Thread Talk from my Sewing Machine #4

For me, the “Got Milk?” sentiment transfers to “Got Silk?” when it comes to quilting! I love quilting with Hobbs‘ Tuscany Silk Batt for the following reasons:

1. It is easy to handle – It spreads and smooths out very easily when I layer my quilt in preparation for basting.

[Twilight Trails – featured in The Quilter, May 2010]

2. It has a light and airy feel – that makes life easy when I quilt my quilts under that narrow throat area with a home machine.

[Fleur de Noel – to be featured in Quilter’s World, December 2010]

3. It still has a bit of loft to show off textures from quilting very well.

[Sweet Picket Fence – featured in The Quilter, May 2010]

4. It does not create a cardboard feel for my densely quilted quilts. The quilts still feel soft and very huggable!

[Bloom Wherever You Are – featured in The Quilter, January 2010]

5. I use the silk batt for quilts I would have quilted with cotton because of the easy manageability, and I couldn’t be happier with the results!

[Cascade of Leaves – to be featured in Quilter’s World, October 2010]

Hobbs’ website has the following information on their Tuscany Silk Batt:

“Tuscany Silk bonded batting is made from imported silk filaments with the addition of 10% polyester. It is then carded and resin bonded to help retard bearding (fiber migration) and allowing the batting to be handled like a blanket. It can be quilted up to 4″ apart and hand washed in tepid water and lay out to dry flat. It will likely shrink approximately 5%. Because of silk’s natural ability to breath, it is an excellent choice for airy, light weight quilts and coverlets. The Tuscany Silk batting quilts magnificently by hand or machine and is a superb filling material for embroidery.”

[Cascade of Leaves – to be featured in Quilter’s World, October 2010]

If you haven’t used the Tuscany Silk Batt, you’ve got to!

[Christmas in Ohio – to be featured in Fons & Porter’s Easy Quilts]

A couple of stitching suggestions if you are venturing into the addictive world of free-motion quilting:

[Sunshine in my Soul – featured in The Quilter, September 2010]

1. Stitch slowly – I like to stitch slow because I tend to have a better control on how my stitches turn out.

2. Take the time to learn what makes your machine tick – your machine will reward you with happy stitches!

Thanks for stopping by – I hope you have enjoyed the pictures in this post. All the quilts you see have been quilted with Tuscany Silk Batt. Meanwhile, I am going to doze off for a bit – too many long nights.