Greetings Aurifil followers. I’m Karen L. Miller ~ Redbird Quilt Co., Master Educator and Program Coordinator for Aurifilosophy, here again to celebrate our 6th year of Thread Matters – The Aurifilosopher Series with monthly contributions by our wildly talented and creative Aurifilosophers from across the globe! That’s 6 whole years of inspiring Aurifil thread education! Today, I’m thrilled to shine a light on one of my absolute favorite techniques in hopes you’ll pick up some inspiration along the way!
Is your shop, group or guild looking for insightful, inspiring and educational information on thread? Consider booking a virtual or in-person program with one of our skilled Aurifilosophers. Learn more about Aurifilosophy and find your favorite Aurifilosopher here.
Let’s chat longarm quilting. The Aurifil team is at AQS Paducah this week and we’ve had a blast chatting with hordes of quilters and sewists who adore Aurifil thread. We were pleasantly surprised to discover a large percentage of loyal consumers use Aurifil on their longarm quilting machines. Our key takeaway? Every brand, size, and configuration of longarm machine happily stitches away with a variety of Aurifil thread weights, yielding beautiful cotton sheen on their edge to edge or free motion quilting motifs.
Today, we’re hoping to add to that magic with a few tips and tricks for longarm quilting with Aurifil:
- Mount your Aurifil spool or cone directly under the first overhead thread guide. It’s important that the thread unwind straight up to that first thread guide and not pull to the side.
- If transitioning from a poly or 3ply thread, be sure to reduce the top thread tension to work with the Aurifil 2ply threads. The 2ply threads are a bit thinner than 3ply or poly and don’t require the same amount of tension.
- If the quilt top is attached to both the front roller bar and the back take-up bar, ensure the tension on the quilt top is not “drum tight”. Leave a little play in the quilt top to minimize tension on the thread as it stitches through all layers.
- Be sure to start stitching with a new, appropriately sized needle for your longarm. When using heavier weight threads you’ll need a larger eye. A new needle is the best $1.25 investment you can make in your quilting.
- My machine prefers to have the needle inserted such that the eye is just a smidgen off-center to the right.
- When using Aurifil 40wt, 50wt 2ply, or Aurifil 40wt 3ply thread on top, be sure to load your bobbin with Aurifil 40wt or 50wt 2ply. You can fit ample amount of the Aurifil 2ply thread in the bobbin.
- After winding the bobbin, perform the “drop test” by 1st placing the wound bobbin in the bobbin case and through the tension guides. Next, place the case in the palm of your hand, grab the end of the thread and lift upward. The case should stand up in your hand but the thread should NOT unwind easily – it should give a little resistance before allowing the bobbin thread to unwind. If you need to adjust the tension, follow the directions in the machine guide.
- Some Aurifil designers use the same weight thread in the top and bobbin to keep a consistent tension without adjustments.
- Although Aurifil is “virtually lint free”, it’s impossible to stitch with cotton thread without accumulating lint. Be sure to clean the bobbin area and oil as appropriate every bobbin or so.
If this post has piqued your interest, you may be interested in our 2024 education subscription, Thread Labs 2.0. Educator HollyAnne Knight of String & Story will host our December box all about machine quilting, taking subscribers through best practices and all the tips & tricks needed to successfully quilt your next project at home. For more information, click the button below!
GIVEAWAY
Do you have a favorite longarm tip/trick? Or if you’re just getting started, perhaps you have a question you’ve been dying to ask? Share them below for a chance to win one cone of Aurifil’s Forty3 (40wt 3ply) thread, which was specifically developed to handle the rigor of today’s high-speed, high-tech Longarm machines. Giveaway is open through 11:59pm CST on Sunday, April 28 after which point we’ll select one random winner. Winner will be notified via email!
Bonus Entry: If you are already using Aurifil in your longarm, share your IG or other social handle as a separate comment. Extra entry AND we get to follow along with you. Win win! 🙂
ABOUT KAREN
Karen L. Miller, owner of Redbird Quilt Co. is Master Educator for Aurifil, USA, an Aurifilosopher, national educator, author, and cheerleader of all things free motion quilting. She launched Redbird Quilt Co. to share her love of appliqué and show others how free motion quilting on home sewing machines can bring their projects to life. Karen plays with all weights of Aurifil thread and openly contributes her knowledge and experience to the greater quilting community.
If you’re interested in learning more about free motion quilting on home sewing machines be sure to check out Karen’s website, programs, tutorials, upcoming events and social media feeds. Subscribe to Karen’s Newsletter here.