Superior Threads

Articles in February 2012

• Why Use a Titanium-coated Topstitch Needle? Because they are Wonderful!

  Posted: 24 February 2012 at 7:33 a.m.

  

  We sometimes receive questions about titanium-coated needles.  Some have concerns that titanium, being so strong, can cause the needle to damage the machine.  If there were a real risk, sewing factories around the world would not use titanium-coated needles.  They do.  A titanium-coated needle is simply that -- a hardened metal needle with an ultra-thin titanium nitride coating.  What exactly is titanium nitride?

  Organ Needle's brochure explaining titanium-coating
  

  Titanium nitride is an extremely hard, inert, thin film coating that is applied primarily to precision metal parts. Titanium nitride (TiN) has an ideal combination of hardness, toughness, adhesion and inertness.

  Interesting facts about Titanium Nitride coating:

  • Hard (harder than carbide, 3X harder than chrome)
  • Thin film is typically 3 micrometers or .0001” thick. (Average human hair is .0038" thick)
  • Uniform coating with no buildup on edges (no drip spots)
  • High Temperature tolerant (can handle friction with no worries)
  • Conductive - does not oxidize (no special care needed)
  • Is non-toxic and used for medical surgical devices and food processing equipment
  • Forms an outstanding bond to the base material that will not blister, flake or chip
  • Tools typically last 3 to 10 times longer than uncoated tools
  • Gold in color

  The question becomes, "why ...

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• Keeping Track of your Needles

  Posted: 15 February 2012 at 12:01 a.m.

  We have been asked from many customers just how we keep track of our needles?  We sell four different sizes of our titanium-coated Topstitch needle for home sewing machines as well as many different sizes of our Longarm machine needles.  We love the plastic cases for our needles as they can stack well or hang from a pegboard.  Some of us at the office also take a spin on the standard Tomato pin cushion to store our needles.

   

  We thought it would be a fun Blog post to show one method of storing needles.

  

  Start with your basic Tomato Pin Cushion. Notice how there is a green thread which creates sections on the large tomato.  This particular pin cushion is divided into 6 different sections.

  Take a permanent marker (like a sharpie) and wrote the following into each respective section: 70,80,90,100.  Since our staff member who made this likes to use self-threading needles for burying thread tails, for the two open spaces, 5 & 7 when written for #5 & #7 self threading needles.

  
  

  
  

   

   If you ever run into questioning that you really did put the #90 needle back into the correct spot, look at the top end of ...

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• Show us your Superior University Projects!

  Posted: 13 February 2012 at 12:01 a.m.

  Have you finished your project for course 101 for Superior University?  If you have and would like to share a picture of your completed project. Please send them to us!  We love to see what others have created.  Please send all pictures to: university@superiorthreads.com.

  You can view the photos we receive by going to Superior University and clicking on the  "Show and Tell" tab.

   

  Course 101

  B.F.	M.D.
  L.M.	M.P.
  J.M.

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• Why doesn't Superior Threads sell Rayon thread?

  Posted: 9 February 2012 at 12:01 a.m.
  Why Doesn’t Superior Sell Rayon Thread?  Occasionally we are asked why we do not have any rayon thread.  After all, rayon is the most commonly used thread in the embroidery industry, is relatively inexpensive, and has a beautiful sheen.  The answer is because rayon is weak and usually is not colorfast.
  
  What is Rayon? Unlike cotton thread which is made from a natural source and unlike polyester which is made from man-made polymers, rayon (commonly referred to as viscose rayon) is a mixture of nature and manufacturing.  The textbook definition of rayon is "a manufactured fiber composed of regenerated cellulose."
  The major source of cellulose required in the creation of rayon is wood pulp, which is produced from timber. After the bark has been removed, the wood is chipped into very small pieces, boiled under pressure, chemically treated, washed, and then dried.  The final product is a hybrid material called viscose rayon.
  
  Colorfastness    A few years ago I angered a competitor when I made the statement that rayon usually is not colorfast.  They responded that their rayon thread was indeed colorfast because it will not fade in cold water.  It is important to make sure you understand what is ...

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• Longarm Needle Codes - What do those numbers mean?

  Posted: 4 February 2012 at 7:42 a.m.

  A few years ago, Groz-Beckert took over the Singer industrial needle division.  The old yellow Singer needle cases will soon disappear and all will be in the standard green Groz-Beckert packs.  If the label has a gold foil strip across the top, it is a titanium-coated needle.  If the word "Gebedur" is printed in the bottom right-hand corner of the label, it is a titanium-coated needle. Below is an explanation of what the different numbers mean on  Groz-Beckert longarm needles.

  

  see Groz-Beckert's brochure explaining needle styles and points

  Most needles recommended for quilting have a slightly rounded sharp point, indicated by the code FFG.  The rounded sharp point allows the needle point to separate, then penetrate the fabric instead of cutting through everything.

  Back to All Education read more

• Hugo's Amazing Tape & The 1,000 Ways to Use it.

  Posted: 1 February 2012 at 2:39 p.m.

   

   We have found many great uses for Hugo's Amazing Tape.  Our most common thread-related use is to wrap a piece of Hugo's Tape around a spool or cone to keep the thread in tact.  Because this special tape does not have a sticky adhesive side, you are able to reuse the same piece of tape again and again.  Anita Zobens, The Superior Educator for Canada took this picture of MonoPoly and sent it to us.

  You can catch Mother Superior wrapping a piece of the tape around a spool of Razzle Dazzle in our latest educational video.

   

   

  Here are a few uses for Hugo's Amazing Tape which we've received from our customers.

  • I have been using Hugo's Amazing Tape for years! I put strips of it on the bottom of my acrylic rulers to keep them from slipping. Much better than the sandpaper dots or rubber ones.  You can still see clearly though the acrylic ruler and the tape.  The tape can be removed and reused. 

  • I use Hugo's Amazing Tape to keep my pantographs rolled neatly so they stay nice and flat and do not get crunched.  It keeps the corners from curling ...

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