I think the red squares really make this quilt come alive! Nice winter scene fabric. SharonG/FL

Machines do have their own personalities. One thing that some modern machines can be fussy about is the direction of the thread twist. An easy fix sometimes is just to flip the spool upside down and see if it solves the breakage problem. Another thing--this might not pertain since I'm not at all up on modern machines--but with my vintage machines, I do have to feed long yardage spools and cones off a thread stand, they don't work well if the spool/cone has to spin to release the thread. The thread has a tendency to drop to the bottom of the spool and wrap itself around the vertical spool pin. This shouldn't be a problem with horizontal pins, though. The topic of thread is pretty interesting to me as a custom quilter. I've found that with my pre-1965 machines, I can use just about anything: dual duty, C&C Star, Connecting Threads, rayon, glazed hand quilting thread (a HUGE no-no in modern machines), nylon, Guttermans, Mettler, YLI, silk--it makes no difference whatsoever, other than that I will have to adjust the tension for different sizes of thread. I always use 100% cotton in the bobbin (usually C&C Star 'cuz it's cheapest and I always have lots on hand). I haven't tried metallics as I've had no call for them, but I'd like to try just to see how my old girls react to it. Annie

Red Rock Threads is my go-to website for all things thread. I travel enough that I am able to visit lots of different stores so am generally able to find what I need in a store, however when I'm stationary or need something special Red Rock has it. For hand quilting they have 40 wt Floriani, Gutterman, Signature, King Tut by Superior 50 wt Robinson-Anton edit to add that I've done a bit of hand quilting with King Tut variegated thread, and just hand waxed it first. Do you run your hand sewing thread through one of the wax discs, then iron the wax into the thread? I thread up 5 or 6 needles at a time and wax & iron them all at once. Here is a link that might be useful: Red_Rock_Threads_quilting_thread This post was edited by mlweaving_Marji on Wed, Apr 9, 14 at 10:13

I use cotton thread on cotton fabric. My LQS owner gave me pretty much the same reason as above for matching cotton to cotton. She said that a poly thread was stronger, but more important had less 'give', so under tension the poly thread acted more like wire cutting into the softer cotton fabric. Cotton thread would have it's own 'give', she said, and share the tension so neither would break, and give a longer seam life in the end. Now, my OCD will show, but waxing a thread doesn't make it stronger, it prevents thread from getting weaker. Waxing smooths down the tiny little furries so they don't catch on the fabric with each pass like little velcro hooks. Waxing helps prevent the thread from wearing thin during the sewing, so you always pull thread through Thread Heaven silicone wax the same way it will be passing through the fabric. Having the furries slicked down also helps the thread not tangle so easily. Right handers thread a needle, then cut and knot the end coming off closest to the spool. That's because hand sewers typically add twist to thread as they sew, and a little overtwisted thread still handles pretty well. A left handed sewer who threads this way will be untwisting the thread as she sews, and that tangles up like a nightmare right away. A left handed sewer should try knotting the end furthest away from the spool, so her added twist will still be overtwist.