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August 16, 2017 By Mandy 6 Comments

Thread Dread: Removing Trapped Thread From Your Quilt Top

I am participating in the Back to School Blog Hop hosted by Sam Hunter of Hunter’s Design Studio. The lineup of quilters (32 of them!) is really fantastic, and the topics cover a huge range of material. Enjoy!

We’ve all had this happen. The top is prepped, it’s sandwiched, the quilting has been started… and then we see it. A bright bundle of thread under the pristine white fabric! THREAD DREAD. It seems to happen despite my best efforts.

I used to try and remove these thread by using straight pins to pry the weave of the fabric open, and then try and pinch the thread, as if the pins were little chopsticks. As you can imagine, this was not wildly successful. And then, this tool came into my life:

 

The Clover “Soft Touch Thread Pick”

This little pick is now one of my must-have notions in my tool kit now. There are some things to consider when you use it, so I made a short little video for you.

I can’t wait to read about the other tips, tricks, and educational goodness! Make sure to check out the amazing list below! I don’t know if I’ll be able to wait that long, in all seriousness.

Day 1 – August 15 – Sam Hunter: How to spray baste a BIG quilt – www.huntersdesignstudio.com

Day 2 – August 16 – Mandy Leins: Thread Dread: removing stray bits after quilting – www.mandalei.com

Day 3 – August 17 – Nancy Stovall: The Sweet Creamy Filling – www.justquiltingpdx.com

Day 4 – August 18 – Ebony Love: 7 Indispensible feet for your sewing machine – www.LoveBugStudios.com

Day 5 – August 19 – Michelle Freedman: Machine throat plates – www.designcamppdx.blogspot.com

Day 6 – August 20 – Teresa Coates: Edge/Under/Top stitching – www.crinkledreams.com

Day 7 – August 21 – Kelly Cole: Ten ways to regain your sew-jo – www.vintagefabricstudio.com

Day 8 – August 22 – Megan Dougherty: Choose to Fuse: tips for working with fusibles for applique – www.thebitchystitcher.com

Day 9 – August 23 – Kim Lapacek: Tricks to being productive while hauling your kids around – www.persimondreams.blogspot.com

Day 10 – August 24 – Yvonne Fuchs: Circuitboard quilting on Domestic and Longarm Machines – www.quiltingjetgirl.com

Day 11 – August 25 – Sandi Hazlewood: Chain Piecing Quilt Blocks Tips – www.craftyplanner.com

Day 12 – August 26 – Juliet van der Heijden: Paper-piecing with children – www.thetartankiwi.com

Day 13 – August 27 – Maddie Kertay: Fabric folding for any storage solution – www.badassquilterssociety.com

Day 14 – August 28 – Cath Hall: Working with Lawn fabric – www.wombatquilts.com

Day 15 – August 29 – Tracy Mooney: Tips for the perfect seam – www.sewmuchcosplay.com

Day 16 – August 30 – Teri Lucas: How to bury thread – www.terificreations.com

Day 17 – August 31 – Debby Brown: Securing machine quilting knots – www. higheredhands.blogspot.com

Day 18 – September 1 – Flaun Cline: How to put some sparkle in your fabric pull (part 1) – www.ipleadquilty.com

Day 19 – September 2 – Jessica Darling: How to put some sparkle in your fabric pull (part 2) – www.jessicakdarling.com

Day 20 – September 3 – Trish Frankland: A bigger blade really IS better?! – www.persimondreams.blogspot.com

Day 21 – September 4 – Lynn Krawczyk: Build a simple design with hand stitching – www.smudgeddesignstudio.com

Day 22 – September 5 – Jane Davidson: How to make scrappy HSTs – www.quiltjane.com

Day 23 – September 6 – Linda Pearl: Low cost tips for organizing your sewing room – www.onequiltingcircle.com

Day 24 – September 7 – Christa Watson – Top 10 tips for quilting on a domestic machine – www.christaquilts.com

Day 25 – September 8 – Sarah Nunes: To Starch or Not to Starch – www.berrybarndesigns.com

Day 26 – September 9 – Suzy Webster: Testing fabric for bleeding – www.websterquilt.blogspot.com

Day 27 – September 10 – Sarah Goer: Machine bind your quilts like a pro – www.sarahgoerquilts.com

Day 28 – September 11 – Vanda Chittenden: Beginner paper-piecing tips – www.chittenden.co.za

Day 29 – September 12 – Cheryl Sleboda: Needle threading tips – www.muppin.com

Day 30 – September 13 – Kim Niedzwiecki – Different thread weights and when to use them – www.gogokim.com

Day 31 – September 14 – Sandra Healy: Conquer Your Fear of Machine Appliqué – www.sandrahealydesigns.com

Day 32 – September 15 – Sandra Starley: The Basics of Antique Quilt Collecting – www.utahquiltappraiser.blogspot.com

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Filed Under: Tutorials Tagged With: Back to School Blog Hop, Clover Thread pick, quilting tip, remove thread

Comments

  1. Catholic Bibliophagist says

    August 16, 2017 at 11:17 am

    That’s a cool tool. I have an Innova longarm which allows you to lift up the bar which your top is attached to if you spot a thread. But that doesn’t do you any good if you don’t spot the thread until after you’ve quilted. So I will definitely look for this tool.

    Reply
  2. Linda K says

    August 16, 2017 at 1:46 pm

    That is awesome! I love this blog hop. Thanks!

    Reply
  3. Kathleen Dalecio says

    August 16, 2017 at 3:16 pm

    I use this tool as you demonstrated -and- for pulling snagged threads to the wrong side in sweaters! It really is useful and so easy to use.

    Reply
  4. daisyandjack says

    August 22, 2017 at 6:19 pm

    oh wow that looks like a very cool tool that everyone needs – thanks so much for sharing how it works !!

    Reply
  5. deb says

    September 7, 2017 at 7:18 pm

    Thank you for sharing this tip!

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Machine Bind Your Quilts Like a Pro – Sarah Goer Quilts says:
    September 10, 2017 at 6:01 am

    […] Day 2 – August 16 – Mandy Leins: Thread Dread: removing stray bits after quilting […]

    Reply

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This blog is my own, and I write all its content. Links to Amazon and Craftsy may contain an affiliate code, since I am part of their affiliate programs. While I am a Bernina Ambassador, the machine I use is one that I have purchased prior to becoming an ambassador and is my property, not Bernina's; I am an ambassador because I love my machine. I do have free things that are sent to me from time to time, and if I use them I will always fully disclose that. All opinions are mine, and I will give them honestly. I am not paid by the people who send me things to write reviews.