Since last week I showed you all my glow-in-the-dark space quilt I thought I would share a few things I learned about glow-in-the-dark thread along the way.

It’s seriously fun stuff. You can use it for any fiber art – quilting, embroidery, cross stitch, on clothing – your imagination is the limit. Go crazy! It would be great for kid’s stuff but if you’re anything like me you’re trying to come up with an excuse to make something for yourself. Why let the kids have all the fun?

Here’s what you need to know:

The daylight color may not be the same as the night glow color.

I used yellow and blue and they glowed different shades of green in the dark. Most colors are going to end up a shade of green or yellow though I’ve seen a few online that claim to glow more yellow or orange.

It’s different than working with cotton or cotton blends.

I found it slightly more difficult to work with but I didn’t think it was terrible.  If you typically backstitch, I’d recommend hand tying the thread. Backstitching makes the lines thicker in those areas which is noticeable when it’s glowing. The thread is a bit stiffer so it comes undone fairly easy.

Use the right needle size.

A topstitch needle #90/14 is good for home sewing and embroidery, or a size 4.0 (#18) for longarm machines.

Be precise.

Mistakes are much more noticeable than normal. A stitch that may look okay in the light will be painfully obvious when it’s glowing. I had to redo some after seeing them in the dark.

Use thicker and more decorative stitching.

The more of the thread that shows, the better it will glow! Try longer, thicker stitches. Some of the decorative stitches could be fun too! I’d recommend doing a few practice stitches before sewing your whole project.

Do not bleach, iron, or dry clean anything using this type of thread.

Double check the manufacturer of your particular thread for any special care instructions. The brand I bought said it was okay to wash – which is awesome when you’re using it on kid’s quilts or clothing.

Do you have any fun ideas for projects using glow-in-the-dark thread?