Ahhh finally we arrive at the last layer of the quilt, the thread. The finishing touch on our huge efforts, the design which will lay over top of our precious cotton fabrics. This layer really does consist of several elements, the actual thread, weight & color, plus the design we choose the finish the quilt.
Once I have a quilt on the frame, I usually pull about 3 or 4 threads which I think will work on the quilt. I pull them off the spool and lay them out in different areas, the border, sashing and blocks. I immediately remove any 'screamers', I personally don't like to use high contrast threads. I will typically choose which ever thread is my gut reaction.
There are many different weights of thread. Typically the desired result is to see our thread so I like to use a weight which is noticeable, but not overpowering usually a 50wt or 40wt. This however does depend on the type of quilt. We have had several denim quilts through the shop and I love to see those finished with a thick heavy thread like a 12wt.
The quilting design is next. This always depends on the type of quilt being finished. If this quilt is for a quilters dog, then a free motion stipple will be adequate. If you have hand appliqued the quilt in question over the course of several years, then a custom quilting job is likely in order.
If the quilt is going to have an edge to edge style design, the next question is how dense do we need the quilting to be. Is this a quilt made of ten inch squares? A large loose design is fine. Is this a postage stamp quilt made from thousands of one inch squares? Then we are going to quilt the crap outta this one. The density also depends on the type of batting you have chosen for your quilt so always read the recommendations for your type.
If you have decided on a custom quilting design then doing some research online can be helpful. With websites like YouTube, Pinterest, and Instagram available, there are endless suggestions and inspiration for how to quilt any pattern.
I hope that you have enjoyed our series on the five layers of the quilt! We have had a lot of fun with all our new followers and quilters are loving our weekly giveaways on Facebook. This week our giveaway is a thread pack of 20 glide 1000m spools! It is our favorite quilting thread and all our quilters use it day in and day out finishing their quilts in our rental studio. Check out the contest here!
We are also launching our brand new Thread of the Month Club! This is the perfect way to build your thread stash and own the entire line of Glide thread. Find out more about our Thread of the Month Club by visiting our website.
Once I have a quilt on the frame, I usually pull about 3 or 4 threads which I think will work on the quilt. I pull them off the spool and lay them out in different areas, the border, sashing and blocks. I immediately remove any 'screamers', I personally don't like to use high contrast threads. I will typically choose which ever thread is my gut reaction.
There are many different weights of thread. Typically the desired result is to see our thread so I like to use a weight which is noticeable, but not overpowering usually a 50wt or 40wt. This however does depend on the type of quilt. We have had several denim quilts through the shop and I love to see those finished with a thick heavy thread like a 12wt.
The quilting design is next. This always depends on the type of quilt being finished. If this quilt is for a quilters dog, then a free motion stipple will be adequate. If you have hand appliqued the quilt in question over the course of several years, then a custom quilting job is likely in order.
If the quilt is going to have an edge to edge style design, the next question is how dense do we need the quilting to be. Is this a quilt made of ten inch squares? A large loose design is fine. Is this a postage stamp quilt made from thousands of one inch squares? Then we are going to quilt the crap outta this one. The density also depends on the type of batting you have chosen for your quilt so always read the recommendations for your type.
If you have decided on a custom quilting design then doing some research online can be helpful. With websites like YouTube, Pinterest, and Instagram available, there are endless suggestions and inspiration for how to quilt any pattern.
I hope that you have enjoyed our series on the five layers of the quilt! We have had a lot of fun with all our new followers and quilters are loving our weekly giveaways on Facebook. This week our giveaway is a thread pack of 20 glide 1000m spools! It is our favorite quilting thread and all our quilters use it day in and day out finishing their quilts in our rental studio. Check out the contest here!
We are also launching our brand new Thread of the Month Club! This is the perfect way to build your thread stash and own the entire line of Glide thread. Find out more about our Thread of the Month Club by visiting our website.
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