The Textile Craft Newsletter
inspiration for patchwork, quilting & embroidery
incorporating
About Aurifil

                   Aurifil Facts File  page One

Fact File index:

How to choose Thread  (Lecture presentation)

"Oeko-Tex Standard 100" Compliance Certificate

Thread Comparisons

Embroidery

Angel Cross Stitch with Cotton Mako' Ne 50

Country Stitchery with Cotton Makò Ne 28

Have you been disappointed with the decorative threads that you have used for quilting, or embroidery, in the past?  

Some decorative threads can be slippery & fragile and some, rayon threads in particular,  are not colourfast or strong when they are wet.

I was tired of fighting with my machine whenever I wanted to add that little extra pizzaz to a project so you can imagine my delighted to find the Aurilux satin finished polyester range so easy to use.

Aurilux has a high sheen that rivals rayon embroidery thread and I find it much easier to use in both my domestic machine & my high speed quilting machine as it makes a nice stitch and runs through the needle easily. Although I call it a strong thread I still consider it "safe" for quilting as I can snap the thread in my fingers without cutting my hands <G>.... my workshop "bench test" for quilting threads.

It also gives a good in-fill and texture for embroidery. The added benefit of Aurilux satin finished polyester is that it is colourfast and remains strong when wet.

The high sheen of Aurilux does mean that the thread may slip on the spool, in the same way as other decorative threads, so it will need to be "tamed" to keep it feeding off the spool at an even speed. A simple way to do this is to lightly scrunch some plastic wrap from the kitchen around the spool - be sure not to make it too tight.

It  also feeds more evenly if the the spool is sitting in a vertical position with the thread pulling upward off the spool. You can use a separate spool holder that has been specially designed to feed the thread vertically  (available from sewing machine shops) or you can stand the spool in a small jar on the table beside the machine and feed it up into the normal thread path through an extra thread guide created by taping a safety pin to the top of the machine.

For a great decorative finish have a look at the variegated threads in the Aurilux range

Cotton Mako' Ne 50/2

I recommend the Cotton Mako' Ne 50/2 for fine detailed machine quilting, to prevent bulky thread build up when you are stitching micro stipple and invisible ditch stitching, as the thread disappears into the valley between the seams.

Many of you, with a specialist embroidery program for your sewing machine, have already found that the Mako' Ne 50/2 is strong enough to stand up to the most rigorous embroidery design and produces beautiful cotton lace and satin stitch finishes.

Another use for Cotton Mako' Ne 50/2 is as a colour matching bobbin thread. If you find that you want the back of your work to be colour matched when quilting, or that the white "bobbinfil" thread always peaks through to the top when you are working an embroidery with your machine, try using the Mako' Ne 50/2 in the bobbin.

The long staple Mako' cotton is very smooth, and strong, and the Ne50/2 is so fine that it tucks into the fabric & embroidery design so that any "tension pokies" become invisible.

Cotton Mako Ne 50 also gives excellent results when foundation piecing or stitching miniature blocks. The "secret" here is that the fine thread allows you to stitch a flat seam with a perfect allowance.

Cotton Mako' Ne 40/2

Cotton Mako' Ne 40 is a relatively fine thread so it makes a nice flat seam for piecing patchwork and it is also suitable for quilting & embroidery.

For patchwork purposes it is worth noting that the thickness, or diameter of the thread used to stitch a seam can make a difference to the thickness of the seam fold and thus to the finished size of the pieced block. For example, a thicker thread will result in a bulky seam fold which will "take up" more fabric, making each unit in the block a smidge smaller than expected. 

When machine quilting, the extra thickness of the thread results in a more pronounced stitch giving greater definition to motifs & wholecloth work and the subtle lustre adds a beautiful finish to the design. 

It is wonderful for hand quilting. The long staple cotton fibres and mercerising treatment, given to all the Mako range, means that the heavier Mako 28 is strong enough to withstand the stress of hand quilting without needing to be glazed or waxed. This is a bonus as it means that the thread works with the needle rather than springing and twisting in every direction as you stitch. 

If you enjoy applique will also appreciate the good coverage and appearance achieved by using the Mako 28 for machine or hand blanket stitch work.

Cotton Mako' Ne 12/2

However, don't forget that Cotton Mako' Ne 12/2 is also suitable for hand work.

A friend has been using the thread to hand quilt a creative design over the pieced centre of her quilt. She has used a larger stitch and this complements the ribbon embroidery and other embellishments that she has added to the quilt.

350 metre spools of Ne12/2 Lana wool blend (made of 50% Australian wool & 50% Acrylic)

This is a textured thread made of 50% Wool (Australian) & 50% Acrylic. This combination gives the thread the soft appearance, & texture, of wool with the added strength of the acrylic allowing it to be used for either machine or hand embroidery.  If you have been dreaming of making a penny rug, wagga or other wool embroidery project you will enjoy embellishing your work with Lana. This unique thread gives a soft finish to the woollen fabrics and is ideal for folk art appliqué designs . The thread is available in 192 colours, including 12 variegated & 12 mottled/tweed colours

I had a great time playing with  this thread and learning about the embroidery capabilities of my machine.

Several year ago I was very impressed by the embroidered wagga that was shown at a Guild meeting. The guest speaker was a textile artist who had come to patchwork from an embroidery background. She had combined both her creative loves into a series of hand embroidered wagga pieces that were really the Australian version of crazy patchwork. Sadly I have forgotten the speaker's name but the richness of her work lingers in my memory. 

Wanting a project for the Lana threads, it was this memory that inspired me to hunt out some woollen fabrics and test some of the digitised embroidery designs on my machine. I combined these blocks with some blanket stitch appliqué to create a simplified version of my own embroidered wagga.

This was an interesting learning curve as I have had my current machine for nearly 7  years but, until now,  have not really explored it's embroidery capabilities. I was only experimenting with designs on programmed disks but I can now see why people become fascinated with digitised embroidery.

I was very pleased with the way in which the Lana thread worked in the machine. The designs look very rich & full, and there was very little thread breakage as I stitched the more heavily embroidered pieces. I had no breakage with the thread when stitching the blanket stitch appliqué and less closely worked designs.

	Filled embroidery & satin stitch work. Not bad for a novice machine embroiderer! (Designs from Pfaff Creative Fantasy Cards No 1 & 7)
I combined traditional machine blanket stitch appliqué with the reverse version of the stitch to secure & embellish the appliqué

Lana does require a larger needle, preferably a 90 or 100 needle, and I would recommend that you select designs that can be worked in  an enlarged format as the thread is thicker than many other embroidery threads. 

I found that working with wool felt, wool twill, wool suiting and woollen thread did create more lint than usual in the bobbin race. However the lint was easily removed by regular brushing of the bobbin race & needle plate.

I also found that both Cotton Mako' Ne 40/2 & 50/2 worked as a bobbin thread for all the Lana embroidery work.

I can see many creative uses for Lana wool blend in the future as it works so well through a sewing machine while still being suitable for hand embroidery.

View the thread colours or read more about Lana.

Footnote:

Feedback from one of the retail stores stocking the thread.

Jenny, of Jenny's Sewing Centre in Angaston in SA told me that she was delighted with the way the Aurifil Lana stitched out when embroidering with her Bernina machine. She also went on to say that the texture of the thread was the perfect compliment for woollen fabrics. She had stitched her designs on some beautiful "Tissus Michel" wool crepe that she had in stock and she said the result was truly elegant. She still has a reasonable selection of this fine woollen fabric, which is often quite difficult to find, in stock.  So if you are looking for good quality woollen fabric try:

Jenny's Sewing Centre, 64 Murray St Angaston, SA  08 8564 2269 

Another Idea from Jenny:
Lana 8021 or 8024 (ivory or white) stitches out delightful beards and trims on Father Christmas embroideries.

 

 

back to top of page

 

The following Speciality threads for embroidery and embellishment are now also available on retail spools. Look here next time you are experimenting with:

Water Soluble thread

Available on a 130 metre spool

Glow in the Dark thread

Available on a 180 metre spool

About Aurifil Newsletter for Crafters