I haven't tried neither Sulky, YLI nor Superior invisible threads. I had a spool of very old nylon that was very easy to melt so I dropped that into the waste paper basket and bought some Gütermann which is polyamid and so fall into the nylon category too. I can't say I like it much; my machine needs encouragement to sew nicely when threaded with this thread so was wondering if a polyester version would be easier to work with tension wise and also play nicer with the iron. The Gütermann can cope with a cool iron but I would not use it for anything that I would need to wash and iron. I am very much a cotton thread for cotton fabric and poly-whatever for man-made fabrics as well as silk for silk kind of sewer but if the polyester can cope with higher heat I would be willing to make exceptions.
Thank you to everybody for their input on this.
Marianne

I've found it to work better if you put it on a separate thread stand instead of on the machine.

Yes Susan, we have to pay import duties on anything over €25, including the postage! - unless it is labelled as a gift. But they are catching on to that too, sadly.

One thing I did learn from Harriet, is that the nylon/poly thread does need a lot more tension points than regular thread. If you have a thread cone it works better, but even with one it works better if you use a thread sock (fabric rather than the nylon ones that come with the machine) and also put a spool under the nylon spool on the thread cone. Also tape a couple of safety pins to the back of your machine and thread the thread through those as well. And reduce your top tension a little. Also if you use a 50wt/60wt thread in the bobbin it prefers it.

I've used the YLI monofilament and really liked it. I've recently tried Fil-Tec's monofilament, which is also nylon, and it sewed like a dream. I did all of the SID between the 5" blocks on a queen-sized quilt using the Fil-Tec one and didn't have a single thead break or issue of any kind, but I dd have to periodically smooth out kinks in the thread before it fed into the machine. I've tried Superior's monopoly, but have never been able to get the tension to work for it. I kind of feel like it might be the heavy spools that it comes on and maybe it would work better off a cone, but I haven't tried that. I'm not at all hesitant about using the nylon threads in my quilts. These are high-quality threads from good manufacturers. I haven't done any ironing tests on these threads, but I also haven't worried about it so I'm sure I've ironed these and haven't had any problems.

Hmmm, maybe we could start an import/export business? This sounds incredibly frustrating. If we ship you the stuff you want, you'd have to pay import duties?

Interesting Marilyn. I have never tried Superior or Sulky monopoly - can't get it here. It is such a pain living in a country that only has Gutterman 40wt thread! It seems hard for our LQS's to catch up with the rest of you. No matter how many times I ask then to get something in they just don't! One shop got a shipment of Presencia thread and 70/10 needles specifically for the workshop! Harriet also wanted us to have 75/11 needles but we just couldn't get them. The shop that ordered in the above was sent 80/11 needles instead. What the heck is an 80/11 needle? Half-way between a 75/11 and an 80/12?

No way will I ever go back to YLI or any other nylon ! Poly is so much better in every way ! Whether Sulky or
Superior or some other that I've not used, it is less troublesome.

Reetzbobeetz wrote: Hi Rita,
Back in the Jurassic era when invisible thread first came out it was all nylon and an iron was not recommended at all. The problem I found was that you tend to forget over the years that you have used it so it is bound to be melted at some stage It is also a problem if you use it on something you give away - although I do try to include washing advice when gifting homemade items. I suppose it would be possible to have some labels made that include washing and ironing info and sew them into the back or inside cushion covers. Mind you not long ago it was announced that the last UK producer of labels closed down shop due to people using markers instead of labels.
I will see if Vaporesse is available here. Never heard of it before. Thanks for the tips.
Marianne

Marianne, I just did a two day workshop with Harriet Hargrave and she prefers YLI nylon thread as she says the polyester has more stretch in it. She also says that nylon thread should only be ironed at a nylon setting - makes sense to me. I guess that would mean that polyester thread should only be ironed at a polyester setting. As for all your other lovely incidents with your machine, I could probably match all of them. As for the staining iron water, have you tried Vaporesse instead of water in the iron. It apparently cleans out the iron and gives the fabric a tiny touch of starch.

WOW!

:shock: Never quiet in your sewing room then....

PosyP wrote: Oh yes, I had to replace the zip. After all it was a brand new blouse I was making. I am always impressive when I sew and press: I can make any iron spit brown stuff, cut through cutting mats (done it twice), finish a lined jacket complete with 2 pins inside, throw the timing off my machine by hemming jeans and make my sewing machines smoke (and I don't mean cigarettes to get over the stress I put them through - rather as in burning out the motor (mechanical machine) in the middle of curtain making and then a board (computerized machine) can't remember what I was making at the time. Saturday I broke my tube-turner while making an apron so I had to resort to buttonhole thread and a bodkin to turn the tubes. I won't replace the turner - the old fashioned way works just fine and it is one less gadget to worry about ruining. As you can tell I am quite a terminator in the sewing room - no wonder my sewing buddies never invite me over but come to me instead
Marianne

Wow! I am impressed that you managed to melt the zip tape. Hope you didn't have to replace the zip, after all your hard work. I have managed to melt polyester thread, but it was a cheap overlocker thread, that I had been using for basting thread, something of a nusiance at the time, but no great damage.

What a great show. Gorgeous quilts throughout.
One questions to those who use polyester invisible thread: have you ever had it melt? I recently put an invisible zip into a cotton blouse and when I did the final press (cotton setting and steam) the zip tape melted in two places. Can the invisible polyester thread cope with cotton setting on the iron?
Marianne