The Italian Face Off - Aurifil vs Curicini Tre Stelle
And so it begins . . .
I was so intrigued by my first experience with fine Italian threads that I've decided to do a head to head comparison between Aurifil and Curicini Tre Stelle.
I first learned of Aurifil at the Houston Quilt Festival back in 2005 and immediately fell in love with their 12 wt variegated thread. I like to use variegated thread for quilting and the 12 wt was a nice hefty thread that was still thin enough to run through my Bernina.
The Curicini Tre Stelle thread is new to me, but is a from a company that has been around for decades.
The first round of the Italian thread faceoff will be between 50 wt threads doing regular piecing. I use a Bernina 1260 and a 90/14 needle (because I don't like changing needles between cotton and metallic threads!)
In this corner is a grey 2-ply 50 wt Curicini Tre Stelle thread.
![IMG_0223.jpg](http://lh5.ggpht.com/_QSwEitBxHhM/TMX9_52IEiI/AAAAAAAACTg/AEsCq7RSWXI/IMG_0223.jpg?imgmax=800)
I've filled 5 bobbins and cleaned the bobbin case.
![IMG_0224.jpg](http://lh4.ggpht.com/_QSwEitBxHhM/TMX-OUhF5QI/AAAAAAAACTk/yGM4BOH1s0M/IMG_0224.jpg?imgmax=800)
Then in this corner, anxiously waiting his turn, is a white 2-ply 50 wt Aurifil thread.
![IMG_0226.jpg](http://lh5.ggpht.com/_QSwEitBxHhM/TMX_EQ0KHLI/AAAAAAAACTo/G8IbpuOuI8I/IMG_0226.jpg?imgmax=800)
I am piecing regular commercial 100% cotton squares with a straight stitch and will go through 5 full bobbins. I'll be counting thread breaks and checking lint build up after each bobbin finishes.
![IMG_0231.jpg](http://lh4.ggpht.com/_QSwEitBxHhM/TMX_eqrQcvI/AAAAAAAACTs/wDeP6CGRPJY/IMG_0231.jpg?imgmax=800)
So far, I completed 1 bobbin full of the Curicini Tre Stelle. This is what the bobbin case looked like afterwards.
![IMG_0229.jpg](http://lh6.ggpht.com/_QSwEitBxHhM/TMYAno8RXvI/AAAAAAAACT0/vgJD_H7zvPo/IMG_0229.jpg?imgmax=800)
![IMG_0230.jpg](http://lh5.ggpht.com/_QSwEitBxHhM/TMYAs-ybkcI/AAAAAAAACT4/jzSZGKdCzRo/IMG_0230.jpg?imgmax=800)
Sort of linty! Could be from the fabric, could be the thread, but won't know until the full test is finished. I'm thinking I may have to also run this test with the cheap brand of thread I was previously using just to get a data point on linty-ness.
Other than the lint, the Curicini is running smooth and beautiful through my machine and creating lovely stitches.
I have finished off one simple quilt top, but the challenge will continue on the next! Stay tuned for scintillating photos of lint build up or lack there of.
![IMG_0233.jpg](http://lh6.ggpht.com/_QSwEitBxHhM/TMYCSbdup3I/AAAAAAAACUA/C6-iPKW4-AU/IMG_0233.jpg?imgmax=800)
(Sorry, no wet t-shirts or tight Italian pants in this faceoff. I'll have to leave those images to your imagination!)
I was so intrigued by my first experience with fine Italian threads that I've decided to do a head to head comparison between Aurifil and Curicini Tre Stelle.
I first learned of Aurifil at the Houston Quilt Festival back in 2005 and immediately fell in love with their 12 wt variegated thread. I like to use variegated thread for quilting and the 12 wt was a nice hefty thread that was still thin enough to run through my Bernina.
The Curicini Tre Stelle thread is new to me, but is a from a company that has been around for decades.
The first round of the Italian thread faceoff will be between 50 wt threads doing regular piecing. I use a Bernina 1260 and a 90/14 needle (because I don't like changing needles between cotton and metallic threads!)
In this corner is a grey 2-ply 50 wt Curicini Tre Stelle thread.
![IMG_0223.jpg](http://lh5.ggpht.com/_QSwEitBxHhM/TMX9_52IEiI/AAAAAAAACTg/AEsCq7RSWXI/IMG_0223.jpg?imgmax=800)
I've filled 5 bobbins and cleaned the bobbin case.
![IMG_0224.jpg](http://lh4.ggpht.com/_QSwEitBxHhM/TMX-OUhF5QI/AAAAAAAACTk/yGM4BOH1s0M/IMG_0224.jpg?imgmax=800)
Then in this corner, anxiously waiting his turn, is a white 2-ply 50 wt Aurifil thread.
![IMG_0226.jpg](http://lh5.ggpht.com/_QSwEitBxHhM/TMX_EQ0KHLI/AAAAAAAACTo/G8IbpuOuI8I/IMG_0226.jpg?imgmax=800)
I am piecing regular commercial 100% cotton squares with a straight stitch and will go through 5 full bobbins. I'll be counting thread breaks and checking lint build up after each bobbin finishes.
![IMG_0231.jpg](http://lh4.ggpht.com/_QSwEitBxHhM/TMX_eqrQcvI/AAAAAAAACTs/wDeP6CGRPJY/IMG_0231.jpg?imgmax=800)
So far, I completed 1 bobbin full of the Curicini Tre Stelle. This is what the bobbin case looked like afterwards.
![IMG_0229.jpg](http://lh6.ggpht.com/_QSwEitBxHhM/TMYAno8RXvI/AAAAAAAACT0/vgJD_H7zvPo/IMG_0229.jpg?imgmax=800)
![IMG_0230.jpg](http://lh5.ggpht.com/_QSwEitBxHhM/TMYAs-ybkcI/AAAAAAAACT4/jzSZGKdCzRo/IMG_0230.jpg?imgmax=800)
Sort of linty! Could be from the fabric, could be the thread, but won't know until the full test is finished. I'm thinking I may have to also run this test with the cheap brand of thread I was previously using just to get a data point on linty-ness.
Other than the lint, the Curicini is running smooth and beautiful through my machine and creating lovely stitches.
I have finished off one simple quilt top, but the challenge will continue on the next! Stay tuned for scintillating photos of lint build up or lack there of.
![IMG_0233.jpg](http://lh6.ggpht.com/_QSwEitBxHhM/TMYCSbdup3I/AAAAAAAACUA/C6-iPKW4-AU/IMG_0233.jpg?imgmax=800)
(Sorry, no wet t-shirts or tight Italian pants in this faceoff. I'll have to leave those images to your imagination!)