WIP coming along

Have been stitching away on my WIP: No Name As Yet - The fabric came from a stack of Robert Kaufmann fabrics by designer Leesa Chandler in the Passage to India range. I designed this quilt a while ago and finally got around to continuing on this.
Currently stitching-in-the-ditch around all of the blocks and also around those little strips of dark colour. This is taking me for ages...not my favourite task, I must say, so I am spreading it out a bit which makes the whole process just that little bit more painful. It is actually holding me up!

I am using Invisafil from Wonderfil thread. This is a 2 ply 100wt soft polyester thread I discovered last year when participating in the FMQ Challenge run by Quiltshopgal. I was using it then to FMQ a feather design on some Dupioni Silk. That worked really well and I did try it a bit later for stitching- in-the-ditch as an alternative to the clear Monofilament thread that I often use for multi-coloured projects.

I had some tan coloured Invisafil and thought that was the perfect choice for this project as my seams alternate between dark and light, so needed a colour that blends into both.

I have never liked the clear Monofilament thread that much...I do not like its shine and also find that the machine does not like it all that much either...no major problem but a few hiccups every now and then with the thread becoming entangled when coming off the spool, tie offs not working properly and the hassle of actually finding the thread to bury all those threads into the fabric. In addition, I do not like the feel of the thread once quilted. However it does the job and I have been using it for some years by now.
When I tried Invisafil first I used a Bottomline thread in the bobbin, but at a recent quilt show I asked someone at the Wonderfil thread stall re this and they advised that you also put the Invisafil in the bobbin for quilting-in-the-ditch, so I did. Had no issues with this and given that the thread is so fine, one bobbin lasted me for over half the quilt.

I used Needle size 60/8 with a tension of 4.0 (tension of stitch no 52 used for quilting)














I like the feel of this...the quilt feels much softer, the stitches are hardly visible, except where I stuffed up and overall, I had hassle free stitching. Also, as I am somewhat impatient I have been using the tie off stitch both at the beginning and end of the seams which is working very well. This has sped up the process immensely given that I am going around all those little dark strips. Only got a few more of those squares left and then I can switch over to FMQ which will be a welcomed relief.

If you have not tried this thread, maybe give it go. I think this is a really good alternative for the clear Monofilament thread and the thread is so fine, you really can hardly see it which makes for a very nice finish.

Karin