Today I was working on a
block for a bee I am in. The theme is
“your neighborhood”, and so it’s like making a mini art quilt depicting where
you live (or perhaps where you want to live).
I decided on a mountain scene with a tent, campfire, etc. It’s the neighborhood I prefer. Everything was going perfectly (rare). I decided to use a decorative stitch and a
green-brown variegated thread by Isacord to create a ragged tree line between
some of my green pieces. Even though I
am using French fuse as a backing, there were a few very minor puckers that
would iron out. I have done this enough
times to know this works well. However,
as soon as I touch the iron to the seams, imagine my horror as the thread
disintegrates before my eyes! I
restitched the area and used a pressing cloth – and that was okay. I was mystified and very upset, as I have
used variegated thread on a number of projects, including things that have gone
out on bees. I certainly don’t want my
work disintegrating because I used the wrong materials!
 |
| My block so far. |
So I dug out all the
synthetic threads I love to use for embellishing, thread sketching and
quilting. I use mostly Isacord but also
quite a bit of Sulky and Mettler, especially the variegated threads. I laid out several of each brand, both solid
and variegated and touched the iron to them.
Whoa, Nellie!
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| Results of ironing various threads. |
1) The 100% polyester
variegated threads by Mettler and Isacord disintegrated immediately. Mettler more quickly and more completely than
Isacord. (top 2 threads in picture are Isacord, third one down is Mettler. )
2) The Sulky variegated
threads are made of rayon – the iron did not affect them. These are threads 4 and 5 from the top in the picture.
3) All the polyester
solids were affected a little – but you had to really iron the heck out of them
to see any effect. Threads 6 and 7 are Mettler and Isacord solids, respectively.
My iron was set its usual temperature: cotton, with steam.
I wonder why this
difference? Anyway, quilter beware!
2 comments:
Moni
Have you tried Superior Threads That is what I use. I ahve never seen them vanish before my eyes. Let me check and I will get back to you. I think they are 100% Cotton except the metalics ones which I am pretty sure would melt.
Shawn, I don;t like cotton because of the tension issues I have with it and I love the sheen of the synthetics. It's the variegated threads that have the issue not the solids, I think that's weird.
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