Using combinations of 100wt, 80wt, 50wt, 12wt threads in one quilt

I’m excited to show you my thread choices for quilting the 3 different wallhangings I’ve been working on this week, Persevere, Be Curious and Relentless.

Yesterday I showed how I quilted the body of the quilt with InvisaFil thread. Today I’ll go over what I did to quilt the borders, to make them stand out.

I’m not giving this quilt away! This one is for me! My word of encouragement and inspiration for next year is PERSEVERE. I used some of my hand dyed fabrics for this project and I think it will look super in my studio.

Sometimes I get a little bogged down with work and I think the word PERSEVERE will encourage me to keep going.

Quilting the borders on these small wallhangings is a great way to try a new-to-you thread. It’s also a great way to try some new quilting ideas without committing to a larger project and being required to pull out that dreaded seam ripper!

I decided to keep things simple for this quilt and used WonderFil 12wt Fruitti thread. I mirrored the continuous curves that I quilted in the flying geese units in the border. They looked a little lonely so I added a few curls and extra loops in triangle areas.

I switched to WonderFil 30wt rayon thread, Splendor for the outer border and pebbles. I like the balance of the shiny rayon thread and the matte variegated cotton.

I quilted this green wall hanging with WonderFil Accent thread (ACM16).

Accent is a 12wt rayon thread that’s perfect for projects like this where I want the thread to show. The variegated thread is random dyed shades of green in differing lengths. I always make sure that I quilt with a longer stitch length. I know I’ll have tension issues if I quilt with a short stitch length.

I couldn’t figure out how to take my feather motifs around all four corners, so I got creative with some curls!

I love how the shades of green in this thread help the quilting motifs to really shine.

I quilted the border of this wallhanging with WonderFil Fruitti and Tutti threads. Fruitti (FT33) is a 12wt double gassed cotton thread. Gassing is the process that gives the thread a smooth look and feel.

I stitched the large feathers and the lighter parts of the variegated thread show against the darker burgundy fabric.

I switched to the lighter Tutti (TU33) thread. Tutti is a 50wt double gassed cotton thread. I used the same color as the Fruitti thread. The lighter thread adds some highlights to the quilted feathers. I also stitched straight lines in the outside border.

These 2 threads work well together by adding a bit of texture to the quilting.

My 3 little quilts are pieced, bordered and quilted. I’ve used a combination of WonderFil 100wt InvisaFil, 80wt DecoBob, 50wt Tutti, 12wt Fruitti and Accent threads.

Tomorrow I’ll be putting the binding on these little quilts and adding hanging sleeves. Join me!