren't cheap - $6 for a tube of 6 bobbins - but I thought one tube was worth testing it out.

In the mean time, I'm trying to apply some of what I've learned about thread weights to the thread I use for piecing. I've just ordered a sampler kit of Aurifil thread for my piecework. I'm hoping it helps me with the quarter inch seams and the build up that occurs when there are multiple pieces coming together.

Cheers!

Margaret