Prewound Bobbins

There is a great debate going on. Should we use prewound bobbins or should we not? Today we will discuss some of the truths and myths surrounding bobbins.

Truth: Prewound bobbins hold up to 3 times more thread than self wound bobbins, saving you TIME. These bobbins are wound by high tech machines which provide a smooth uniform wind.

Myth: Using prewound bobbins will void the warranty on my machine. Not true! Bob personally checked with many machine companies, and most sell prewound bobbins. The only risk is that you need to make sure you are using a good quality thread (like Superior Threads SuperBobs) and clean your bobbin area regularly.

Truth: Approximately 70% of the machines on the market are compatible with the standard "L" size prewound bobbins.

What does "L" and "M" style mean?

Answer: Two of the most common sizes of prewound bobbins are "L" and "M". With home machines, 75% use "L". Most Long Arm machines use "M" although some use "L". To read which machine is better suited to a bobbin type Superior Threads has a list on their web site.

Look under HERE.

Most prewounds have cardboard sides. Do I need to remove them?

Answer: It depends on your machine. Either none, one or both sides can be removed. Experiment with your machine. If the bobbin fit is too snug to accommodate free motion, take it off. If the machine has an automatic bobbin sensor, leaving the cardboard sides on will make the sensor think the bobbin is always full. Solution: tear sides off or sew until bobbin thread runs out.

Reminder: There are 3 days left to be eligible for our $100.00 Give Away! Be sure to leave a comment to have an opportunity to win!

Why Use a Thread Stand?

Have you noticed the experienced quilters around you using a thread stand and wondered why this notion is important?

Today we are going to share with you a little bit of thread education.



Thread on a cone is intended to come off the top of the cone, tension free. Thread on a cone should NOT feed off from the side. It adds too much drag to the thread. Thus adding to the term "What a drag".
We recommend using a heavy duty metal base thread stand that will not tip over during use.
Superior Threads offers a weighted, all metal stand, which is SUPERIOR to the budget plastic stands that can be found on the market.
You can find one HERE.
We'd love to hear your comments on why you use a thread stand, and how it has helped in your sewing experience.
Mother Superior and Bob have arrived today in Puyallup, Washington for the Sewing and Stitchery Expo. The show runs from February 26th- March 1st. Dr. Bob will be teaching seminars every day on Thread Therapy. Make sure to stop by our booth and say hello!
DON'T FORGET TO SIGN UP FOR OUR $100.00 GIVE AWAY. We still have 5 days left!

Bob's Birthday To You!

In honor of Bob's Birthday this month we are offering a GIVE AWAY! Adding another birthday candle on the cake must agree with him, because Bob is feeling pretty generous. For this GIVE AWAY you have an opportunity to win a $100.00 (retail value) Gift Certificate!

Here are the rules:
1.) Receive 1 vote for telling about MOTHER SUPERIORS BLOG on your blog site.
2.) Receive 1 vote for signing up for our newsletter, or let us know you've read the latest issue.
3.) Receive 1 vote for leaving a comment or tell us about your favorite Superior Threads product.
The DEADLINE is Monday March 2nd at Midnight (Mountain Standard Time). We will announce the winner on Tuesday March 3rd.
Ready...Set....Go!!

Cone & Bobbin Organizer

The beginning of a new year always gets us in the mood to organize. Here at Superior Threads we have designed a new product that helps us keep our thread cones together with matching bobbins.

Introducing the CONE AND BOBBIN ORGANIZER.

The Full Barrel is made of solid oak, with 144 large wooden dowels for cones. Small pegs are situated right next to each dowel to hold matching bobbins. The full barrel stands on a rotating base and is 28" high X 23" diameter.

The Half Barrel organizes up to 72 cones and is a wall-mounted storage system. Next to each cone are 64 small pegs for bobbins. The Half Barrel measures 28" high X 23" wide X 12" deep.

May your cones and Bobbins never be separated again!
Up date on the MOTHER LAND
Progress is being made on the School Of Threadology.
We now have walls!

Try Me Specials

Are you interested in trying a certain Superior Threads product at a terrific savings?

We offer TRY ME SPECIALS

These are first run products only. (Superior does not have any seconds.)

You chose the quantity and we select the colors.

On most of the specials you can order up to a quantity of 5, although see details for each item.

These specials are up to 50% off regular prices!

You can click HERE or follow these easy steps:

1.) Go to our Superior Threads Website at http://www.superiorthreads.com/

2.) On the left hand side is a blue box. Click on the down arrow under "search type". Select "specials".

3. Click on the bar that says "Products".

4.) You are now on the page that will show you all the TRY ME SPECIALS!

When we are not selling thread here at Superior, you can often see us oohing and aahing over the new babies in our midst. Jon Cole is our Vice President and he and his beautiful wife have welcomed their first daughter Emri into their home.

We think Avilyn and Emri will be good friends. These two special girls were born exactly one month apart. Avilyn was born December 5th and Emri was born January 5th.

We have already introduced them to "pink thread".

We Have A Winner!

Here at Superior Threads we feel our first GIVE AWAY was a great success!
Thank you for all your wonderful compliments on our products. We aim to please!
For the contest we received 124 comments with 200 votes.
We used the True Random Number Generator from http://www.random.org/integers/
which came up with #55
and the winner of our $50 Gift Certificate is...drum roll, please...
Congratulations to:
SHARLEEN, of Highland, Utah!!
Sharleen has a blog called "I'd Rather Be Quiltin'", and she left this comment:
"I recently found your website and purchased some thread. I have signed up for your newsletter and will mention you on my blog and add your blog to my side bar. Love all the new information I have learned. Please enter me 3 times. (Feb.12 10:23 a.m.)".

We will be e-mailing Sharleen a $50 Gift Certificate that she can redeem on line at our Superior Threads web site.
Congratulations again Sharleen! Because you didn't leave us your e-mail, we need you to contact us at nedra@superiorthreads.com

How Much Thread Does It Take?

We have loved hearing from so many of you with our current GIVE AWAY. Remember, the deadline is tomorrow night at midnight, so make sure to leave a comment if you haven't already. We will be announcing our winner on Monday.


How much thread does it take to quilt a quilt?
Very good question!
To answer: it depends on the size of the quilt and the type of quilting to be done.
The most thread we've seen used in a quilt is 20,000 yards (10,000 yards on top and 10,000 yards on the bobbin) It is a beautiful thread painting entitled "Precious Water" by Hollis Chatelain.

Everyone's technique is very different, so the following are only averages. The numbers are for the top thread only. Double them if you use the same thread for the bobbin.

*The following size represent Light Quilting/Medium Quilting/Heavy Quilting.
LAP TOP/CRIB SIZE 200yds./400yds./600yds.
TWIN SIZE 400yds./800yds./1,200yds.
KING SIZE 700 yds./1,500yds./2,000yds.
We hope this chart helps you as you purchase thread for your next project.

GIVE AWAY!

Superior Threads is having a GIVE AWAY!

In honor of VALENTINES DAY, we are offering a $50 (retail value) gift certificate.

Here are the rules:

You have an opportunity to receive 3 votes in your name by leaving a comment with the following information:

1.) Receive 1 vote for telling about our give away on your blog.

2.) Receive 1 vote for placing MOTHER SUPERIOR'S BLOG on your side bar.

3.) Receive 1 vote for either(a) signing up for our newsletter, or (b) if you subscribe already letting us know you've read the latest issue.

Leave your comment before Saturday February 14th @ midnight, mountain time.

Let us know in the comment box how many votes to place in your name.

*Make sure we have a e-mail address to reach you.

We will announce the winner on Monday February 16th. The coupon can be redeemed by ordering online through our web site http://www.superiorthreads.com/

School of Threadology Day 3

On Saturday we finished our 3rd and final day of School of Threadology.
We started the morning with a class on fusible applique taught by Annie Unrien.

Superior has created a fusible thread called "Charlotte's Fusible Web" by Charlotte Warr Andersen. This technique is so much easier than cutting applique pieces onto interfacing's.
First, draw the applique design onto fabric.
Next, stitch on the drawn line using MonoPoly on the top and Fusible Web in the bobbin.

Cut out the applique designs as close to the stitching as possible.

Place the applique pieces on the background fabric. Touch with iron for around 10 seconds. The bottom fusible will act like a glue to hold the shapes in place. Tug gently on the top Monopoly and it can be removed easily.

Now you are free to use all those wonderful specialty threads and decorative stitches around the edges.

Our final product was a Sewing Kit.

Our next class provided continued education on thread. Bob explained the process his company goes through to guarantee Superior quality.

With his high tech visual aids (yes, that's a bath towel from the Purcell's house), Bob demonstrated "Why Twist Is Important".

Each time the towel was twisted, the distance between the two ends became shorter and shorter.

The higher number of twists in a thread creates better quality.

A high quality thread requires about 20% more fiber than a low quality thread.

Like most things, you get what you pay for.

In the afternoon Heather taught a class on "Color".

Mother Superior encouraged us to not be afraid of using many different threads on the top of our quilts. Notice in this quilt Heather made she used many different colors on the front.

We were also shown the many ways of using Superior's specialty threads in garment construction.

Heather makes exquisite clothes combining use of threads and embellishments.

After the butterflies were stitched onto the fabric, the jewels were added on top.

Heather first stitched on the fabric with threads, and then cut out the pattern pieces.

Even the linings of her garments look beautiful.

We were asked which thread would we use if our fabrics of our quilt were to be combination of pinks. Heather promted our thinking about not settling for the commonly used piecing threads of grey, tan, beige or white.

There are appropriate times to use neutrals. Superior provides quite a range when needed. When someone asks for "white", Heather helps the customer figure out which white will be the right tone.

We do not have die lots for our thread colors. What you receive today is the same color you will be provided with 10 years from now.

We went back to Cracker Barrel for dinner.

Mother Superior and her students.

Our final gathering in the evening was to meet together for awards and graduation.

Anita received the Silver Needle award for being an outstanding "Superior Educator".

For those of us who just completed 3 days of training, we graduated with our Phd. in Threadology.

For those who left early, Bob made sure they were awarded their diploma's.

Cindy Needham received the special "Chief Bar Tender" award for her creation of the Thread Bar. How we loved being able to play with all the many beautiful threads Superior has on the market.

Before we had our pictures taken, Bob tried to demonstrate how to wear the graduation cap. They are not as easy to put on as one might think! One of our students jumped up and said "Here let me help you. I do this all the time with my job." When we questioned what she does for a living, she replied that she is a teacher at the prison in Las Vegas! Roars of laughter filled the room as Bob became very obedient to any instruction.

Sixty one students received diplomas to the sound of "Pomp and Circumstance" playing gently in the background.

Steve (from Oregon) was our token "gentleman" in a class full of women. He has attended 8 of Bob's seminars.

There was a lot of laughter during our ceremony. If Bob and Heather ever get tired of selling thread they could always take their comedy routine on the road.

In conclusion, we asked our students for honest feed back on the seminar. Ruth (from Colorado) said it best: "The last 3 days has far exceeded my expectations. I will be back again and again!"

School of Threadology Day 2

Today was day 2 of the School of Threadology. We didn't think it was possible, but today was even more fun than yesterday!
We started the morning out with a class taught by Annie Unrien. Annie has designed a purse made with a special product that will soon be introduced into the market by Superior Threads.

The new technique uses a steam iron to help shrink the fabric by 30%.

Annie tested the product on many different types of fabric.
This one is on velvet.

A grid system sewn onto cotton.

A programed design on tricot.

When the flowers were outlined they ended up looking as if they had been done in trapunto.

This started out as a regular piece of cotton fabric.

One stitched in waves.

Annie holding the completed purse.

For lunch we headed across the street to "Players Sports Bar".

After lunch we met back in one of the conference rooms for an amazing trunk show provided by Mother Superior.

We loved the outfit Heather had on today. She called it "Mother Superior's Habit".

At first Heather showed us some of the quilts she has made.

Heather expressed that making quilts are not her favorite part. Instead she loves to collect fabrics. (Bob volunteered that she has filled rooms at home). She also loves to match thread with fabrics and quilts.

It was by making quilts of her own that Heather became motivated to design threads that match the project. When Heather made the above quilt, she noticed the neutral thread showing through the seams. Masterpiece was created so we could have beautiful threads to coordinate with our fabrics.

Next Heather showed quilts made by others and kept in her own personal collection.

This one was inspired by a picture taken when they lived in Japan.

This is Heather's favorite quilt. It takes looking up close to truly appreciate the intricate thread work done on many of these quilts.

The Zebra is so impressive!

Designers often approach Heather and request specific types of threads for their projects. Many thread lines have been created in response to designer needs.

This quilt was the inspiration for the King Tut line.

Brytes look so fabulous sewn on black backgrounds.

Heather will take her projects to a quilter and be very specific in which threads and design to use. She will often create a certain quilt to high light a new thread line.

The workmanship in these quilts is so stunning!

One artist made a quilt to showcase the threads manufactured by Superior. For example, the Masterpiece logo is stitched in Masterpiece, So Fine is stitched in So Fine, etc.

This quilt was made to feature the more muted threads.

Heather loves brights. She made this quilt to "step outside the box" of her personal tastes.

After the trunk show we headed over to the Headquarters of Superior Threads to do a little shopping. We were met in the parking lot by some of the Superior Threads staff. They really know how to make everyone feel welcome!

Ricci

This fun sign greeted us as we entered the warehouse. We agree, all the colors of thread and products were just like candy.

It was a shopping frenzy! Sixty women (and one gentleman) filling their baskets as fast as they could.

Up and down the warehouse rows.

Bob holding the most precious merchandise of all, his beautiful grand daughter Avilyn.

Happy customers.

This evening we met back at the conference center for dinner and a program.

We were highly entertained by the "Superior Singers". Bob and Heather's son Todd and his friend Drew performed for us.

They even got a few of the audience to participate with them.

Have you ever called Superior Threads and heard singing in the background? That would be Todd performing original quilt songs like "Where did I Hide My Stash?". Todd dedicated tonight's performance especially to Mother Superior, although he is allowed to call her "Mom".