Seems like all I needed was a reason to get some UFO projects finished. I completed two this week. Both are small (crib size) charity quilts. These just needed quilting and binding to be complete. The Pooh quilt was pieced at my guild retreat at the end of October 2010. The Cars quilt was completed at the same retreat but I started piecing it a year earlier. These will be donated to our local sheriff's office in March.
I had my worst quilting experience ever on the Cars quilt. I spray basted both quilts then went to work quilting them. I used YLI variegated 40 wt. thread for the Cars quilt. Despite rethreading, changing bobbins, changing needles half a dozen times and adjusting the tension multiple times, the thread broke every three to six inches during the first half of quilting this quilt! On the second half it didn't break as often but still more than it should. I slowed my machine speed dramatically from the speed I usually quilt at. The thread didn't break as often, but my machine was skipping stitches all over the place. I have used this thread before successfully, but I don't think I've ever used it with a spray basted project. I switched to Mettler 50 wt. for the Pooh quilt and had no problems at all - no breaking, no skipping stitches and all at my normal quilting speed. I even used one of the rejected needles from the Cars quilt with no problems.
So I will not be using YLI thread with spray baste ever again. Or maybe I will spray baste a small sample piece and try it with YLI and other threads to see if the YLI gives me problems. I thought that maybe I used too much spray baste but I basted both quilts at the same time and I'm reasonably sure I did the same thing for both. The fact that the Pooh quilt with Mettler thread caused zero problems and the Cars quilt with YLI thread was a nightmare leads me to believe that the difference must be the thread. Everything else was the same for both quilts.
Pooh charity quilt
Cars charity quilt
I had my worst quilting experience ever on the Cars quilt. I spray basted both quilts then went to work quilting them. I used YLI variegated 40 wt. thread for the Cars quilt. Despite rethreading, changing bobbins, changing needles half a dozen times and adjusting the tension multiple times, the thread broke every three to six inches during the first half of quilting this quilt! On the second half it didn't break as often but still more than it should. I slowed my machine speed dramatically from the speed I usually quilt at. The thread didn't break as often, but my machine was skipping stitches all over the place. I have used this thread before successfully, but I don't think I've ever used it with a spray basted project. I switched to Mettler 50 wt. for the Pooh quilt and had no problems at all - no breaking, no skipping stitches and all at my normal quilting speed. I even used one of the rejected needles from the Cars quilt with no problems.
So I will not be using YLI thread with spray baste ever again. Or maybe I will spray baste a small sample piece and try it with YLI and other threads to see if the YLI gives me problems. I thought that maybe I used too much spray baste but I basted both quilts at the same time and I'm reasonably sure I did the same thing for both. The fact that the Pooh quilt with Mettler thread caused zero problems and the Cars quilt with YLI thread was a nightmare leads me to believe that the difference must be the thread. Everything else was the same for both quilts.
6 comments:
Just love your charity quilts!
Two great finishes. I have a charity quilt that I need to get busy on. Thanks for the motivation.
That is interesting and frustrating about your thread breakage! It will be interesting to see what happens when you do your tests. I have recently begun using a topstitch needle, based on the gals who came to our guild meeting and are reps for Signature threads. I am curious, were you using topstitch needles?
Your quilts turned out cute, and your charity will be very grateful to receive them!
Congratulations on your finish! I almost finished another one...maybe next week!
Well, despite the nightmare, the quilt looks great. I love them both. Congrats on y our busts.
I'm sure you've heard my rant about YLI variegated thread by now on one of my recent episodes. Reading your post, I had to think about whether I'd used spray baste on that project or not. Nope. I'd pin-basted it. I wonder if it's the variegated thread that's the problem? I'm using YLI thread of a different type now and not having any problems at all. Hmmm.... That being said, the quilts are cute!
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