Thread

Do you ever wonder what kind of thread a longarm quilter uses?  Here is my thread rack.... these are 6,000 yard cones.  My most used color is Coronado- a light cream color that seems to work on a variety of quilts from tan to pink to light green or brown.  (It's towards the top left corner of the rack.)  I use quite a bit of Permacore thread by American & Effird, also use Sew Fine by Superior Threads, and a few cones of Signature thread, also by A&E. 

I started using Permacore after well-known award winning quilter Linda Taylor recommends & uses this thread.  It is strong enought to stand up to the high-speed sewing conditions of longarm quilting, and comes in hundreds of colors while being reasonably priced.  When a thinner thread is needed, the I use the SewFine thread by Superior Threads.  I also have gold & silver metallic thread from Superior, and have had great results using this thread.  I just finished a table runner using the gold metallic, and I think this really gives it some sparkle and adds some fun to the quilt. 
Unless the piecer has a strong aversion to clear monofilament, then I will use this for stitch-in-the-ditch quilting on a custom quilt.  It will disappear into the ditch, and often there are so many fabric colors, it would be impossible to match them all.  So, the monofilament is a great tool for this.  Otherwise, I generally don't use the monofilament thread for all-over quilting, just stitching in the ditch (outlining blocks, etc.) 
Thread thread is included in the quilting fee, unless a metallic is used.  Then, depending on the size of the quilt, and density of the quilting pattern, there may be a small fee to cover the added cost of the metallic thread, and also the added time, since I need to stitch out the pattern at a slower speed to avoid breaking the thread. 
Oh, and don't forget variegated threads.  I have a few colors of these, too.  I have a cone of blues, one of greens, a primary colors version, and also one called Mocha Almond Fudge- goes from dark brown to rust to tan & light tan.  The added fee may also apply for variegated threads. 
I generally use the same thread on the top & bottom of the quilt.  Keep this in mind when choosing a thread color. 



Gold metallic thread used on this quilt