Needles, Thread, Stitch Length, and Seam Allowances
What color of thread matches your products?
It can be hard to choose thread colors online, so we have prepared a list of colors of Superior Thread's SoFine#50 thread that coordinate best with our products.
Note that we usually match our thread to the fabrics we are using. However, there are times when we prefer to blend our thread color with zippers, mesh, and fold-over.
The list below includes Superior Threads' SoFine #50 colors and Aurifil colors to match all 48 of our colors of zippers. Our 14 most popular colors of zippers along with their related colors of lightweight mesh fabric and fold-over elastic are marked with a *.
Join our Helpful Resources course to get a PDF Thread Color Chart and other great items. Note that this chart is sorted by zipper SKU.
What needle do you recommend?
We use a 90/14 topstitch needle for almost all of our sewing, from quilting to assembly and binding.
A topstitch needle has a strong and sturdy shank. The thread rests in a groove down the shank which prevents shredding. Best of all, the eye is twice as big as an ordinary needle, so it is extra-easy to thread!
What thread do you suggest?
We normally use Superior Threads' SoFine! #50 for our projects. It is a 50 wt. polyester thread that comes in 134 colors. It is strong and sturdy and has a slight amount of stretch. We use it for quilting, assembly, and binding — basically, the entire project!
What stitch length do you recommend?
We use a 2.5 stitch length on our BERNINA machines for the majority of our stitching.
For quilting, we prefer to use a 3.0 stitch length.
Many bag makers prefer to use a longer stitch length (such as 3.0) when topstitching. Annie can't seem to remember to change the stitch length for that, though, so usually uses a 2.5 for those, too.
What seam allowance do you recommend?
We generally sew with a ¼" seam allowance unless the pattern directs otherwise.
For instance, we will use a ⅛" seam allowance when sealing the edges of quilted fabric or when attaching parts of a bag. We want those initial seams to be hidden when the bag is assembled later using a ¼" seam.
Because we want the length of the zipper to overhang the fabric by about ⅛" (to make it easier to hide raw edges), we recommend attaching a zipper using a generous ¼" seam. On our BERNINA machines, we can just move the needle position one click to the left to create a generous ¼" seam.
One click to the right produces a scant ¼" seam which is helpful when joining pieces that will be bound. You can then use an accurate ¼" seam to attach the binding and know that the first stitching will be hidden.