How do you tell your thread weight when it’s not on the spool? My machine (and probably most others) is not supposed to use 20 weight or lower. Aside from more expensive threads, I’m thinking that general threads, like Coats & Clark, are probably above 20.
I have a small box of 26 Gutermann threads that I bought on sale through Joanns. They are 50 weight but I don’t want to always buy that brand.
Someone gave me a huge supply of vintage C&C Boilfast, O.N.T. threads cones and large spools. They look and feel like good quality but alas, no weight is on any of them. I love them and will use them anyway because I have an inexpensive, electronic, Brother machine, which I like. I consider it disposable so if the thread ruins it I will be excited to buy another.
I hate to say it, but you might not want to use the vintage thread. Personally, I would not. Thread gets dry rot over time, and becomes very brittle. That can cause it to snap, either while you’re sewing, or later in the project you sewed with it. If you sew a garment or a quilt, imagine the seam breaking inside the project. That can be really hard to repair later. It can also cause skipped stitches and uneven seams, and it sheds ‘fluff’, which does get into your machine parts and ruins them. And into the air that YOU are breathing. You might be willing to replace your machine, but it’s harder to replace your lungs, and your very special self.
At every theatrical costume shop I’ve ever worked in, when people would donate old sewing things, we would smile, and politely say “thank you!”, and then have to throw out nearly every spool of thread. It just doesn’t work well for sewing.
If the idea of throwing it out hurts your heart, you can try the Pull/Snap Test. Unspool a length of thread and pull it firmly. If it breaks easily, toss it. Or you can make decorative crafts with it. I remember on Deadster someone created a wreath of vintage sewing bits and bobs, including spools of thread.
I will do this. I don’t know how old they really are. After a little research and examining the spools, I assumed they are vintage.
Yes, I only sew for myself now, decor and small functional things. Don’t sell handmades online anymore. If I sew something and gift it, it is a small project. Not anything critical. If I make anything important for myself or anyone else, I will probably not use these threads.
I don’t sew often, but I do clean my machine race regularly and am surprised at the fluff that accumulates. Thanks for the heads up!
I have pretty good experience sewing with inherited thread, but it all came from one source (my greataunt’s stash) so maybe it’s luck that it was kept in the right climate or something. Most are name brands such as Gütermann and Anchor. When I received it, I did the pull / snap test and run the thread between my index finger and thumb to see if it sheds fluff, and tossed about a third. Whenever I want to use thread I don’t remember buying, I repeat those steps.
I have set aside my vintage threads for decorative sewing on paper, if that is of any interest to you.
2 Likes
AIMR
(Linda -In the year 2025, I am happy to be alive! :us:)
6
I do test my threads and have found that those with a polyester blend seem to hold up pretty well. The really old cotton ones, thread, trims, bias tape, etc., I throw out. I actually had some vintage cotton lace crumble in my hands!
I might unravel some to use to make new fabric or things that aren’t precious or going to be worn or used much. Like @MistressJennie said, it isn’t worth your time to have the thread fail on any of your lovely projects!
It definitely is of interest to me. And I also thought, after @MistressJennie 's comment, that I can even cut clumps of the threads off the spool to use in mixed media and bookmaking projects.
Yes, this is best, especially since @MistressJennie asked if, It would hurt my heart to throw it all away. It definitely would, especially since I love gazing at colors.
20 weight is a really heavy thread, you wouldn’t confuse that with regular sewing thread. That’s the kind of thread that’s used for sewing tents and handbags. Anything that looks like something you’d use to sew a garment with is around 30.
The only thought I have about weight is if you can treat it like knitting wool and work out the wraps per inch. So wrap it round a ruler and see how many adjacent wraps you get in an inch, and compare that to a thread where you know the WPI. Might be fiddly though.
Yep, a little fiddly. This is what I gleaned at your link:
Currently, there really isn’t a standard (or universal) global measurement that is used by all manufacturers…
Simply put, thread weight measures the thickness of a thread. It does this by measuring how much (in length) of a certain thickness of thread is needed for a specific form of measurement. Are your eyes crossing yet? Mine are…
Having two different meanings to “weight” makes using the “wt” number on a spool not only a bit confusing when comparing threads from different brands but not necessarily accurate. So you’ll want to use your eyes and fingers to make the comparison more so than the numbers on the spool…
There are many different ways that thread weight and therefore thickness is measured. And the labeling (some that doesn’t follow any of the measurement systems or lack of labeling in some cases) is only a guide to where a thread fits into a brand’s threads. Again, we recommend you use your eyes and fingers to judge between different brands of the same “weight” to see which one you want for your project…
Of course, there is much more discussion at this link, hence, my ellipses. It is a very good article and I bookmarked it. For the type of general sewing I do, whether decorative or functional, I see that I don’t have to be so concerned about thread weights.
What @Immaculata shared makes all the difference to me. Any threads that I have would fall at 30 and above.
I have a spool of Corticelli thread that I inherited from my mom. On the spool it says Button & Carpet Thread 64 M. My research showed that 64 M is a very coarse thread. This thread is certainly that, beige-colored and very thick. Of course, it does not budge when pulled or jerked. I knew I would not be using it in my machine. I tossed it into my supplies for stringing beads. I also learned that Corticelli was a premier silk thread manufacturer.
The big cardboard-tube spools are almost certainly quilting cotton, which are reasonably heavy-weight, but shouldn’t be a problem for your machine.
I have had good luck with older C&C threads & wouldn’t be concerned about weight on them, but anything off-brand miscellaneous is probably worth at least a pull-test.
Thanks for the heads up!
It definitely would, especially since I love gazing at colors.