How to choose the best Machine Embroidery Bobbin Thread

 

Last week we talked about how to choose thread for your embroidery machine…if you missed that article click HERE to read it.

Today, we are going to talk about bobbin thread for machine embroidery.
Machine embroidery thread is typically polyester and 60-90 weight. The higher the weight number, the thinner the tread.

When you are doing machine embroidery you do not match the color of the bobbin thread to the top thread. In fact most bobbin threads only come in white or black. Unlike sewing or quilting the bobbin thread is not pulled up to the top, it’s actually unbalanced on purpose.

By using a bobbin thread that is thinner than than your top thread, (most embroidery threads are 40 weight) it creates an “imbalance” in the weight, which means more of the top thread is pulled to the back (wrong side of the design) insuring that the bobbin thread does not show up on the top (right side) of the design. Which is why it’s mostly sold in only white or black. There really isn’t a need for any other colors as you don’t see it when looking at the top of the finished design.

For crafters who are new to machine embroidery it can be a bit scary when you flip over your finished design and see so much of the top thread on the back…but don’t worry, it is supposed to be that way. You have not done anything wrong.

When it comes to choosing which bobbin thread to purchase – honestly the best advice I can give you is to read your manual. Start with the brand and weight that your manual recommends and then you can always test out other weights and brands if you want.

My embroidery machine is a Brother machine, and I have found that it works best with Brother bobbin thread (I use 60 weight bobbin thread). I’ve tried other brands and it’s always resulted in a poorly stitched out design with a mess on the back…with lots of thread nests. None of us want that!

Which I why I always suggest starting with the weight and brand recommended in your manual and once you get comfortable with machine embroidery you can try other brands.

If you have questions regarding thread, email me…and I’ll get back to you. It might take me a couple of days, but I will respond
XOXO,
Kat

How to choose a brand of embroidery thread

 

Recently, a customer asked me what I thought about a particular brand of embroidery thread. That’s such a great question, so I thought I’d share my answer here with all of you.

In my opinion, there is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ brand of embroidery thread. Just like there are lots of different sewing machine makes and models, there are many different brands of thread and you just have to find the brand that works for you.

When buying a brand of embroidery thread that you haven’t used before, I recommend buying only a few spools of it and actually running it on your machine before buying a lot of that brand. In fact, it’s great if you can buy a few spools of multiple brands. Use the different brands of threads and stitch out the same embroidery design with each brand.

Then you can step back and evaluate each brand of thread. How did your machine like that thread?  Each brand of thread will run differently on your machine. Not all machines ‘like’ all brands of thread.  After you stitch out the design, ask yourself these questions:

  *Did the thread break a lot?            

*Was there a lot of lint in your bobbin casing when the design was finished?            

*Did the thread get tangled a lot?             

*Do you like the quality/look of the stitch out?

Ask yourself this after using each new brand of thread. And if you are using the same embroidery design it will be easy to lay them all out and compare the quality. Then you can buy what ever brand you and your machine are the happiest with. There’s no judgement based on what brand thread you buy…all of the brands are good, you just need to find the one that works best for you and your machine.

Quick story, when I lived back in Wisconsin, an embroidery club member and I had the same exact sewing machine, same exact model and everything. I loved using a particular brand of thread, but every time she used that brand it gave her nothing but trouble. It constantly broke on her, she got tangles and thread nests. She tried the brand multiple times (just in case she had gotten a bad spool). But in the end it only gave her grief, so she stopped buying and using that brand of thread. I still use that brand to this day and I’ve never had the problems that she had with it. So that just goes to show you, that each machine has a ‘mind’ of it’s own. And like a lot of things in life, you’ll learn by trial and error.

So to recap, every single brand of thread won’t necessarily run smoothly in your machine, and I honestly believe that at the end of the day, that you should use which ever brand runs the best on your machine while still fitting in your budget. If you only buy the most expensive thread, but then you end up putting off projects because you can’t afford the thread, where is the fun in that?!? I’m all about creating things. I don’t judge where you get the supplies or how much they cost…just make pretty things and have fun with it.

Good luck with your thread search. I love looking at all the colors of thread. Soo pretty! The hardest part is choosing which colors to buy.

PS. Next week we will chat about embroidery bobbin thread.

Happy Stitching everyone!

XOXO,

Kat  :)

It's not back to school, it's back to crafting!

 

Today is the first day of fall, schools are back in session…and you know what that means….Fall Craft Season is here! I like to start my fall crafts now, so that I have plenty of time for Holiday sewing. One of my favorite things to make for fall are foam pumpkin vases.

You simply cut off the stem and push the faux flowers into the foam. Hint: it’s a bit easier if you pre-make the hole where the flower is going to go. A screwdriver is perfect for this. Add a bow and some fairy lights and viola! A unique fall vase! If you have an electronic cutting machine you can also add some fun sayings like “boo” “Happy Fall Y’all” and more. Watch my tutorial on YouTube for tips on applying vinyl to your foam pumpkins.

These instant download SVG cut files are available in my ETSY shop!

Click HERE to shop these designs and more!

It's national BEACH day

When was the last time you were at the Beach? Did you make it to one this summer? Did you get to smell the salty air, and listen to the waves as they lapped upon the sand? I grew up on the East Coast, in a town that is technically an island. I always had a view of the ocean. The sound of the waves never failed to sooth me. To this day I love the smell of the salty air, I even enjoy the smell of low tide as it reminds me of home. Today, Aug 30th is national beach day, and I’m celebrating my love of the beach by putting our Beach Time embroidery designs on sale for only $4.95! That’s right only $4.95 for all 18 instant download embroidery designs. These fast stitching designs fit in a 4X4 hoop. So you can create some last minute beach tote bags before the summer sun fades away. Download the Beach Embroidery Designs Today! XOXO, Kat :) PS. When you use these beach embroidery designs, email me a photo of what you’ve made, and I’ll feature you on my Facebook page. Just hit reply to this email or send a brand new email to: kat@calicocali.com Copyright (C) 2021 Longarm Quilting & Designs. All rights reserved.

Do you know what today is? (hint...it's National wine and cheese day)

 

Did you know that today is national Wine and Cheese day?? What is your favorite wine..or favorite cheese? My favorite wine is a super sweet desert wine. The more it tastes like sugar the better! As for cheese, I like a nice mild cheddar.

What will you make….. Send me a photo of what you make with this design and I’ll feature you on my Facebook Page. Download this Free design today

In honor of wine & cheese day, I’ve made our wine glass embroidery machine design FREE. But hurry because this freebie will only be available for one week. After that it will go back up to full price.

Nevns Approved! This design is Nevns approved! He liked it so much he wanted to play with the test stitch out right away! Get the Wine Glass

XOXO, Kat :)

P.S. Does anyone know when national chocolate day is???? I really look forward to celebrating that day.

Copyright (C) 2021 Longarm Quilting & Designs. All rights reserved.

Thank you for reading!

 

Hello. I just wanted to take a quick second to thank you for letting me into your inbox/reading my blog. I really appreciate the privilege. I also really, really appreciate that you actually open my emails. :-) Which is why I wanted to ask you: What can I do for you? I know we normally talk about machine embroidery but everybody’s situation is a little bit different. So I wanted to make sure I’m sending you things that are actually tackling your specific struggles when it comes to embroidery. If you could wave a magic wand, what would you want your embroidery projects to be like? What do you think is getting in the way? Just hit reply and tell me.

I look forward to your responses!

XOXO, Kat :) P.S. I’m serious. Email me. I’ll email you back personally. Just give me a couple of days okay?

Copyright (C) 2021 Longarm Quilting & Designs. All rights reserved.

Did you know that there is a national sunglasses day??

 

Did you know that there is a national sunglasses day?!? It was June 27th. While I missed the actual day, Nevns and I thought we should still celebrate.

Doesn’t he look adorable in sunglasses?? ha ha ha I have a bad habit of tucking my sunglasses onto my shirt collar whenever I go into a store. Which of course means they fall off. I’ve had to replace a few pairs from them falling onto the ground. Sooo finally I got smart and got a case for them and embroidered this design on it!

How do you store your sunglasses? Have you ever embroidered on a sunglasses case? If so email me a photo! I’d love to feature it on Facebook!   XOXO, Kat :) Copyright (C) 2021 Longarm Quilting & Designs. All rights reserved.

DIY vintage toy truck planter

 

 

You can use SVG cuttable designs and adhesive vinyl to create this cute vintage toy truck planter! Using faux flowers means it will last year round, and you can swap out the flowers each season.

If you make one, send me photo!!

XOXO,

Kat

 

The July VIP Club FREEBIE is HERE - are you a member yet??

If you are not a VIP Club member yet...here is your sign to join today!  It's totally FREE!! Current members received this FREE machine embroidery design today. This heat wave has been unbearable….so the July FREEBIE is this adorable applique bear embroidery design! Only VIP Club Members have access to this FREEBIE…they also get exclusive sales, DIY tutorials and a whole lot of fun! Click HERE to join today! XOXO, Kat :) P.S. I love connecting with like-minded creative makers and would appreciate the chance to get to know you better. Please find me wherever you love to hang out online: Copyright (C) 2021 Longarm Quilting & Designs. All rights reserved.

Take your dog to work day!

 

What did you do yesterday? Friday was take your dog to work day.  As you can see Nevns and I got “a lot” accomplished. ha ha ha

We spent most of the day hanging up light blocking curtains, because it’s supposed to be over 100 here this week! Yikes that’s hot! Once we were done covering every window we spent the rest of the day doing research for a top secret project!! I’m so very excited about this project and I can’t wait to share it with you all. What did you and your dog do yesterday?? Hit reply and let Nevns and I know. We’d love to hear from you. XOXO, Kat  :)

DIY Pin Cushion using a wooden box from the Dollar Store and Infusible Ink

 

Learn how to make your very own unique, one of a kind, personalized pin cushion using a wooden box from the Dollar Store, scrap fabric, and infusible ink!

 

This craft project is "sew" easy, and really fun to make. I had a blast picking out fabrics to match the infusible ink colors. Another option would be to skip the fabric part and instead, put in a small magnetic tray!

Changing out the fabrics and infusible inks can make each pin cushion unique. If you don't have infusible ink, you can paint the wooden box and add heat transfer vinyl. It would also be cute to add hot fix crystals. The embellishment options are endless!

If you love this tutorial, please share it with your friends. I appreciate your support.

 

 

Want more vinyl tutorials? Watch this video for weeding hacks!

I have even more videos, tutorials and before and after images on my YouTube Channel. Check it out today!

P.S. I love connecting with like-minded creative makers and would appreciate the chance to get to know you better. Please find me wherever you love to hang out online.

Click HERE to find me on Facebook.

Click HERE to find me on Pinterest.

Click HERE to find me on Instagram.