Home › Top 10 Questions Of 2005 | FAQS From 2005
Top 10 Questions Of 2005 | FAQS From 2005
1. I have two spools of the same color of variegated thread. They do not look the same on the spools. Are they really the same color?
When dealing with variegated threads, it all depends on the wind pattern. If one spool was started at the red color and another spool was started at the green color, the wind patterns will be different and although the thread is identical, the spools will look different. If it is a cone, look at the cones from the top instead of from the side and the colors will be identical.
2. How can I distinguish quality of cotton threads?
There are three grades of cotton and the majority of cotton thread is made from the lowest and medium grades.
Low: Regular staple (or short staple) cotton. Thread made from this grade is never marked as regular or short staple. It is labeled only as 100% cotton or mercerized cotton.
Medium: Long staple cotton. Will be labeled as such.
High: Extra-long staple cotton. Will be labeled as such.
3. What does mercerized mean and is it important?
Mercerizing is a process of treating cotton thread in a solution, causing the fibers to swell. This process allows the dye to better penetrate the fibers, thereby increasing the luster and strengthening the thread. While some lower quality threads may not be mercerized, any long staple and extra-long staple cotton thread is most likely mercerized even it is not labeled as such. Lower quality cotton threads are often marked "mercerized cotton" when there is nothing else to brag about.
4. Help! The thread is breaking.
If you are using a quality thread, your machine should be able to sew with it. The solution is usually as simple as this: The needle it too small or the tension is too tight.
5. Will polyester thread tear my quilt?
No. If thread ever tears through the quilt, it is only because it was much stronger than the fabric. Some cotton thread is stronger than poly. To prove this, get some glazed (or coated) cotton thread and compare it to a polyester thread. Polyester is perfectly safe to use. Choose the thread by its quality and for the effect it gives.
6. Why are there so many different standards for thread measurement? What's the difference between a 50 wt., #50 and tex 50 thread?
As consumers, we would like all thread with a 50 on it to be similar in size. Likewise for a 40, 30, and so on. However, the density of cotton, polyester, rayon, and metallic are all different so a 40 wt. cotton will not be the same as a 40 wt. poly. Some companies use the wt. standard, others use the tex standard, and others use the number standard. It is all mixed up and will never be coordinated. Therefore, our advice is to not rely on the printed info. Choose your threads by using your fingers your eyes and you will always choose the correct size. Fine threads to blend, medium and heavier threads to show.
7. Is it OK to piece with polyester?
Polyester is a very durable thread and is fine for piecing if that is what you prefer. It will not tear or damage the quilt. A fine, lint-free poly thread may even make a smoother seam than a cotton thread. However, there is one caution: When you iron the seams, make sure your iron is on the medium setting for synthetics and not on the high setting for cotton. Although polyester is heat resistant, it is not as heat resistant as cotton and a high-heat iron can melt it.
8. Is there a difference between embroidery thread and quilting thread?
Not really. It is a matter of personal preference. Traditionally, embroidery thread has been rayon. However, rayon is fairly weak and is not always colorfast. The newer high-sheen Trilobal polyester threads are a better choice because they are stronger and colorfast. We want a thread that looks beautiful, is adequately strong for the task, and is colorfast.
9. What's the difference between plastic-sided and cardboard-sided prewound bobbins?
For machines that are compatible with prewound bobbins, we've notice that nearly all machines can use the cardboard-sided type (some prefer to remove the cardboard sides) but some machines do not like the plastic-sided types. Plastic-sided bobbins are too slick for some machines and the lack of friction causes the thread to backlash. This does not happen with the cardboard-sided bobbins.
10. Were there any eye-opening discoveries this year?
Yes. Bobbin tension plays a bigger role than most people realize. Many have been taught to never touch the bobbin tension. We need to change that thinking. If we have made the usual needle size and top tension adjustments and still are experiencing problems, the next place to look is the bobbin tension. It is probably set too tight. By loosening the bobbin tension, we gain a wider range of compatibility between the top and bottom. It will make a difference. Our expensive machines should be able to run any quality thread. Don't limit yourself to a single type of thread only because "that's all my machine likes." Your machine can and will run any quality thread if you make the easy and necessary adjustments.