What Thread Should You Use?

Thread Theory

The latest quilt trend is in Fiber Arts, the art of embellishing a textile with various fibers to create a work of art. Fiber Art can take many forms and use a myriad of materials especially created for the artist. This article is about Threads, both specialty threads for embellishment and regular, average, every day thread.

There are so many different types of thread available! How do you choose which one is right for your project? Start with the reason you will be using this thread and go from there. Generally, 28 wt. or 30 wt. thread is used for in the bobbin for decorative work. 40wt thread is a quilting thread and 50 wt is a piecing thread. This is only a rough guideline, however, rules are made to be broken! Experiment with what works best for you. To help you with your selection, read the end of the spool. Generally, you will find information about:

• the manufacturer and brand of the thread
• the color number
• its weight and the number of plies (strands) that are twisted together. This is usually referred to by a number that looks like a fraction. For example, if you see the number 60/2 that means that the thread is a 60 weight 2 ply thread. The higher the first number, the finer the thread.
• the fiber content
• whether or not the thread is mercerized
• and maybe even the country of origin.

What is mercerized thread? Simply put, mercerized cotton thread has been put through a series of processes causing the thread to swell, become round and straighten out. Any fuzz is singed off. This increases the luster of the thread as well as improves water and dye absorption. Since fine, long stapled fibers respond best to mercerization, it is usually those types of cotton (Sea Island, Egyptian, Pima) that are used.

When using your thread on a machine, be sure to put the top part of the spool up. This isn't always as obvious as you might think. To determine which part of the spool is the top, hold the spool horizontally by the top and bottom. Unroll about a foot of the thread. If the thread hangs freely, you unrolled it from the top. If it twists back on itself, you unrolled it from the bottom.

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