What is the difference between quilting thread and all purpose thread?

Question:can the be used interchangeablely?

Answers:
HAND quilting thread is always 100% cotton, usually mercerized (treated with caustic alkali under tension to increase strength, luster, and affinity for dye), and is often coated to avoid tangling.

MACHINE quilting thread is either cotton or cotton-polyester blend.

All-purpose thread is usually made from polyester or rayon.

==============================...

I wouldn't advise using the two interchangeably, but you'd have to be more specific as to WHICH thread you want to use on WHAT fabric, and how you plan to use it (hand or machine) before I could say for sure.

Specialty threads include metallic, silk and nylon (nylon is often used in mass-produced garments), embroidery, water soluble thread (used for basting), holographic "ribbon" thread, etc.

TX Griff

==============================...

Edited 05/30/07 to answer add-on question.

Yes, the number of colors available with mercerized cotton thread is amazing... from the luscious to the sublime. :-)

You should be fine using the quilting thread in your machine.

That said, you just want to be careful if the pieces you're making a) require a DRY HIGH HEAT for their care (like a HIGH HEAT dryer or a HIGH HEAT ironing) and b) there's a difference between the fiber of your thread and the fiber of your piece.

In this case, if your fabric is cotton, using a cotton thread is fine, but if your fabric is "fake," you should consider using a "fake" fiber thread, too. High heat can cause undue puckering when the fabric/thread are fiber mismatched.

Enjoy,
TX Griff