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(Photo by Gregory Case Photography)

This week's workout is to sort through your entire thread collection. Do you enjoy working in several different mediums (handwork, machine embroidery, machine quilting, etc.)? It's easy when you are in the middle of a project to toss threads into a bin or bag, only to later discover that you can't find just the color/type that you need.

Keeping all of these specialized threads from becoming one jumbled mess can be a monumental task, but by sorting them you will avoid frustration down the road. So, ask a friend over, or put on a movie and get to work. Before you know it, you will be done. When you have completed the sorting:

• Take note of what colors you have/need in each type of thread. 
• This might be a good time to stock up on those basics (black, white, cream, neutrals, etc.) that you use most often. 
• Check thread company and quilt shop sales to re-stock so you are ready for upcoming projects.

If you prefer to use the same thread in the bobbin as the top, take time to pre-wind bobbins for each color/type of thread. This, again, will save time when you are ready to start a project.

Sharon Pederson has a great tip for keeping matching thread and bobbin together AND how to sort bobbins of different thread weights for easy access later.

Speaking of thread. Do you love using the "vintage" thread you inherited from Grandma? Does thread have a shelf life, or do you need to throw the old stuff out?  

Bob Purcell, at Superior Threads, says:

"A good quality thread that is produced today will last much longer than thread which was produced 15 or 20 years ago. Even the best quality cotton thread of a generation ago did not have the advanced processing techniques available to us today and it would probably be best to avoid using them. However, a top quality cotton thread manufactured today, like MasterPiece and King Tut, will probably be fine to use 40 or 50 years from now. The difference is due to a higher quality cotton and advancements in spinning, dyeing, and twisting technology. Since Cotton is a natural fiber, it will degrade over time.

A good test to check whether or not the cotton threads you have are OK to use is to hold about a one foot section in both hands and pull apart. If the thread snaps (you should feel a nice, crisp break), then it is OK to use. If the thread just separates and pulls apart easily, I wouldn't use it.

As for polyester thread, the color may fade over the years with exposure to sunlight but there is no evidence that the thread deteriorates, so it will last a lot longer than we will."

(Photo from the Dreamstress)

Leimomi Oakes of the Dreamstress, and Fashion and Textile historian, finds that using "vintage" threads works just fine for her:

"I estimate that 90% of my sewing is done with vintage thread, and I’ve never had a problem with it. No breakages in the machine, no breakages in clothes I wear (including ones I made over a decade ago, and still wear), no funny pulls or tension issues.

Yet over, and over on the internet I hear ‘never use old thread’, ‘thread has a shelf life’, ‘vintage thread just isn’t strong enough and doesn’t work right’, ‘old threads are thicker’.

I use new thread for commissions and when sewing with students, so I’ve been able to compare new with old on the same machines, and even on different projects in the same fabrics.  I’ve tested and tested, and just can’t find any substantial evidence that using old thread gives a substandard result compared to new thread.

I do match thread to fabric – I use my vintage cotton threads for vintage cotton and rayon fabrics, my slightly less old cotton thread for slightly less old cotton and rayon fabrics, and only use new poly/polymix thread for synthetic fabrics and knits and the occasional silk chiffon.  Polyester thread is certainly stronger for its width compared to cotton thread, but my new cottons are no stronger or thinner than my old ones.

It can’t be that it’s just that my vintage threads were stored properly, as they come from so many different sources.  I’ve got Grandma’s 20-60 year old threads, which spent their life in San Diego, Great-Aunt’s 20-35 year old threads, from Idaho and Hawaii, Nana’s 20-60 year old threads, from New Zealand, plus all the ones I pick up in op-shops around New Zealand."

The other reason given for not using vintage thread is that it creates more lint than modern thread.

First, this not entirely true  – some vintage threads may create more lint than modern threads, but a good quality vintage thread still creates less lint than a cheap modern thread.

To really check, I did a test where I cleaned my machine completely and sewed only with vintage thread for a month, cleaned, and checked the lint accumulation.  Then I sewed only with brand new Mettler or Gutterman, cleaned and checked the lint accumulation.  The difference was negligible.  So I did it again – same result!  If anything, there was less lint from the vintage thread.   (I know.  I am such a mad sewentist!  I can’t ever accept the things that sewing books say without testing).  I’d have to do this a couple hundred more times to really get a totally accurate answer, but for now I’m comfortable that the difference isn’t a problem – especially for modern sewing machines, with fairly limited expected lifespans.

Second, even if your vintage thread is creating more lint, it’s not an issue.  Simply clean your machine regularly, which you should be doing anyway."

Thread has qualities, like the number of twists, loose fibers, and how smooth the thread is, which make a difference when it comes to lint. Check out what a number of threads look like under the microscope. Nancy Purvis, at Owen's Olivia, shares the results when it comes to lint. Is your favorite under the microscope?  

We'd love to hear your comments on this thread issue. Share your experience with "vintage" threads.

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