Martha Ginn commented on double needle gold quilting (previous post) and I sent her an email about using a triple needle threaded with gold metallic, too. Then thought I’d post this rather technical post as there could be others interesting in using multi-needles with metallics sometime. In the Schmetz brand they’re called ‘Drilling’ for some reason, and they are expensive – expect to pay at least US$10 per unit !!! so take care when working with them. And as for threads, I have no idea of the brand of large economical cones I found ages ago in Australia, but Sulky and the YLI have worked well for me in the past.
Triple needling gives a great outline, as in this snippet from a recent work –
Whenever I use metallics I always follow these steps –
- Slow the machine’s speed a bit and never hurry
- Loosen the top tension a bit
- Use a larger eyed needle if possible
- Rub a little Sewer’s Aid on the metallic thread cone/reel
- Work on a sample piece front/batting/back first to get the settings right.