Another question on threads

[susank]

I have been reading some of the discussion about threads and have learned some things but left with more questions. First, I did not know you could use polyester threads for embroidery. I have a Viking Designer SE and the books with the machine as well as my dealer only talk about using rayon. Is this specific to my machine or can all embroidery machines use poly threads? Also, I am in Canada and I don't seem to have access to all brands of thread. I have seen what seem like good deals advertised for Madeira thread on line but I'm reticent to spend a couple of hundred dollars when I have no experience with this thread.

Does anyone else use a Designer and what threads have you found work best? So far I have used Sulky, Gutterman and a fairly reasonably priced thread sold at my dealer which does not have a name on it but is sold in fairly large spools (1000 and 4000 metres). For the most part I have not had problems with these threads. The only ones that have really caused me grief are metallic threads but I think I have figured them out now.

Any advice would be welcome!

[StitchinGrandma]

Susan ~ I have a D1 and would love to have the SE but I just can't afford that right now. I was told by my dealer last night though that she already has 3 SE's being traded in as soon as the new machine is released for sale and 2 of those are the special silver edition. The prices are very nice on those three she's got coming in but even at that very reduced price I can't afford it. I'm jealous you have one. :D

I pretty much stick to the Rayon threads myself although I use the Robison Anton brand. I really like that a lot more than Sulky and my Viking dealer doesn't sell Madeira any longer. I did like the Madeira although I did have a lot of problems with that brand coming off the spool a lot faster and causing some problem with the thread jumping out of the thread guides and takeup lever. That problem was solved by using thread nets however and now I don't do ANY embroidery without using thread nets. I also don't think she sells Gutterman. I think the reason I like RA the most is because of the fact I never have any problems with breakage and the spools are larger with their own lockdown for the thread when not in use. I don't like Sulky because of the tall, skinny spool it comes one. I know that sounds like a dumb reason not to use a brand but that's just me.

There are a few other threads on the site which threads have been discussed. Below I have added those links so you might wander through those and see if they give you a little more info.
http://www.embroidables.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1031&highlight=thread

http://www.embroidables.com/forums/showthread.php?t=786&highlight=thread

http://www.embroidables.com/forums/showthread.php?t=518&highlight=thread

Metallic thread discussion can be found here (http://www.embroidables.com/forums/showthread.php?t=923&highlight=thread)

Another metallic thread discussion here (http://www.embroidables.com/forums/showthread.php?t=772&highlight=thread)

Hopefully this will give you some help. If not, don't be afraid to post asking more questions. Everyone here is very helpful.

[susank]

Stitchin Grandma - thank you so much for pointing me to these posts - they were very helpful. I should have done a search first! I only wish I could find these threads in Canada. I will check further on line to see who will ship here.

On the SE - I have to tell you that I love it. I too had a D1 and had not planned on trading it in when the SE came out. However, I went into my dealer looking for a new serger one day and he offered me a deal I could not refuse on trading up and getting the top of line serger. He admitted later that he had made a mistake in his calculations and should have charged me $1000 more but felt he had to honour his written quote. I was happy they did that and have been a loyal customer ever since. If you wait a little longer after the new machine comes out the deals may get even better. I would say that the difference between the machines to me has really been worthwhile. I love the machine - but I must say I wish it had the capacity for the larger embroideries that the new one will have. I will have to lust after it from afar however, as I have so much money in the machines I have now that I can't justify spending more.

When I bought these machines a few years ago, I had had the same machine for almost 20 years and knew nothing about the embroidery capability. I was astonished at the prices but decided to invest in the DI to give embroidery a try --- it did not take long to figure out why everyone calls it an addiction. I have done more sewing since I've had these machines than I did in the 20 years before and I'm a fairly avid sewer. Who says sewing is a dying art!!!!

[StitchinGrandma]

You're welcome.

I know all about those deals you can't pass up. We did that ourselves and that's actually why I ended up with my D1 in the first place. I was out comparison shopping and the Viking gallery was the last place I was going to check out. She happened to have a bunch of machines that had been used in a large class somewhere and the prices were fantastic and I loved all the other stuff it did in comparison to the others I had sewn on prior while shopping PLUS the dealer was MUCH, MUCH nicer than any of the other brand stores so those two things combined is how I got into Viking in the first place.

I'm sure you'll find those threads up that way. I know there are a lot of people from Canada in all the different yahoo groups I'm in so I bet if you did some searching you'll find them. The best advice I can give is to do google searches with search words like "Robison Anton thread Canada" or "Sulky thread Canada" and so on. Then you might find sites or dealers that are selling those brands. All the Viking stores I've been in down this way all carry Robison Anton and mine used to sell Madeira but she stopped. I don't know if they all stopped or not but sometimes if my Viking store doesn't carry something the girls that work there know other places to buy them so you could also ask the different employees at your Viking dealer to see where they buy the other brands you'd like to find.

[smokey]

Polyester thread is great for kids clothing and also for household items. If you are going to use bleach rayon will not hold its color. I also use the polyester for some of my free standing lace, like ornaments or bowls etc. It is a stiffer thread so makes the ornament stiffer and gives more body. Smokey

[Granny313]

SusanK - I too have the D1 and SE. I have used Sulky but really do not prefer it. I - like Vicki - do not like the long skinny spools. They seem to jump off the holder on my machine while embroidering. I have used Madeira and also Gutermann, So far, I prefer Madeira. I would like to try the Robison Anton although I have not as of yet. Sorry I have not sampled the others but really I went crazy on colors and have not used up the ones I have, so cannot justify spending $ for a new brand as of yet. I hope that as I run out to replace with another brand so that I can try them out and see which ones I like the best.:)