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I may (she leans closer) sometimes (she glances surreptitiously over her shoulder) accidentally (her voice lowers to a whisper) use Coats & Clark's thread...
So, here's the thing - I picked up the impression from a class on PR that all brands of thread are not created equal and some really are higher quality than others.
What do you think? Do you just buy whatever thread your local store stocks, or are you particular about your brand? Have you noticed a difference across brands? If so, what brand(s) do you recommend?
PS - that is a picture of an approximately 50-year old spool of thread, found still threaded on my Grandmother's sewing machine. From back in the day when it was cool to be "mercerized" ! ;)
14 comments:
I use Coats & Clark thread with no misgivings whatsoever. There was an article in a sewing magazine (I really need to find it because this issue comes up periodically) that showed extremely close-up views of various thread brands, and believe it or not, Coats & Clark was more smooth (less lint) than any of the other threads including Gutterman! Before reading that article, I would religiously use Gutterman but after seeing that I felt comfortable going back to Coats & Clark. I always clean my bobbin race and the threading area carefully after every project, and I use a can of compressed air to make sure all the lint is clear. Did PR say Coats & Clark was bad? Of course, I don't use a fancy expensive machine. I just have a simple little Brother.
My choices are limited to what is offered at the local Hancock's ...either C&C or Mettler. My choice is based simply on which one is the better color match for the project, although if it is important to use fine (as in not very big around) thread for topstitching or fine (as not very thick) fabric, then I will go with the best match the Mettler can give me, as it *is* a finer thread than the C&C.
But, like Miss Linda, I have a pretty basic machine that doesn't seem to mind which thread it's fed.
I tend to agree with the other two commenters- I will always use whatever will give me the best color match. If I need the thread now, I use what they have at Hancock's.
All of my basic colors are Gutterman however because it is so much cheaper to buy them from Atlanta Thread & Supply than to buy thread at Hancock's and I like Gutterman. They come in bigger spools too - so I am less apt to run out in the middle of a project.
I have very few problems with any of them though so I don't discriminate.
i admit, i prefer gutterman or mettler, because they are crosswound. they feed better on my machine. i especially like mettler's silk finish cotton. i'll use c&c, but only as a last resort.
(i have a janome. not a cheapo, but it was under $800 10 years ago)
I'm amazed at what I'm reading here about thread! I had no idea, not sewing at all. But the picture of the 50 year old thread seems like it would hold up well over the years!
I generally use either C&C or Gutermann's, since that's what's generally available at Joann's. Though I'm trying to use the Gutermann's more often than the C&C now-- my mom found something somewhere that said that pulling the C&C back out of the machine, rather than clipping the thread and pulling it out through the needle, can damage the machine over time! Not sure if that's true, but I do tend to have trouble with the C&C snagging and tangling for handsewing anyway.
I have Coats & Clarks thread, but I usually use Guttermans.
I use Gutermann or Mettler. But I have to admit, it's not because of the quality. It's just because I like all my threads to look the same! Yes, I'm a pedantic Virgo.
I found the article that compares thread brands by using microscopic pictures to examine the number of loose fibers on the thread strand. Those fibers can get caught in the tension disks and eye openings of your sewing machine, which might cause problems. The article was published in 2000, so the information is not new, but it's still a very interesting article and the pictures tell so much! Here is the URL: http://sewing.about.com/library/weekly/aa102100a.htm
I see that the Coats & Clark 100% cotton thread seems to be one of the smoothest threads--but I also note that the C&C all-purpose thread (what I use for most projects) has more loose fibers than the Guttermann thread. It's a very interesting article!
When I need polyester thread, I use C&C. I do have Gutermann, but only black and white.
When I need cotton, I use YLI, Gutermann and Star. I don't think C&C makes a cotton thread. At least not in my area.
To me, C&C is just fine.
I use Guttterman as that seems to be the most popular in Australia (most colours). I wouldn't buy cheaper thread as it would be false economy if the seams break too easily.
I use Coats and Clark almost exclusively because that is what is cheapest and readily available. I will soon be experimenting with Gutermann though.
I do use C&C quite a bit - that is what is readily available and in the widest color range. I will go with Mettler for top stitch thread. That of course is for "regular" sewing. My "other" sewing sees quite a variety of thread and manufacturers, and yes there is a difference amongst the shiny and sparkly manufacturers, too! Some are better than others - customer service wise, too.
I think the age of the thread might make more of a difference. For a while I had signed off on C&C because it seemed like this thread I had for one project broke after every 1/2 inch LOL So I moved over to Gutterman which I do love and never had a problem. However I was in a pinch and I brought another spool of C&C and it worked fine with no breakage. So I'm thinking that maybe I had some stale C&C that time! LOL
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