Superior Threads - Mother Superior's Blog

Mother Superior's Blog Has Moved

2010-04-07T10:43:00.001-07:00

We are excited to announce that Mother Superior's Blog has moved to a new location. Our new address is http://www.SuperiorThreads.com/blog.

Please update your bookmarks and/or RSS feeds.

Texture Magic Tuesday/ Heirloom Baby Ensemble

2010-04-06T06:15:00.000-07:00

Make an heirloom outfit for a special baby in your life using today’s modern techniques.
Achieve the look of hand smocking in a fraction of the time by using Texture Magic™!

Heirloom Baby Ensemble by Annie Unrein
Pattern includes complete, step-by-step instructions for texturizing fabric as well as assembling gown with self-lined bodice and border trim, bonnet, and slippers.

Sized to fit infants, newborn to six months.

Beaded lace trims, beads, and ribbons make beautiful, but easy embellishments

Texture Magic works well with all fabrics, including silk.
All three pieces can be made using 1 yard package of Texture Magic.

Your precious little one will look like an angel in this beautiful gown, bonnet, and slippers.
Heirloom Baby Ensemble can be ordered on our web site.

The Longarms are In!

2010-04-05T06:40:00.000-07:00

In preparation for the School of Threadology, several of our longarm machines are now in.

We now have 5 machines that have been set up, with more on the way.

Come and play with us! Imagine a class where you can use all of our Superior Threads and try many of the major brands of midarms and longarms on the market today.

Our staff has been in training on the use of the longarms.

The men, too.

Even Bob has given each machine a try.

Make sure to check the calendar on our website for upcoming classes.
All school sessions will also be announced in Bob's newsletter.

Kinkakuji Quilt

2010-04-02T06:15:00.000-07:00

The most famous Buddhist temple in Japan is located near one of our thread factories in Kyoto. It is called Kinkakuji which means the Golden Pavilion. The temple is situated in a small lake and the building is gold plated. When the sun hits it, the building lights up -- it glows! It is quite the site to see!

While attending the quilt show in Paducah a few years ago, we stayed at a bed and breakfast and happened to meet Trina Weller, a fellow guest who was working on some beautiful quilts.
Bob had always wanted a pictorial quilt of Kinkakuji to remind us of our 10 years in Japan and we asked Trina if she would make a quilt of this beautiful temple. She said, "Sure!"

Her friend Leona Law did the design and painting and Trina did the construction and quilting. Trina used so many different applique techniques in this quilt that I can't name them all. It is a masterpiece!

Threads Used: Metallics, Highlights, and Bottom Line. The border has Rainbows and Nature Colors.

Our Kinkakuji Quilt now hangs in an honored place in our Japanese Room.

Texture Magic Tuesday/ Handmade Cards

2010-03-30T07:35:00.000-07:00

We are always looking for new ways to use Texture Magic.
Our appreciation today goes to Margaret Miller of St. George, Utah for sharing with us a handmade card she received that incorporated Texture Magic.

This was Pat Rimpau and Maggie Nicholes' way of saying "thank you" to Margaret who had taught them how to use Texture Magic in a purse class.
The fabric card was designed and created by Carolyn Chuatiuco, a member of the Dixie Quilt Guild.

The texturized fabric has been framed for the front of the card. A simple and yet unique process that can be applied to cards and even scrapbook pages.

Bowing To Bob

2010-03-29T06:45:00.000-07:00

Now that we have an authentic Japanese room in our new building addition, Bob, who spent 10 years in Japan, kindly gave the women of our office a lesson in properly bowing.

In authentic style, we must first take our shoes off at the door and neatly line them up. No shows on the tatami (straw mats). Sometimes you can go home with a better pair of shoes!

Pat, our office manager answers the door most humbly when Bob knocks. Nice form, Pat! Head down, hands together. "Please enter, most honorable master."

He enters to make sure all is well. "Hey, do like Pat!"

Much better.
And the instruction of how to bow correctly begins (and seems to go on way too long). "Most honorable master, may we humbly get up now? My legs are hurting."

OK, we think he is enjoying this too much!

More instruction on beautiful artwork.

More bowing, when there is another knock at the door!

Superior Baby Avilyn is most curious to know where all the laughter is coming from.

We tried to teach her she must bow too, but she won't have anything to do with it.

She would rather stick with American customs and jumped into Grandpa's arms.

Japanese Room Now Finished

2010-03-26T06:00:00.000-07:00

Having lived in Japan for 10 years, we desired to create a Japanese Room when we added the new addition to our building.
The name of this room is "Kaizen no ma" which means the space of continual improvement.

This room has been designed as a place of study and for meetings. We also frequently use this room to study Japanese. Bob is the 'sensei'.

Our employees may use this room to brainstorm new ideas or to contemplate.

The furnishings may look plain or unfinished to some, but this room design is authentic. The mats are made out of straw. The room is designed to bring nature inside. It is very simple, yet beautiful.

An area to display art.

A quilt that features one of the most famous temples in Japan, Kinkakuji, hangs in the alcove. There will be more on this quilt in a future blog.

Texture Magic Tuesday/ All Occasion Baskets

2010-03-23T08:00:00.000-07:00

With Easter around the corner, now is a good time to think of decorating with baskets.
We have a wonderful idea, made especially with Texture Magic.
Spring-time fabrics make a basket perfect for Easter egg hunts or a spring table centerpiece.

The All Occasion Baskets by Annie Unrein are offered in two versions.

Version 1 has a texturized inset strip bordered with optional rick rack trim.
Version 2 has a texturized body and optional rick rack trim spanning the plain inset strip.

Pick a fabric appropriate for the recipient and make baskets to use as gift baskets for any occasion through the year.
I can think of a few sewing friends who would love a basket full of Superior Threads.
All Occasion Baskets can be ordered on our web site.

Bali Hai

2010-03-22T07:15:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Marilyn Badger of St. George, Utah for winning Best Large Quilt at Road To California 2010.
"Bali Hai" (94" X 94") was made and quilted by Marilyn.

In her artist statement, Marilyn shared the back ground for Bali Hai:
"Blocks were paper pieced using silks and cottons, then the entire center and all four corners were pieced together, piped and appliquéd to the background fabric. I then quilted 10,000 yards of metallic thread in a style I call overlay quilting. That is, the stitching provides another separate dimension to the quilt so that the quilting stands on its own."

Marilyn used all Superior Threads in the construction of her quilt.

10,000 yards of Superior Metallics (copper and gold)
Bottom Line in the bobbin
Green variegated Rainbows in the background

"I made the quilt to showcase working with guides and tools on the longarm and recently featured this quilt and Filigree on my taping of Love of Quilting with Fons & Porter which is airing now. It is a Claudia Myers design." Marilyn said.

Bali Hai has currently been honored with 5 awards:

1st Place Innovative Template and Viewer's Choice at MQX
1st Place Tools of the Trade at MQS
Best Artistry in Longarm Workmanship at Quilt Odyssey
Best Longarm Workmanship at AQS Des Moines
Best Large Quilt at Road to California

Birds and Roses

2010-03-19T07:45:00.000-07:00

Hand quilting is almost a forgotten art. Today we honor Pat Peters of St. George, Utah for winning 2nd place for Traditional, Large, Applique at Road To California 2010.
"Birds and Roses" (85" X 85")
All the applique and quilting have been done by hand.

Birds and Roses is from a book by Margaret Docherty of London, England.
There are 21 pieces in each rose.
"It took me 2 years to finish it, and I worked on it every day for about 4 or 5 hours. I enjoy the whole aspect of making a quilt, no matter how long it takes!!! By the time I am finished with it, I am ready to be finished!! It is done completely in batiks, and the shading of the roses was easier using the batiks. I wanted it to look like an English garden." Pat shared.

Pat used all Superior threads: Bottom Line for applique, and Treasure for hand quilting. "I loved the Bottom Line, because it completely, well almost completely disappears in the fabric." Pat said.
Congratulations Pat!

Texture Magic Tuesday/ Journal Cover

2010-03-16T07:55:00.000-07:00

Bridget Wideman has been using her creativity, and shared with us a few things she has learned as she works with Texture Magic.
1. The next time you make a purse or tote bag, try texturizing your main fabric. I made a small purse and the just the flap is textured and it adds a bit of pizazz.
2. Before any project using Texture Magic, make a few samples first. A 1" straight stitch grid gives you a puffy appearance, whereas small free-motion stippling give a very crinkled appearance. I have samples of my four favorite "looks", depending on what I plan on doing.
3. Instead of using fusible web to attach your Texture Magic fabric pieces, try good old Elmer's Glue. First I tried using a variety of specialty glues make for attaching embellishments, but Elmer's holds better, is quick to dry and dries clear.

Bridget recently made a journal cover using Texture Magic and Superior Threads.
"I took a few 8x8 squares of Fairy Frost with the Texture Magic on the back and I did some really dense free-motion stitching on a few of them (the blue and yellow). I also used a serpentine stitch to make a grid pattern with the squares being about 1/2" or so on the bright pink fabric. It's neat how you can have a really puffy piece or a really crinkly piece depending on your stitching.
On the quilted fabric cover I used Superior Thread, of course! Brytes #1132"

Thank you for sharing your ideas with us Bridget!
We would love to see how you are using Texture Magic in your projects. Please send pictures and a short description to nedra@superiorthreads.com

Avilyn Helps Pull Orders

2010-03-15T08:15:00.000-07:00

Our grand daughter Avilyn may only be a year old, but she already loves our training program with Bob.
We figure it's time she learns the business. Pulling orders was her first assignment.

We hope her first word is "thread".
No, it should be Grandma.

Or maybe "grandpa". That would be OK, too.

Working With Metallic Thread

2010-03-12T06:45:00.000-08:00

Do you know that Superior Metallics was our first product line?

By using these few simple rules, you can enjoy working with Metallics:

1. Needle: Topstitch or Metallic #90/14 (home machines)
2. Top tension: loosen to a "1" on home machines
3. If a spool, position the spool on the vertical pin holder in such a way that the thread unwinds directly from the side of the spool with the spool rotating. The thread should not unwind over the end or top of a spool.
4. If a cone, thread must unwind straight up over the top of the cone.
5. Bottom thread (bobbin): any smooth polyester. The Bottom Line is best.

•A strong, durable, beautiful 40 wt. thread. Available in 25 colors.
•Ideal for embroidery, quilting, applique, and decorative serging
•The only metallic thread that is guaranteed to work.

Texture Magic Tuesday/ Fat Quarter Bags

2010-03-09T07:00:00.000-08:00

Our thanks today goes to Bridget Wideman, for sharing with us her purse made with Texture Magic. Bridget's inspiration came from M'Liss Rae Hawley's book titled "101 Fabulous Fat Quarter Bags".

Bridget altered the pattern slightly and used Texture Magic on the flap. She shared with us her experience in using Texture Magic:
"Thanks for coming up with such a neat product! I make quilts for the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative and I can't wait to use it in one of my quilts!"
Bridget Wideman (QuilterBridget)
*We love seeing your projects made with Texture Magic. Please send photo's and a short description to nedra@superiorthreads.com

Tuscan Sun

2010-03-08T06:10:00.000-08:00

Tuscan Sun by Gina Perkes of Payson, Arizona. Gina was honored with The Future of Quilting Award at the International Quilt Festival in Houston last October.

Gina hand dyed 100 yards of fabric for this project, working to get just the right colors she was looking for.

We have known Gina for many years and admire her beautiful work. Congratulations Gina!

Adam and The S.T.E.P. Program

2010-03-05T07:45:00.000-08:00

A year ago, on our 3/16/09 post, we shared with you the S.T.E.P. program for our employees.
S.T.E.P (Superior Threads Educational Program) is optional, and provides incentives for our staff to read books that will increase their knowledge in business and customer service.
We pay them $20 for each book completed, with an accompanied 1 page report. (Yes, you read that right).

Adam Fisher, who works in our warehouse, is the current leader in number of books read. In the last 10 months, Adam has read around 37 books. This has been a great way to supplement his income as he is married, going to school, and expecting his first baby any day.

Adam feels that he has learned many things in reading this last year. "I have definitely become more business savy." he said. "I've learned ideas of how to be unique in the business field, and how to stay ahead of the game. I've learned the steps a person can take if they choose to start up their own company. And I've learned many values and ethics in the work place."

This is just a few of the many pages employees have used as they check out books from our work library.

Adam said his favorite book read so far is "Who Moved My Cheese?".

Originally, Adam participated in the S.T.E.P program because of the extra income. Now, with all that he has learned, the motivation has shifted.
Adam likes caring for spiders as a hobby. I have seen them and even touched them. Tarantulas to be exact. He would like to start his own business raising Tarantulas and selling them. Any customers?

Texture Magic Tuesday/ Architexture

2010-03-02T06:00:00.000-08:00

Architexture: What a great name to combine this stunning quilt with Texture Magic.

Assembly is easy using time-saving methods — no curved piecing involved!
Pattern designer Annie Unrein includes step-by-step instructions for texturizing the fabric as well as assembling the quilt.

With eye catching accents, this masculine quilt can be made into a twin/ full size (75" X 90") or a table runner (24" X 42")

Annie used Java Batiks by E.E. Schenck.
Machine quilting by Suzanne Earley.
Architexture and all other Texture Magic friendly patterns can be found on our web site.

Pam Holland Classes at Our School

2010-03-01T07:00:00.000-08:00

Pam Holland has been invited to teach at our School of Threadology May 3-5th.
We would love to have you join us for three days of fun. A two day class from Pam ( 3rd and 4th) with Bob and I teaching on the optional third day.( 5th )
Registration is limited, so make sure to sign up now by e-mailing ricci@superiorthreads.com

Pam is a Houston Best of Show winner teaching classes all over the world, and we feel very fortunate to have her join us as a guest teacher here in St. George, Utah.

Have you wanted to learn how to have the fabric do the talking? What are the award winning quilters' secrets to maximizing their fabric choices?
"Fabric Collage" is a class for all levels of experience. If you can cut a piece of fabric and lay it down, you can make a collage.

Pam has promised to teach us a no-fuss collage technique that will be easily accomplished in class.
In this class you will learn:
1.The excitement of the fabric hunt.
2.Learning to let go.
3.Art and expression.
4.Creative and expressive quilting
For more details on the session, visit our web site.

Quilt Retreat At Zion National Park

2010-02-26T08:45:00.000-08:00

I belong to my local quilt guild- The Dixie Quilt Guild and every year we hold a quilt retreat at Zion National Park. Actually at a hotel just outside the park.

Zion is only 40 miles from our home, and yet it seems I don't get here nearly as often as I would like. This was an overcast day but still the colors are pretty.

The rock formations hold beauty year round and when the sun hits these rocks, it is amazing how red they become.

Even in the winter, when the skies are gray, the view is spectacular. This was our view outside the window.

I am trying to sew but I want to chat with everybody and see what they are doing. Also the "treat" table is just outside and beckons me.

OK. Back to work! Only this is fun work!

I, of course, use MasterPiece when piecing the top together.

The guild brings in Darbe, a trained Massage Therapist, to help loosen up stiff muscles after a day of sewing. I wish she lived next door but lucky for her she doesn't.

Ahhh... Yes, right there.

Texture Magic Tuesday/ Tickled Pink

2010-02-23T05:45:00.000-08:00

With Easter around the corner, it's time to start thinking about making dresses for the special little girls in our lives.

Tickled Pink by designer Annie Unrein combines Texture Magic with this wonderful ensemble.

For the outfit pictured, the fabric was stitched to the Texture Magic using a serpentine stitch in an irregular grid pattern. That gives a wonderful effect when texturized!

The pattern includes complete, step-by-step instructions for texturizing the fabric and assembling the outfit. Full-size patterns are included for dress with lined bodice, sunhat, and purse. Sized to fit toddlers, ages one to two years.

Tickled Pink and all other Texture Magic friendly patterns can be ordered on our web site.

Threading Your Needle with PreWound Bobbins

2010-02-22T09:30:00.000-08:00

Question: Does thread have a direction? For example, if I wind a bobbin and then decide to use that bobbin on top, technically, the thread has been rewound. Does that matter? I have been told that thread has a direction, and we must always begin with the the thread coming off the spool.

Answer: When using a top quality thread such as MasterPiece, Bottom Line, or other Superior thread, you can thread your needle from either end. A loosely or poorly twisted thread may not work well if rewound, but a top quality thread with a smooth, tight twist will work well in either direction.

Our suggestions when selecting a thread for hand applique:

Frosted Donuts: 36 colors of MasterPiece/ 50 wt.

100% extra long staple Egyptian-grown cotton.

Frostings: assortments of 12 colors in MasterPiece

Holy SuperBoBs

35 colors of BottomLine 60 wt. polyester

Bob's Valentine Surprise

2010-02-19T05:30:00.000-08:00

Bob surprised me early this year for Valentine's Day. He was teaching seminars in Phoenix and I was missing him on Thursday and Friday.

Then the doorbell rang and this beautiful floral arrangement arrived.

Later in the day, I received a box via FedEx. Inside were the most lovely chocolate covered strawberries I have ever seen. They were the best I've ever tasted. Each was decorated differently and abundantly dipped in chocolate. Thank you Bob.

Texture Magic Tuesday/Brushed Muslin Pillow

2010-02-16T06:30:00.000-08:00

Quilt Store owners have been great supporters in using Texture Magic. Many sew samples and offer Texture Magic classes.
Pillows make an easy project to showcase one of the many uses of TM.
Our thanks today to Sue Kassler of Quilters Stash, North Attleboro, MA.

Sue made this decorative pillow, with just a 1 inch channel using a brushed muslin that looks like suede.
Projects made with solids are becoming quite popular this year.
Because of her love of Texture Magic, Sue has also been speaking at local guilds and is demoing TM there as well.

Thanks for sharing your ideas with us Sue!
If you have made a Texture Magic project, we would love to see pictures. Please send pictures, with a brief description to nedra@superiorthreads.com

New Revised Inventory List

2010-02-15T07:40:00.000-08:00

WHAT'S NEW

To help you keep track of your thread inventory, we have recently revised our Inventory List on our web site. This list is 24 pages long and lists each thread line and each color. It offers a great way to check what you have and also makes a great shopping list.

Close-Out on Schmetz Needles

2010-02-12T06:45:00.000-08:00

We are closing out on Schmetz needles.

Pack of 5 needles is only $3.50 (reg. $5.99).
Includes Schmetz Topstitch :

#90/14

#100/16

Metallic #90/14

No limit, but quantities are limited. Items on the Specials page are listed alphabetically so scroll down to S for Schmetz or click here.

Bob's Birthday Special

2010-02-10T07:45:00.000-08:00

BOB’s BIRTHDAY SPECIAL

Shipping costs are always a concern for us. It is expensive and we subsidize shipping costs on many orders. But it’s my birthday and we’re going to offer something very different.

During February, ONLY $3.95 SHIPPING ON ALL RETAIL ORDERS within the U.S. 50 states.

You choose the products, we’ll choose the shipping method and we’ll celebrate together. (Wholesale and business account orders do not qualify.)

Texture Magic Tuesday/ Bungalow Bag

2010-02-09T06:00:00.000-08:00

Amy Eileen Koester belongs to a Bag of The Month club at her local quilt store. Recently she adapted Bungalow Bag by Abby Lanes to use Texture Magic.

"The pattern suggested piecing 12" strips to make the upper band for the bag. Using the Texture Magic™ Conversion chart I cut a piece of fabric and TM each 11" by 44"." Amy said.

The handles on the bag looked almost like they have been textured, but that is just fabric slipped over the handles constructed for the bag.

"The fabric is gathered because it was cut twice as long as the handles. The handles are made of copper wire and plastic tubing from Home Depot, I cut the plastic tubing to handle length and ran the copper wire through the tubing. The wire allows the tubing to hold it's shape and also creates a loop to attach the handle to the bag. The handles cost under $1.00 to make, and I love the look of copper." Amy continued.

Amy used Rainbows #805 to texturize the top of the bag because she felt the colors matched well with the flowers on the main section of the bag.

Amy is a Texture Magic Rep working in the Florida area.

Clam Session

2010-02-08T08:00:00.000-08:00

Our congratulations to Karen Stone of Beaumont, Texas for winning The Maywood Studio Master Award for Innovative Artistry, Houston IQF 2009

"Clam Session" was designed while Karen was doodling in church. Her criteria for selecting the fabric was that each print needed to have at least 2-3 colors, and could not be monochromatic.

Karen began quiltmaking in 1986, teaching in 1990 and publishing her designs in 1993. She holds degrees in piano from Baylor and Indiana Universities.

Bobbin Thread Breaking?

2010-02-05T06:00:00.000-08:00

Question:

I love sewing with your MasterPiece prewound bobbins but once in a while, the bobbin thread breaks. Any suggestions?

Answer:

This is usually an easy fix. If the bobbin thread is breaking, here is what to do:
1. With a permanent marker, mark a dot on the bobbin case where the
bobbin screw is currently pointing to. This is to remind you where you
started.
2. Loosen the bobbin tension by turning the bobbin tension screw by 1/4
turn. Turn to the left (counter clockwise).
That should take care of it. Many machines are set to have a very strong
polyester thread in the bobbin and therefore need to be adjusted for a
fine cotton thread.

Texture Magic Tuesday/ Serenity Shoulder Bag

2010-02-02T05:15:00.000-08:00

Serenity Shoulder Bag by Annie Unrein is perfect for showcasing a unique fabric that has been combined with Texture Magic.

We fell in love with the stylish asymmetrical flap closure.

A layer of wool batting placed between the fabric and the Texture Magic before stitching adds even more dimension to the texturized flap.

Wooden rings accent the comfortable padded strap.

Serenity has large inside and outside slip pockets and a roomy interior.

The bag finishes at about 12"w X 1-1/2" h X 4"d

Serenity Shoulder Bag and other Texture Magic friendly patterns by Annie can be ordered on our web site.

Tribute To Tolkien

2010-02-01T07:30:00.000-08:00

Tribute To Tolkien by Sue McCarty of Roy, Utah won two prestigious awards at Houston IQF 2009:

The Pfaff Master Award for Machine Artistry $5,000
Viewers Choice Award

Congratulations Sue!

Tribute To Tolkien depicts scenes from the Lord of the Rings, and is an original whole cloth quilt using metallics, crystals and paint.

Sue McCarty has won numerous National Shows. She began hand quilting in 1990 and moved to longarm quilting in 2004.

Zion National Park

2010-01-29T07:45:00.000-08:00

One of the things we love about working and living here in St. George, Utah is the natural beauty that surrounds us.

Court of the Patriarchs

St. George is a major gateway to Zion National Park, only 40 miles away.
Zion National park covers 229 miles and is open year round for hiking, biking and camping.

Zion is Utah's oldest national park, and home to Kolob Arch, one of the largest free standing arches in the world.

Kolob Arch has a span of 310 feet.

The Narrows

Zion is known for it's incredible slot canyons.

Hogs Back leading to Angels Landing

Sandstone makes up most of the rock formations.
For those coming to our School of Threadology, think about including extra days on your schedule to see some of our beautiful nearby sites.

Snapshot: Shannon's Bantam

2010-01-27T07:25:00.000-08:00

Our congratulations to Denise Havlan of Plainfield, Illinois for winning the $5,000 Fairfield Master Award for Contemporary Artist at Houston IQF 2009.

"Snapshot: Shannon's Bantam" took 4 years to construct. Denise shared that her biggest challenge when working on the quilt was that Shannon kept growing up!

Denise is an award winning fiber artist who does not conform to any particular technique or method. "I do not have an absolute approach when I begin a piece but let it evolve spontaneously throughout the creative process," Denise said.
You can learn more about Denise and her beautiful quilts on her web site.

Texture Magic Tuesday/ Baby Bibs

2010-01-26T07:00:00.000-08:00

Make mealtime fun and cleanup simple with these easy to make bibs accented with Texture Magic.

Baby Bibs by Annie Unrein can be ordered on our web site, along with all other Texture Magic friendly patterns.

Toddler bibs (9"w X 11"l) has an extended shoulder piece.

Texturized animals, (a lamb or a chick) are easily appliqued in place using a fusible thread.

The Itty Bitty Bibs (about 7" X 7") can be made in two versions: a cute lady bug bib with texturized wings,

or a simple bib with a texturized inserted strip.

You can make several bibs out of one 1/2 yard package of Texture Magic.

These bibs would make wonderful baby shower presents too!

Our Congratulations

2010-01-20T07:10:00.000-08:00

Being selected as a Master Award winner at IQA Houston 2009 is quite an accomplishment. Our congratulations go to all that were honored.

Today we will share with you three of the top Master Awards.

The Founders Award sponsored by International Quilt Festival

"Garden of Dream" by Fusako Takido of Shizuoka Shi, Shizuoka Ken, Japan.

The World of Beauty Award sponsored by eQuilter.com

"Hearts and Garlands" by Liz Jones of Leominster, Herefordshire, United Kingdom

Robert S. Cohan Master Award for Traditional Artistry, Sponsored by RJR Fabrics.

"Santa Claus Has Come to Kirara's Hometown!" by Ayako Kawakami of Funabashi-City, Chiba, Japan

Texture Magic Tuesday/ Owl Softies

2010-01-19T07:00:00.000-08:00

"Hoot 'N' Annie"
What could be a more appropriate name for an owl softie made by designer Annie Unrein?
Adding Texture Magic for the owl's tummy is the perfect touch.

You can make several toys out of one half yard package of Texture Magic.
Hoot 'N' Annie can be purchased on our web site, along with all the other Texture Magic friendly patterns designed by Annie.

Try texturizing some Minkee or other plush fabric to look like feathers.

And as Annie has said "Just be warned: against all your good gift giving intentions, these little cuties might prove to be too lovable to let go!"

On The Wings of A Dream

2010-01-13T07:40:00.000-08:00

Our congratulations to Caryl Bryer Fallert of Paducah, Kentucky for winning Best Of Show IQF Houston 2009 for her quilt "On The Wings of A Dream".

Caryl won the $10,000 prize sponsored by Handi-Quilter for this self portrait.

The outline of the white bird was stitched with Brytes by Superior, heavy #30 white topstitch thread.

The remaining details of the bird was stitched with #40 white topstitch thread.

On The Wings of A Dream took 15 months to complete, and represented for Caryl, starting a new life in a new place.

With the loss of her husband in 2006, Caryl drew a series of designs to fulfill her life long dream of learning to dance.

You can read more about Caryl's experience in designing and creating her award winning quilt on her web site.

Texture Magic Tuesday/ Bags by Linda Hopkins

2010-01-12T06:45:00.000-08:00

Linda Hopkins, owner of Sonoran Silks, is a professional quilt maker who's award winning quilts, patterns and wall hangings have appeared in magazines and national quilting catalogs.
Lately, she has been playing with Texture Magic in the design of two bags.

"The tote bag is a pattern of mine called Totes des Fleurs. The instructions for the grid work are on the main page of Patchworks.com., a great quilt store in Sayville NY. I used silk dupioni and Quilters Dream Select as a batting between the fabric and the Texture Magic." Linda said.

Linda will be teaching both bags at Mulqueens Sewing Center in Mesa, Arizona

"The red and black purse pattern is a free download from Exclusively You at Leisure Arts. Linda made several adjustments to the pattern.
I micro stippled around the poppy motif using Superior's Bottom Line (#625) black thread. The poppies were outlined in a matching color to the poppy and minor thread play was added. The beaded poppy closure was a free standing embroidery from Jenny Haskins Lotty's Poppies that I beaded and then backed with Ultrasuede. " Linda continued.
Thank you Linda for sharing with us your beautiful designs. We look forward to seeing your use of Texture Magic in future projects.

The Art of Display

2010-01-11T07:35:00.000-08:00

When we attend trade shows, there is a real art of display when setting up a booth.
After years of trial and error, we have learned a lot.

Sometimes we have items that are difficult to display.
We want to make sure you can readily see what each article really looks like.

We take a lot of pictures because we may never be able to reproduce the exact setting again.

Wobbling Cones

2010-01-08T06:45:00.000-08:00

Education is our number one priority, and we love to answer questions. One of our readers asked how we work with wobbling cones on a thread stand.

Q: What do I use to insert in the large spools with the overly large openings to keep them from wobbling about? I assume there must be some type of cone to place over the thread stand.
A: If the wobbling is a problem, stuff a wad of batting inside the cone opening and it works great.

We recommend always using our heavy duty thread stand for cones.

Join us at Road To California

2010-01-06T06:15:00.000-08:00

We would love to have you join us at Road To California, January 15th-16th, in Ontario, California.

Southern California in January is beautiful, with the average temperature around 70 degrees. We might even get Bob to wear his Hawaiian shirt.
Bob will present two lectures and Superior Threads will teach two hands-on classes using Texture Magic.

Road To California is celebrating their 15th year, and will be held at the Ontario Convention Center.
You can read more details on their web site.

Texture Magic Tuesday/ Wedding Clutch

2010-01-05T06:50:00.000-08:00

Mary Chick is recently semi-retired, and with her new found time she desired to run a quilting related business from her home. When she read in our newsletter that we were looking for Texture Magic Reps, Mary knew she had found her niche.
Our Texture Magic Reps cover a certain geographical area and Mary now serves in Maine, New Hampshire and part of Vermont.
Mary loves to explore new techniques and share them with others. Recently she shared with us a wedding clutch and purse made with Texture Magic.

Mary said " The one on the left was the small clutch requested by my daughter, the bride. I stitched the Texture Magic on using a sketch of a calla lily which was the flower she chose to carry.
The one on the right is the one for her daughter, my 9 yr.old granddaughter. I followed the lines of the heart applique to stitch the pattern with the Texture Magic. I stitched the applique on after the steaming. Her gown featured one caramel colored ribbon- the same as in the applique."

Feeling Poorly

2010-01-04T06:30:00.000-08:00

Trenten, a member of our shipping staff had his wisdom teeth removed.
All great young men need 1,000 mothers to give a lot of advice. Whether they like it or not is beside the point!

Trenten received the wisdom of all of us here at Superior Threads. We suggested he use frozen vegetables to keep the swelling down. They work much better than ice-packs that are much too cold.

Happy New Year!

2009-12-31T06:15:00.000-08:00

A happy New Year! Grant that I
May bring no tear to any eye
When this New Year in time shall end
Let it be said I've played the friend,
Have lived and loved and labored here,
And made of it a happy year.
~Edgar Guest

Our offices will be closed starting today, Thursday December 31st, and will open again Monday January 4th at 9am.

For 2010 we hope you have a SUPERIOR year!

Bob and Heather

New Longarm Needles

2009-12-30T06:20:00.000-08:00

What's New in Longarm needles:
A smaller needle, SAN 11 #14 (MR 3.0) is now available. Recommended for very fine threads such as The Bottom Line, MonoPoly and Kimono Silk (coming soon).

Groz-Beckert SAN 11 (Special Application Needle, style 11) is specifically made for multi-directional use, which is exactly what longarm machines need. This style is the sxame as the MR (multi range) needles.

Titanium-coated needles last longer and run cooler.
Multi-directional design means more accurate stitching while moving the machine is any direction.
Extra strength means maximum flexibilty and bending.
Deep scarf prevents skipped stitches, less puckering, and less thread breakage.

Texture Magic Tuesday/ Cupcake Tote

2009-12-29T07:30:00.000-08:00

Quite often there are patterns on the market that would be enhanced by adding a little bit of Texture Magic here or there.

What little girl doesn't love cupcakes? Adding Texture Magic to the frosting area makes this tote almost good enough to taste.

Little Cupcake Tote by Quilts Illustrated was easily adapted by using our Texture Magic Conversion Chart.

Texture Magic was stippled to the back of the purple fabric using MasterPiece #148 Pop Art Purple

This little tote can be easily assembled in a few hours, and would make a nice gift for a young daughter or grand daughter.

Helping In Houston

2009-12-28T07:15:00.000-08:00

One of the nice things about attending IQF in Houston, is the opportunity to meet up with friends.
Annette Hendricks stopped by looking for just the right threads for her next project.
Annette, of Grayslake, Illinois recently won the Judges Choice Award, IQF 2009 for her quilt "Hide and Seek (now where did that mousie go?)"

The thread is just as valuable as the fabric for effect. Different places need different threads.
I love to audition different selections.
Some areas need a shiny thread. Others will look good with a thicker thread. Some sections look best using variegated.

Along with producing her own works of art, Annette is one of the three sisters of Three Sisters Art Quilting fame.

Gail Thomas, Denise Havlan, me, Annette Hendricks
These artists stopped by to pick out their choice of threads for their next award winning quilts.

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-24T07:30:00.000-08:00

"Somehow, not only for Christmas, But all the long year through, the joy that you give to others, is the joy that comes back to you." (John Greenleaf Whittier)

From our Superior Threads family to yours, we wish you a Happy and Joyous Christmas!

Bob and Heather

MasterPiece Neutral Bobbin Sets

2009-12-23T06:45:00.000-08:00

What's New:
For prewound bobbin lovers!!
MasterPiece neutral bobbin sets.
Neutral colors are the most popular when it comes to bobbin thread. We now have two new assortment sets.

Neutrals Light contain four light MasterPiece colors x 3 bobbins each.

Neutrals Dark contain four darker MasterPiece colors x 3 bobbins each.

Item number for the LIGHT set is L-12-MPLT.
Item number for the DARK set is L-12-MPDK
These same color sets are also available in regular spool sets (not prewound bobbins).

Texture Magic Tuesday/ Poinsettia Quilt

2009-12-22T07:15:00.000-08:00

Christine Kling, owner of a Quilting and Embroidery Business, has expanded her horizons and is now also the Texture Magic Rep for Southeastern Pennsylvania. Using her own design, this Poinsettia Quilt is just one example of the many ways Texture Magic can enhance any project a quilter may envision.

Christine has been quilting for about 12 years, and having the opportunity traveling to show various quilting stores, guilds and quilting clubs the joy of using Texture Magic is a great part of why she loves being a new Rep. “I first realized the beauty of this product when I visited several Amish Quilting shops in Lancaster County, Pa”, says Christine. “Their enthusiastic reception made me realize how special Texture Magic is.”

Christine loves the versatility Texture Magic gives quilters in making bags, quilts, and table runners to name a few, into unique works of art that can be enjoyed by all. With the Holiday Season upon us, Christine is really looking forward to sharing the many virtues of Texture Magic with everyone she visits!

Peace On Earth

2009-12-21T06:15:00.000-08:00

Gail Thomas is an award winning quilter and working artist who lives in British Columbia, Canada. We often see each other at quilt shows. Recently Gail shared with us her design "Peace On Earth" (21" X 17")
This is a wonderful example of how Gail used Superior Threads Metallics for the hand stitching.

Gail wrote:
"I was given the fabric in Houston and knew that it was to be part my new Christmas Card Quilt design. I reconnect with friends and I am introduced to new friends in Houston and I always come back from that trip with glowing memories. So I can honestly say that you all inspired this quilt.

Painted doves, raw edge applique (the fabric on the leaves and berries is silk), hand quilted with Superior Threads metallic. I loved the hand sewing and more will follow."

Thank you Gail for sharing with us this beautiful Christmas Greeting.

#523 Avilyn on Sale

2009-12-18T07:00:00.000-08:00

In honor of Avilyn's 1st Birthday:

So Fine color #523 AVILYN is named after our granddaughter and we are celebrating. She is one year old.

40% off this lovely pink color through the end of December.

So Fine is a very smooth #50/3-ply lint-free poly. Fantastic as a top thread, bobbin thread, construction thread, and also as a matte-finish embroidery thread. The 3,280 yd. cone is $9.95 (reg. $16.90).
Thank you Avilyn, for adding so much joy and love to our lives.

How Bob Waits in Line

2009-12-16T06:45:00.000-08:00

On the way home from IQA in Houston our flight was canceled. Our entire group had to be rescheduled on another plane.
This is the only way Bob can patiently wait in line. Women wait in line together. We gab and get to know each other.
Not Bob. He spends his time on his laptop answering e-mails.

We have to give him some leeway because he managed to get us all home by that evening.
Never underestimate the power of Bob.

Texture Magic Tuesday/ Red Silk Coat

2009-12-15T07:15:00.000-08:00

When we teach at trade shows I often like to wear clothing made with Superior Threads products. I feel this is a nice way to give you ideas on the use of our threads and notions.

My friend Lorraine, of Lorraine Torrence Designs wanted to see how Texture Magic would work up in one of her new patterns.
Lorraine has won numerous awards in the AQS Fashion Show and has judged that show and other Wearable Arts Shows.

Texture Magic is very compatible to use in clothing. This coat was made with red Dupioni silk purchased from Lorraine.

I used Ruby #130 Glitter thread with #627 BottomLine in the bobbin.

One of the nice things about working with Texture Magic is that it acts like an interfacing, so no additional interfacing is needed.

Superior Christmas Party

2009-12-14T06:30:00.000-08:00

As 2009 comes to a close, we met together for our annual Superior Christmas Party.

We appreciate the support family members give to each of our staff, so everyone was invited to join us for a nice dinner at a local restaurant.

Superior baby Avilyn dressed up in her nicest Santa outfit.

This has been a busy year for us, with many new and exciting developments. Our group has grown in numbers.

We are always sad when some need to leave us. John, who has worked hard in our warehouse, will be moving as he furthers his education.

After dinner, we enjoyed a gift exchange. Some gifts came with a little teasing.

Jon, our vice president, keeps his own sandwich supplies in our kitchen. It was only fitting he be given another peanut butter and jelly for his lunch tomorrow.

We love working together. This has been a great year.

We finished the evening by thanking everyone for all the efforts they each have put forth in making Superior Threads a company that provides the best quality and service.
We are looking forward to 2010.

Superior Christmas Tree

2009-12-11T06:55:00.000-08:00

Need any ideas as you decorate your Christmas tree this year?

How about putting together a Superior Christmas tree?

We know what we would like under the tree... and on the tree... and by the tree.

Including something that is as BRYTES as the lights.

Tell Santa to make sure he has a lot of thread in his sleigh.

And last, but not least, every tree needs to be topped with a Metallic cone angel, complete with Machinger wings.
*our thanks goes to Pat, Ricci and Deisy for their superior decorating ideas.

Locating Superior Thead Products In Your Area

2009-12-09T07:15:00.000-08:00

Have you experienced the situation where you are working on a project, and run out of your favorite Superior thread?

No need to stress. We have a solution for you!

On our website, we provide a STORE LOCATOR where you can look up the nearest quilt store that sell Superior Thread products.

Search by zip code or State/Province or country. We do recommend calling them before making a long trip to make sure they have the exact product you are looking for. With over 1,000 Superior products, we understand that stores cannot stock most of our products. We appreciate those that carry any of our products.

If our products are not available in a store in your area, please ask, beg, and plead with them to add Superior products. They will listen to you.

Texture Magic Tuesday/ Staff Stockings

2009-12-08T06:30:00.000-08:00

Annie Unrein has designed a new Texture Magic pattern just in time for Christmas. Festive Stockings can be used for any occasion. Stuff a special stocking with goodies and notes and hang it from a bedpost or doorknob to celebrate special days- birthdays, anniversaries...whatever!

We got together as a staff here at Superior Threads to make Festive Stockings.

Our guinea pigs did a wonderful job!

Deisy had never used a sewing machine before. We are so proud of beautiful job she did in making and finishing her stocking.

Each person used a different Superior Thread to sew with, and stitched the Texture Magic with a variety of designs.

There are three sizes included in the pattern: small, medium and large.

The pattern was so easy to follow.

Unless of course, you have someone in your group who likes to be contrary. All of ours faced to the right, so of course Carrie made hers facing to the left!

Festive Stockings can be ordered on our website.

We are now on Facebook AND Twitter

2009-12-07T05:35:00.001-08:00

Please follow us on Facebook and Twitter and to hear about new products and specials.
If the Facebook link above does not take you directly to our page, here are the instructions:

From your Facebook page, click on Friends at the top, and then Find Friends.
Search for Superior Threads in the search box.
Click on the Pages link on the left-hand side of the screen. You should then see the Superior Threads logo.
Click on Become a Fan.

Gift Certificates Available

2009-12-03T06:20:00.000-08:00

With Christmas around the corner, this is a nice time to remember that special someone with a Gift Certificate from Superior Threads.

To order on line, visit our web site.

You will find these easy to follow instructions:

Gift Certificates are available in $25.00 increments.
For a $50.00 Gift Certificate, enter 2 in the quantity box. For a $100.00 certificate, enter 4 in the quantity box.
If you want us to send it to another person, enter that person's name and address in the Ship To field or provide a name and e-mail address and we will send it by e-mail.
Shipping charges are not assessed for orders containing only gift certificates.

Try Me Specials

2009-12-02T06:00:00.000-08:00

Have you considered purchasing several Superior Thread products but are not sure where to start? We have the answer for you!

We offer Try Me Specials to help you in the decision making process.

You chose the product, we chose the colors, and you save 40-50% off.

Available for most products.

Texture Magic Tuesday/ Norrie's Bag

2009-12-01T06:00:00.000-08:00

Recently Norrie MacIlraith of Minnesota, participated in our School of Threadology. While she was in class she showed us the bag she had made with Texture Magic.

Norrie is currently the Texture Magic Rep over the East Minnesota area. As part of her responsibilities she visits quilt stores, guilds, and various groups to show the wonderful ways to work with Texture Magic.

She used Texture Magic on different sections of her bag, highlighting how different stitches produce various results in texture.

The inside had several pockets, with plenty of room to carry packages of Texture Magic and Texture Magic friendly patterns. Notice she also left enough room to include several projects made with Texture Magic, too.

It was so nice to meet Norrie, to have her participate in our School of Threadology, and to feel her enthusiasm.
Norrie sent us this note once she arrived home:
"I want you to know that I appreciated all your planning for this classes, fabulous meals, and general care of the participants—it felt truly special. Please extend a thank you to all your staff."

Thread Therapy With Dr. Bob

2009-11-30T07:15:00.000-08:00

Bob loves to educate, especially when it comes to thread. Below is a list from his upcoming teaching schedule. If you live near any of these locations, we would love to have you join us.

BOB'S TEACHING SCHEDULE
Thread Therapy with Dr. Bob
*Dec. 3. Dallas, TX. Quilter's Guild of Dallas
*Jan. 6, 2010. Peoria Quilt Guild. Peoria, IL
*Jan. 7, 2010. HAAQG. Bloomington, IL
*Jan. 15-16, 2010. Ontario, CA. Road to California. http://road2ca.com/ Bob will teach two lectures and Superior Threads will teach two classes using Texture Magic.
*Feb. 11, 2010. Scottsdale, AZ

Class Time with John Flynn

2009-11-27T07:30:00.000-08:00

For the opening session of the School of Threadology, John Flynn was our guest teacher for one day. I think John is best known for having his name on a line of thread . . . . So Fine! How cool is that?

The new class rooms in the School of Threadology offer plenty of room for instruction.

John showed us many tips and techniques he has developed over the years.

Of course, I wanted to take his class along with all the other participants. I like to tell John that I am President of his fan club.

Individual instruction is so helpful.

We worked on John's pattern "Storm at Sea."

He provided pre-cut kits that had been laser cut.

Some of John's variations of "Storm At Sea."

The straight lined seams end up looking like curves, creating an optical illusion.

Thank you for coming John! It was so nice to have you with us for the opening of our School.

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-25T07:15:00.000-08:00

During this season of Thanksgiving, we offer our thanks to you, our valued customers and associates, for a wonderful year. Your personal interaction through out the year, whether at a show, on the phone, or in our store, has enriched our lives and made our work more joyful and rewarding.

Thank you for your ideas, suggestions, encouragement, and continued support.

From our Superior family to yours, we wish you a

Happy Thanksgiving.

Bob and Heather

Texture Magic Tuesday/ Poppy Quilt

2009-11-24T06:00:00.000-08:00

Our thanks today goes to Judie Weiss of St. George, Utah for sharing with us her Poppy Quilt, a 3-D design using Texture Magic.

This quilt is an original design, created by Judie. She made the Poppy Quilt as a present for her sister-in-law, who requested a quilt for the foot of her King sized bed.
The background is a "Yellow Brick Road" pattern.

Judie's SIL had very specific wishes she wanted included in the quilt.
"She loves texture and depth; she loves the feel of various fabrics such as silk, velvet, upholstery fabrics, satin, etc.; she loves bold colors and design; she wanted it set on point . So - I set out to create that quilt." Judie said.

"I made the 3 big red poppies petal by petal and then fastened them together under the center velvet round circle. I made each petal like a mini pillowcase: first I cut the 2 pieces plus the Texture Magic plus a piece of warm and natural all at the same time. I free-motioned the veining in, using red King Tut thread by Superior Threads. Then I added piping and sewed the petal together, leaving the bottom open to turn right side out. Then I steamed it from the top creating the puffy petals." Judie continued.

Judie has taken "Thread Therapy" from Dr. Bob. We are happy to report she followed his instructions and used a Superior Threads titanium coated top-stitch needle for this project.
We appreciate Judie giving us one more idea on how to use Texture Magic in our art quilts.

The School of Theadology Is Now Open!

2009-11-23T06:20:00.000-08:00

The School of Threadology is now open in our new location and we had a wonderful time hosting our first session.

Participants from all over the United States came for three days of seminars and lectures.

In addition to instruction, our guests received class supplies, a 100-page education manual, a lot of thread, staff help, and the use of a new Bernina 730. Even meals were provided.

Bob and Heather taught several classes on thread education, thread use, and thread effects. We also had two hands-on sewing classes, one using Texture Magic and one using Charlotte's fusible Web (fusible thread for applique.)

One of our seminars included Color Science by Mother Superior where we discussed color and design.

Our guests were very interested in seeing some of the clothing items made with Superior Threads. The green silk coat was a favorite.

Many of our quilts have been gifts from artists who have helped us in the design of our threads.

This was a tribute to our King Tut line.

We strive to provide the highest comfort for our students at the School of Threadology. All participants used an ergonomic $500 Heavenly Sewing Chair. It really does make a difference. No sore body parts after a full day of learning and creating.

Jeanne Delpit, Director of National Events for Bernina USA, joined us for the opening session of our School.

Thank you Bernina for generously furnishing the School of Threadology with Bernina 730s for our students use.
Future sessions are scheduled in February, April, and June and beyond. Please join us.

Marilyn Badger Judges for IQA/ Houston

2009-11-20T07:00:00.000-08:00

Note: Marilyn Badger lives in our town, St. George, Utah. Many years ago, she helped us design a range of colors to include in our Rainbows line.
When Marilyn Badger was asked to be one of the three judges for International Quilt Festival in Houston (IQA) this year, she felt very honored. Marilyn is an award-winning quilter and this is the first time she has been approached to judge a show as prestigious as IQA. "First I had to check with my partner Claudia Clark Meyers," Marilyn said. "Being a judge at IQA meant we could not submit a quilt this year and I had to make sure Claudia was comfortable with that."
Claudia was very supportive of Marilyn's opportunity and encouraged her to accept the offer.

Marilyn, along with fellow judges Sue Nickels and Linda Roy, went to Houston in August for their assignment.
"We worked 12-hour days for three days straight and judged around 350 quilts. All three of us judged each quilt individually. We were given list of criteria and would sometimes defer to each other's expertise in rating specific areas," Marilyn said.
As judges, the trio were offered a lot of help by the IQA staff. Many of the quilts in the initial judging were lying flat on a table. By the time the selection was narrowed down to the Mastery category, the quilts were held up by staff members or displayed for viewing.
Marilyn enjoyed working with the Mastery Awards the most. "This was a real pleasant experience. Just being up there close with all the quilts was wonderful. Even after three days of judging and we were at the end, I told them to 'bring on some more'. In Houston I knew I was seeing the best of the best."

NEW Brytes

2009-11-18T06:45:00.000-08:00

What's New:

NEW Brytes! We are proud to have Caryl Bryer Fallert’s advice and name on this product. Congratulations to Caryl for winning the $10,000 Best of Show award at the International Quilt Festival in Houston last month.

NEW Brytes is the same #30/3-ply polyester thread and color range as Brytes but not as slick. We "de-slicked" it, making it easier to use at high speed. New Brytes is intended to be bright and visible and it is great for home machines (quilting and embroidery), longarm machines, and computer-aided quilting.

We are offering 25% as an Introductory Special on NEW Brytes, 1,650 yd. cones during November. On sale for $12.65

See our website to order.

Texture Magic Tuesday/ Little Charmers

2009-11-17T07:30:00.000-08:00

We carry several Texture Magic friendly patterns designed by Annie Unrein on our web site.
Little Charmers is an engaging little block and matching blankie using a charm pack and Texture Magic.

This block and blankie can be quickly assembled, and would make a wonderful baby shower gift.
One 1/2 yard package of Texture Magic will make more than one set.

Annie separated her charm squares into lights, mediums and darks, then texturized some of the squares using Texture Magic.
Colorful ribbons and trims on the edge give baby something to grab, chew and explore.
Babies will love the textured blocks on the front and the soft, plush back.

The Little Charmers block will stimulate babies with texture, colors, patterns and sounds.
There is a jingle bell inside the block!
To order this pattern, see our web site under Texture Magic.

Art Studio Colors on Sale

2009-11-16T06:30:00.000-08:00

Art Studio Colors, 2000 yd. cones, are currently on sale for 50% off!
This is a beautiful high sheen premium trilobal, 40 wt. polyester thread, that can be used for both quilting and embroidery.
Available in 36 colors. Only $6.95 (reg. $13.90)

This is what Ricky has to say about Art Studio Colors:
"In the contemporary world of sewing and quilting, threads no longer take a back seat. In the past, fabrics dictated the direction of a sewing project. This is no longer the case. Often a particular thread will become the source of inspiration for a particular design. No one knows this better than Superior Threads. They have become the innovators in providing quality threads for quilters and embroiderers worldwide."

Design Walls

2009-11-13T06:30:00.000-08:00

In anticipation of the opening of the School of Threadology, we have been busy putting up design walls in our classrooms. Here is our step-by -step process for creating a design wall.
Our thanks goes to staff member Ricci and her husband Sam for their work.

Purchase 4' X 8' sheets of aluminum backed 1" Styrofoam insulation board. These can be found at most home improvement type stores.
The light weight boards can be easily cut into the size needed with a utility knife.
Cover with batting of your choice.

Wrap the batting to the back of the insulation board and staple into place.

Because the boards are lightweight, they may be easily moved from place to place.

Next, attach sections of extra-wide industrial strength Velcro around the outsides of the board.
Be careful, because this product is very sticky.

Lift the boards up to the wall. Notice Sam used a wood level at the bottom to lay the board on, and then checked to make sure the sides were also level.
If you have a wall that has been highly texturized, you may need to use a liquid glue on the Velcro to adhere the pieces in place.

We now have design walls that are extremely light, and are thick enough to put pins in. When the batting becomes old or used, the boards can be easily removed and replaced with new batting.

Come sew with us at the Superior School of Threadology.

Meet Bev Fullmer

2009-11-11T07:45:00.000-08:00

We like to call Bev "The new kid on the block" or "new kid on the phone". Bev is the newest member of our office staff. Among her responsibilities, Bev helps with phone orders, and greets visitors (we hope you will visit one day) as they come the front door of our workplace.
As part of our training, we start every employee in the warehouse to learn our products. Bev took her turn for the first few months and found that experience very beneficial.
"It helped a lot to work in the warehouse. I learned the numbering systems and the products. I now feel better prepared to answer customers' questions when they call on the phone." she said.

Originally from California, Bev is married and the mother of 5 children and 13 grandchildren.
She has a extensive background in sewing and quilting. "I made my first quilt when I was 8. It was a doll quilt and I still have it." She worked for a decorator making custom bedspreads and window treatments, and has made 6 wedding dresses. Bev also spent many years as a volunteer doing Humanitarian work for her church.

Bev and her husband retired to St. George four years ago to join two of their daughters who live in the area. Since her arrival she made costumes for Tuacahn Amphitheatre for the Performing Arts. We are so happy to have Bev join us as part of the Superior Threads Team.
When asked what her favorite part of working here, she replied "I love all the products, and the new things that are always coming in. I love the people I work with. It's an awesome company that is run well, and treats their employees well with great incentive programs. They are very focused on educating their staff and the world on threads. As I observed through the interview process, I could see this is a company that is going some place, and it was very appealing."

Texture Magic Reps Still Needed

2009-11-10T06:30:00.000-08:00

Our Texture Magic Rep program is off to a good start and going strong. Reps are having fun and earning extra cash demonstrating and selling Texture Magic at stores, guilds and shows. About two thirds of the territories have been assigned but we still need Texture Magic Reps in the following areas:

Hawaii, All Islands
San Francisco & North CA Coast

Central CA Coast
San Bernardino & Riverside CA
Seattle Washington
East Washington, N. Idaho & W. Montana

North & Central Utah
Phoenix & North Arizona
Mesa & South Arizona
Colorado
New Mexico & West Texas
Dallas Texas
San Antonio & South Texas
Houston Texas North
Kansas & West Missouri
Oklahoma
Arkansas
NE Michigan

Mississippi

Alabama

Georgia
SE Florida
SW Florida
Virginia
West Virginia
North New Jersey
SE NY State
NYC & Long Island
Connecticut & RI
Europe, except Spain
Alberta Canada
Quebec Canada

Everywhere else outside the United States except Australia.

If you would like more information about being a Texture Magic Rep please send your inquiry to kent@superiorthreads.com

Meet Carrie Colvin

2009-11-09T06:10:00.000-08:00

Carrie joined our Superior office staff last year and has become an important part of our team. She helps with wholesale accounts, all office work, phone orders, and bobbin inventory.

"We do have our own specific responsibilities," she said, "but all of us are so intermingled, we help each other where needed."

"I enjoy working for a company where the customers who call in are happy because they love our products. They make my day better and I enjoy making their day better." Carrie said.

Carrie is married and the mother of five children. Her family takes up most of her free time, but if she has a spare moment, she loves to scrapbook and is a rock hound. She also loves computers, which also makes her job enjoyable.

Raised in Arizona and Washington, Carrie and her husband settled in St. George because it was a centralized location between family and they love the warm weather (no snow here, folks).

Carrie's background is in secretarial work and warehouse work. Her mother owned a clothing business as she was growing up and Carrie helped with a lot of the sewing. "It's only natural that I would want to work for a thread company. Everything on my resume came together and fit so perfectly into my position now." she said.

"I love my job. After a day, I go home happy. That is what I want."

New Thread Reference Guide

2009-11-06T07:01:00.001-08:00

What's New: Our Revised Thread Reference Guide

This guide tells you what each thread’s main use is, the thread weight, what bobbin thread is recommended to use with it, what needle type and size to use, and now includes what top tension setting is best.
Great information all on one page. Free to download and print on our web page.

Meet Karen Wearden

2009-11-04T06:00:00.000-08:00

If you have placed an Internet order through our company, chances are you have been helped by Karen Wearden, a member of our Superior office staff.

Karen's main responsibilities include processing our Internet orders, answering the phones when things get busy, and any other jobs that the staff needs help with.

"I really love my job. If people have any questions or concerns about their Internet orders, I am the go-to person. I will often call a customer to clarify an order because I feel it's important to offer individual service." she said.

Karen was raised in Western Pennsylvania near Pittsburgh and is a big Pittsburgh Steelers fan to this day. She is married and has always worked in the clerical/bookkeeping field. Karen spent 10 years in California working for a property management company before moving to St. George, Utah four years ago.

While on vacation, both Karen and her husband both fell in love with Southern Utah, enough to make the move to St. George. They love the outdoors and their hobbies include camping, bicycling, hiking, and driving their motorcycles through the nearby national parks.

When asked what is her favorite part of working at Superior Threads, Karen answered, "I love the company, from the owners to all the co-workers. This is a great working environment. Plus, I really love what I do."

We are happy to have Karen as part of the Superior Threads team and appreciate all the work she does to help our company run efficiently.

Texture Magic Tuesday/ Using a Long Arm

2009-11-03T06:30:00.000-08:00

Texture Magic comes in many size cuts from Superior Threads. You can buy it in 1/2 yard packages, 1 yard packages, custom cut yardage, and even on a 230 yard bolt.
How ever you feel most comfortable using Texture Magic, we have plenty available to meet your needs.

Our thanks today goes to Gayle McKay of Gayle's Gallery, for sharing with us a tutorial on how she used Texture Magic with her long arm machine.
First she layered fabric, batting and Texture Magic, and then basted them together in a sandwich on her long arm.

"I then quilted the piece. The key is to have fairly dense quilting to get more texture." she said.

The front side.

You then steam on the Texture Magic side. Gayle used her 35 year old Steamstress that she feels still works well. Knowing that most of us do not have access to a Steamstress, Gayle added "You can always use a regular iron that steams. You can literally see it shrink before your eyes."

"See the Magic?" Gayle exclaimed. "I can see a lot of possibilities for this product. I will use this one to make a pillow."

Gayle is an art quilter, traditional quilter, longarm machine quilter and teacher. She and her husband Steve, who is also an accomplished quilter, have a small herd of cows and enjoy a peaceful country living.

You can reach Gayle at mazonsquilting@certainty.net

New NiteLite/ SunBurst Color Card

2009-11-02T07:15:00.000-08:00

What's New:

We now offer a new NiteLite/ SunBurst Color Card.
Our newest color card is a combination card of both NiteLite ExtraGlow glow-in-the-dark thread and SunBurst (sunlight-activated color-changing thread). The color card made with the actual thread contains six colors of NiteLite and eight colors of SunBurst.

Take the card outside into the sunlight and all eight colors of SunBurst change instantly and stay.

Take the card into a dark room and the NiteLite ExtraGlow colors glow. As with all our thread cards, this is made with the actual thread and sold at our production cost of $3.

For best effect, it is important to put a lot of thread in the areas intended to glow or change colors. A single meandering stitch will not be visible. Embroidery fill stitches, satin stitches, and free motion "use lots of thread" stitches work best.

Have fun with these! Bob's pillowcase glows at night (and not because he is afraid of the dark). There's a special message embroidered on it with NiteLite ExtraGlow thread.

Meet Ricci Lindley

2009-10-30T06:45:00.000-07:00

Ricci is a member of our Superior office staff and in addition to all regular office responsibilities, she is helping to get our School of Theadology organized and running in our newly added educational center.
There are a lot of decisions that need to be made in preparation for the opening of the school in the next few weeks. Ricci has been organizing class schedules, contacting guest teachers, helping participants register, updating the School web site, and preparing the physical facilities.
"I have been working closely with Bob to make the School of Threadology the leading school in the sewing world. This is the only school of it's kind and it's going to be fantastic!" she said.

Bernina USA has very generously supplied the School of Threadology with Bernina 730 machines. The School will also have a longarm machine classroom and will have most brands of longarm machines for student use during longarm School sessions.
The first session in our new facilities will be Nov. 11-13. John Flynn will be a guest teacher one day during that session. Future sessions have been scheduled in February and April and beyond. One session will be held in Hawaii from July 1-4 , 2009 as part of the Quilt Hawaii 2010 event on the Big Island. Bob's bags are already packed. To sign up for our School of Theadology, or to view the upcoming schedule, see our web site.

Originally raised in California, Ricci has been a quilter for 2o years. She worked for over 25 years in accounting and various office positions. She and her husband Sam moved to St. George in 2004.
"Through my background in quilting, I was asked to help Superior Threads last year at the Houston show. I then attended a session of The School of Threadology before I worked here. Because of those experiences, Bob hired me to help in the office and to help with the School of Theadology," she said.
Ricci continued "I wanted to work here because of the quality of the products and my respect for Bob and Heather. The atmosphere of the work place the Purcells provide is unparalleled."
p.s. from Bob: Thank you Ricci for your kind words. Thank you for helping us launch the School of Threadology. We have so many ideas and plans, this is going to be a fun adventure. We will educate the sewing world.

Meet Amber Every

2009-10-28T07:00:00.000-07:00

Meet Amber Every, one member of our Superior Staff. When you call in, it might be Amber's pleasant voice you hear on the other end, answering your questions and taking your order.

Amber began working at Superior when she was 17, right out of high school. She worked for two years, married Josh (who is now our warehouse manager), and then went away to Brigham Young University to further her education.

We are so happy to have both Amber and Josh back working with us. Amber's responsibilities with Superior Threads include phone orders, customer service, updating the Store Locator, and whatever else is needed in a busy day at the office.

Amber says she loves working at Superior Threads because she feels the environment is uplifting and fun. "I find my work very educational. We not only learn about the products, but I've learned more about Customer Service and basic business principles than I've ever learned in my business classes," she said.

Amber continues to pursue her education and is currently working on a degree in Elementary Education. She is very happy to be back in St. George, Utah. "We love this area, and the people here. This is where Josh and I met," Amber continued.

In her spare time, Amber loves to read, bake, ride her road bike together with her husband Josh, and run. Last year she trained and ran in the St. George Marathon.

Texture Magic Tuesday/ Cafe Vienna Quilt

2009-10-27T06:34:00.000-07:00

Many have asked if Texture Magic works well in large quilts, and the answer is yes! Annie Unrein and I worked together to design and create Cafe Vienna, showing how Texture Magic can easily be incorporated into the half square triangles.

We used the Vienna line of fabric from Timeless Treasures. I normally like bright happy colors but these rich colors and the prints really attracted me. I think it was the combination of silver and gray with the rusts and browns. The circular print used in the inner border and the center square was my favorite.

The pattern includes complete instructions for making this quilt in 2 different sizes.
The 75" X 90" Twin/ Full size uses 1 yard of Texture Magic.
The 93" X 108" Queen Quilt uses 1 1/2 yards of Texture Magic.
Custom cut yardage of Texture Magic can be ordered on our web site.

The pattern includes complete instructions for piecing and assembling the quilt, with an easy method for making half square triangles and flying geese to speed the process.

We texturized the nutmeg fabric in the background of the star blocks to add an eye-catching accent to these rich, bold prints. We tried to texturize several of these prints and it is the lighter, more plain fabrics that show the texturization. It gets lost in busy dark prints.
Cafe Vienna was ditched quilted with our MonoPoly invisible thread and quilted with King Tut #992 in the blocks and sashing, King Tut # 981 in the border and So Fine! #402 in the light background.
Our thanks to Judi Madsen of Green Fairy Quilts for expertly machine quilting Cafe Vienna.

Things Can Be Scary In Houston

2009-10-26T06:00:00.000-07:00

Things can be scary in Houston.

You never know what you might experience with a quick trip into the grocery store.Especially around Halloween.

Never fear. All must obey Mother Superior.

Silk Coat Part 3/ Finished

2009-10-23T06:45:00.000-07:00

The Apple Green Silk Coat is now finished, ready in time to wear to Houston for the International Quilt Market and Festival. I was surprised at how many quilters were eager to see it finished! Maybe because we all start things and never do finish. Oh, our great intentions!

It was so nice to meet those of you who came to our booth.

The quilting showed up so well and it was great to be able to show shoppers a sample of what our metallic thread can do on a longarm quilting machine ( with a great quilter!)

The back view is pretty stunning. Luckily (or unluckily) there was a fashion fabric booth close by that was selling Silk Dupioni in some luscious colors that I couldn't resist. So who knows what will be made next.

You can read more about the making of this coat on Silk Coat Part 1

and Silk Coat Part 2/ The Fitting.

Sue Nickels Recommendation

2009-10-21T06:00:00.000-07:00

"Superior Threads work beautifully for machine applique."

I love machine quilting using cotton threads. My style is an updated traditional approach to machine quilting. The new King Tut Quilting Thread tone-on-tone variegated thread line is the perfect choice to achieve a traditional look, with a touch of subtle shading to give more interest and texture to the finished project.

I have always loved the quality of Superior Threads. I have incorporated them into my quilts whenever possible. After mentioning how much I love using cotton threads, I was very excited to hear from them and help design wonderful tone-on-tone colors within the new King Tut Quilting Thread line. My favorite things about this new line are:

1. It is the very finest quality. King Tut Quilting Thread is an extra-long staple Egyptian cotton. This quality results in much less lint buildup. Lint is usually a problem with cotton threads, but not with this one.
2. King Tut's subtle variegations are about one inch apart, which creates a beautiful look, especially when used for background quilting. The subtle shading also works well for re-stitched areas on traditional designs such as feathers.
3. It is a very soft thread and lies very nicely on the fabric surface.
4. It threads easily and is amazingly strong. I also love to machine applique and this thread works beautifully to stitch along the edge of many applique projects. The subtle shadings look gorgeous in accent applique. When teaching machine quilting, I tell my students the most important decision they will make is what thread to use.. King Tut Quilting Thread will give quilters who are looking for cotton thread a perfect product to achieve that traditional look with a unique touch! This is a wonderful combination -- a good quality product and a great company to work with.

Sincerely,
Sue Nickels

Texture Magic Tuesday/ Christmas Stocking

2009-10-20T06:30:00.000-07:00

Caron Carlson of Valley Quilt Studio has designed a fun Christmas stocking using Texture Magic.
"Many of the shops in our area do a Christmas Open House and I wanted to give them ideas on what to do with Texture Magic in the Holiday vein." she said.

Caron created her own pattern, working with coordinating fabrics, and ric rac. The entire construction process took less than 2 hours.

Caron is a Texture Magic Sales Rep in the Chicago, Illinois area and is also a professional longarm quilter.
http://caronsquiltingblog.blogspot.com/

Marilyn Badger Recommendation

2009-10-19T08:10:00.000-07:00

"Superior Threads has an extensive selection of high quality thread"

Professional longarm quilting machines have considerably more power than a home sewing machine. Therefore the thread we use must be of high quality to avoid problems with breakage and shredding. Strength is one of the reasons why I love Superior Threads. With the one-inch variegation's and dazzling selection of colors, the colors in the Rainbows line have always been my favorite.

I was delighted when asked to design 10 new color combinations within the Rainbows line for my Color Concepts by Marilyn Badger collection. Because these particular colors have no high and low contrasts, they blend well with any fabric. Superior Threads also has a solid line of thread, Highlights, all color-coordinated with colors in the Rainbows collection. These solid colors are made of the same high quality trilobal polyester and have a beautiful sheen to them. I use a coordinating color of Highlights or The Bottom Line in the bobbin.

When making a sparkling reversible thread garment, I recommend using Superior's decorative Halo thread in the bobbin with the Rainbows Color Concepts in the top. The result is stunning! Superior's Dissolve 4x heavy duty water soluble stabilizer is a fabulous product for such projects.
The extensive selection of high quality thread offered by Superior Threads has made a very positive contribution to my endeavors as a professional longarm machine quilter and educator.

Sincerely,
Marilyn Badger

School of Threadology Update

2009-10-15T05:45:00.000-07:00

We have been working hard in anticipation of the opening of the School of Threadology this fall.
Ricci, who we have dubbed our "School Marm" has been busy registering participants, putting up design walls, ordering tables and chairs, stocking supplies and coordinating upcoming sessions.
We offer the most comprehensive School of this type in the world, with the purpose of education in all areas related to sewing, embroidery and quilting.

We have had many positive comments from our prior sessions:
"Love this seminar! Had a great time. The best courses involve working with the different threads and products - actual 'hands on' experience. Also enjoyed Heather's lecture showing the different fabrics with different threads and the effect that is created. Cindy Needham is a true gem - what a wealth of knowledge and very pleasant and helpful. Enjoyed the purse project with Annie. The new classrooms will be great!!! " ~ c.u.

"I was completely impressed with this seminar. I didn't know there was so much knowledge out there regarding threads and my machine. A whole new world of not only piecing and quilting threads has emerged, but now I'm confident in using your various decorative threads. I thank you and my customers thank you as well." ~ a.f.

The next session will be Nov. 11-13, 2009. Three days of fun and learning. John Flynn will be a guest teacher for one day and the other two days will be taught by Bob and Heather. Please check our website for more information on this seminar and future seminars.
For a more detailed description of this and other upcoming sessions, please check our calendar under the School of Threadology portion on our website.

Cost for this session: $295 per person. Includes three days of classes, printed materials, over $100 worth of thread, teacher fees, three lunches and two dinners. We have contracted with the Wingate Hotel for $79.00 a night which includes breakfast. They are located two minutes away and offer a free shuttle to our classroom.

Registration: Space is limited. You can register online or you can contact Ricci at: ricci@superiorthreads.com

Hollis Chatelain Recommendation

2009-10-14T08:15:00.000-07:00

Our congratulations to Hollis for being honored at last night's award ceremony at the 2009 IQA, Houston. She is the winner of the $5,000 Master Award for Thread Artistry for her quilt "Protection." Hollis also won first place in the Art-Painted Surface Category for her quilt "Exodus."

From Hollis:

"Superior Threads keeps up with the trends in the quilting world."
Why do I like Superior Threads? They are very clean and smooth threads that don't mess up my machine. They don't break. They blend wonderfully with the fabric. Also, I don't have tension problems with them and they feed well off of the spools.

I was pleased with the products Superior Threads sent me. Soon after, they asked if I would be interested in designing a new line of threads with colors that I had not been able to find on the market. Within five months, the new line of thread called Living Colors, was on the market. That was totally impressive. I have just completed designing my next line of thread, called Nature Colors, with Superior Threads. This set contains 50 beautiful colors found in nature and are designed for art quilting and embroidery.

Superior Threads has been easy to work with and has been patient with me asking for new types and colors of threads. They were very clear in stating that Superior will not put a new product on the market until it has been thoroughly tested and is of "superior" quality.

Something else I like about Superior Threads is that if anyone has a problem with the way the thread feeds through the machine, breaking, or whatever else can go wrong while sewing, they can call the company and immediately talk with someone who can and will help with the problem.
Thread companies, in my experience, have not been easy to work with, so it is wonderful to find a company that not only makes a great product, but knows about threads, listens to customers, is open and willing to develop new products in a timely manner, and keeps up with the trends in the quilting world.

Sincerely,
Hollis Chatelain

Texture Magic Tuesday/ Bev Fullmer's Bag

2009-10-13T04:45:00.000-07:00

Bev Fullmer, a member of our office staff has created a purse, incorporating several Superior Threads products.

First she treated the black fabric with Texture Magic.

Before Bev steamed the Texture Magic, she invited her husband, daughter, and 4 grandchildren into to room. They were so impressed, they immediately said "That was fun! Let's do that again! What else can we make with Texture Magic?"

Now her 10 year old granddaughter is brainstorming and coming up with Texture Magic projects in her mind.

"Decorative threads show up well when stitched together with Texture Magic," she said.

Bev also wanted to showcase Superior Silk Ribbon on the front of her purse.

Bev added, "When you work with Texture Magic, new ideas start bubbling in your brain and you want to do more and more. I'm already thinking of other patterns I want to use this with."

Silk Coat Part 2/ The Fitting

2009-10-12T07:45:00.000-07:00

I have been looking for a long time to find someone locally who would be able to tailor clothing. The other day as I was driving with my daughter "J" through a round-about, I saw a van in front of me with a window banner that advertised custom made wedding dresses. Frantically I began to search in the car for a piece of paper and pen so I could write down the phone number listed on the car.
We stayed in the round-about maneuvering closely behind the van as I attempted to follow, steer and write the number all at the same time. It made for a good laugh between but I was successful in getting Vickie's number.

I gave Vickie the green silk fabric that was previously quilted by Judi of Green Fairy Quilts.
Because the quilting in the fabric makes for a lightly stiffer piece, and doesn't allow much drape, we used the pieces selectively in this coat. I still have to be able to move and bend down without popping seams.

Vickie came to our office for the final fitting.

I will have this in time to wear to our Houston show.

Judi used Superior Metallic #24 Green Apple for the stitching. Vickie used So Fine #450 Spring Green to sew it all together. We discovered also that using the 550 yd. spools on the serger worked great. I had always thought of cones when sewing with a serger but this thread unwinds beautifully over the top as it is a really smooth polyester. That way I can match my fabric color exactly without too much cost. I still had a lot of thread left on the spool.

Coming Soon: Part 3/The Finished Coat.

Silk Coat Part 1

2009-10-09T07:30:00.000-07:00

In preparation for the Houston show I have been in the process of designing a coat to wear that would not only highlight our Superior Metallic threads, but also demonstrate how various stitching techniques can be applied to clothing.

I wanted to create a section of quilted yardage that would be used as a piece of fabric for the coat.

First I took a piece of green silk, #24 Green Apple Superior Metallic, and a polyester lining for the backing to Judi Madsen of Green Fairy Quilts. We used a wool bat for the middle that is light weight and gives the silk more loft.

Next I marked the length of the coat on the silk and requested she stitch a design that would not be too large. I wanted something simple that would remain soft for a long vest or coat.

You can see what the silk looked like before the stitching was complete.

Didn't Judi do a beautiful job? All of the work is created in free hand motion on Judi's A-1 longarm machine, and she used all but one yard of the 1,090 yards of metallic thread.
Next blog: Part 2/ The fitting.

Getting Ready For The Houston Show

2009-10-07T07:00:00.000-07:00

We have been working hard, packing and getting ready for the Houston Show.

This is our busiest time of year with many events scheduled in September and October.

There is a science, with years of planning, in trying to anticipate how much product to pack.

We realize that many of you have waited a long time to attend a particular show, and desire to stock up on Superior Threads. Service is our number one goal, and we want to offer you as complete a selection as possible throughout the event.

Ryan and Yeimy, our Show Management Team, have spent the last two months in preparation. They work hard trying to make sure that everything is perfect for each booth. There are many incoming pallets from previous shows that need to be unloaded, and then repacked for the next event.

Some will be sent to Houston, others to Pacific International Quilt Festival in Santa Clara, California, and others will go to Ohio.

Ryan and Yeimy have put together a detailed file list that they have organized and check carefully to make sure every item that is needed goes on the pallet.

They love working together and enjoy the support from each other. What one doesn't think of, the other does.

Ryan wants to especially make sure that his wife Yeimy pulls her weight.

She can carry 5 to Ryan's 1.

(OK- in reality, those boxes were empty. Ryan just likes to tease a lot.)

Texture Magic Tuesday/ with Quilt-n-Sew

2009-10-06T06:10:00.000-07:00

With the introduction of Texture Magic, quilt shops have been swarming with ideas of how to use this product in their classes and kits.

Marilyn Olson, owner of Quilt-n-Sew in St. George, Utah made this zippered case with Texture Magic on the back.

She put a section of Texture Magic on the back of a piece of fabric, hooped it together and then applied stitching with an embroidery machine.

Once the fabric was steamed it left the middle section beautifully textured, and ready to be made into the case.

Marilyn has several Texture Magic bags in her store.

The Texture Magic Totes pattern designed by Annie Unrein is available on our website.

Marilyn has also used Texture Magic on the bottom of this purse.

Quilt-n-Sew is located at 900 S. Bluff, St. George, Utah 84770 (435) 673-1993

John Flynn's Recommendation

2009-10-02T07:30:00.000-07:00

Imagine a thread with the look and feel of cotton, but without the lint. That is exactly what So Fine! is -- an extra soft #50/3-ply polyester thread that is etched in order to give it the look and feel of cotton thread.

With the look of cotton and the strength of poly, this thread allows us to quilt without all the lint and thread breaks we would get with a similar size cotton thread. The range of colors blend beautifully into the fabric, showing off your stitching. It was important to me to learn that Superior's spools are designed to spin freely on the machine so there is no friction or drag to interfere with the top thread tension. This is a great thread that comes on 3,280 yard cones and on 550 yd. machine-friendly spools.

For machine basting, nothing works as well as Vanish-Extra by Superior.

Vanish-Extra has enough strength to use in top and bobbin of your machine and it still disappears like magic when moistened. I use Vanish-Extra basting thread whenever I have a difficult machine quilting design that requires scrolling on my frame or when I want to make my hand quilting projects totally portable and need a basting job that will eliminate the need for a frame of any kind.

The folks at Superior are always willing to listen to suggestions and make every effort to satisfy quilters' needs at every level, from individual artist to professional quilter.

Sincerely,
John Flynn

Holy SuperBOB's

2009-09-30T08:00:00.000-07:00

What's New?
Mother Superior's Holy SuperBOBs! (I think we were talking about Batman when we named this one.)

Mother Superior's Holy SuperBOBs contain a set of 35 colors of L-style SuperBOBs packed into a BobbinSaver donut. Each bobbin is 118 yds.
Made with The Bottom Line 60 wt. polyester. Very convenient for portability.
The Bottom Line is fantastic for hand and machine applique, bobbin thread, detailed top quilting thread, binding, and even dental floss.

Texture Magic Tuesday/ Hot Pink Dressy Bag

2009-09-29T07:09:00.000-07:00

Our thanks today goes to Bev Lewis of St. George, Utah for sharing with us her HOT PINK DRESSY BAG made with Texture Magic.

Bev spends her summers in Logan, Utah attending many of the performances of the local theatres. She needed a dressy evening bag and used Texture Magic to add just the right touch.

We think this bag would match perfectly with a black dress.

Bev wrote "The pattern is my own, a mishmash of other patterns."

As you use patterns of your own for Texture Magic, remember we offer a Conversion Chart on our web site that will help you determine how much fabric is needed to allow for shrinkage.

We love hearing from you. When you make projects with Texture Magic, feel free to send pictures with a description to nedra@superiorthreads.com

We Are Now on Facebook

2009-09-28T07:00:00.000-07:00

Superior Threads is now on Facebook!
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/pages/Saint-George-UT/Superior-Threads/260463290260

It’s easy to join our page: From your Facebook page, click on ‘Friends’ at the top, and then ‘Find Friends’.
Search for ‘Superior Threads’ in the search box. Click on the ‘Pages’ link on the left-hand side of the screen.
You should then see the Superior Threads logo. Click on ‘Become a Fan’. That’s it! We'll be watching for you.

Charlotte Warr Andersen's Recommendation

2009-09-25T08:45:00.000-07:00

"The people at Superior are truly professionals in their field"

After many years creating pictorial quilts and using hand applique I now tend to do more machine work. Over the years, I have built an extensive thread collection to enable the processes I use, and products from Superior Threads have now come to the forefront of that collection.

The people at Superior are truly professionals in their field. They are well acquainted with the physics of thread and have helped me work through any problems and questions I have had. They have educated me about how thread is created, the purposes for which each thread is suited, and where it will best perform. I love the range of size, colors and characteristics of the threads Superior has produced and how they allow for wide variety in my work.

One of my favorite threads is Superior Metallic. I can do heavy embroideries with this thread and get fantastic results. I can make pieces that are as gloriously gaudy or strikingly simple as I want. I have made metallic embroideries that are dense with thread but yet are surprisingly supple.

And now, at my request, they have brought a new thread into their line. Charlotte's Fusible Web is a Superior fusible thread. I have been using fusible thread for many years and for a variety of purposes. I thought I knew all there was to know about the thread. But the staff at Superior Threads passed their knowledge along to me about the varying qualities of many brands of fusible threads available. I'm confident that Superior Threads Charlotte's Fusible Web will be the best fusible thread on the market and will give a light bond with great adhesion. Please look for ways to use Charlotte's Fusible Web on their website.

Sincerely,
Charlotte Warr Andersen

Threads For Clothes Construction

2009-09-23T07:00:00.000-07:00

Our threads have many uses. One of our customers asked, "What is the best thread for clothing construction? Has everyone forgotten about us? Is there a thread for us please?"

We are happy to answer, "Yes, we have a fantastic thread for clothing construction."

I promise you will fall in love with So Fine.

Although the label says it is a quilting thread, it is a wonderful, all purpose construction thread. Use it both top and bottom to make smooth and accurate seams.

So Fine is a strong, soft, polyester, has no lint, and is available in 50 original colors, plus 50 NEW colors, plus 34 NEWEST colors. All these choices makes it so easy to match fabrics!

So Fine is also a wonderful serger thread, making soft and pliable seams.

#427 Nutmeg