Caring for Your Thread

Thread has always been an important component of home sewing, but until relatively recently home sewers have had only a limited selection to choose from. The availability of more manufactured and natural fiber types, and the surge in home embroidery machine sales, has created the need for stitchers to create a variety of "thread stashes" — spools for embroidery, for heirloom stitching, for serging, for embellishment, for garment sewing. etc.

Take proper care to prolong the usefulness of your thread collection. The following storage guidelines will help you care for your thread in the best possible way:

• Optimum temperature for thread storage is 68 degrees F.
• Humidity of the storage area should not exceed 65%.
• Thread should not be stored in direct sunlight or near a direct heat source, as even colorfast thread can weaken under these conditions.
• Thread should be used in a timely manner; if stored for a long period of time, it can lose its strength. Very old thread should be discarded and replaced. If you can't bear to part with Grandmother's old wooden spools, display them in a Mason jar or antique bowl where you can enjoy them — just don't use them!
• Natural fiber threads such as cotton, rayon, and linen will disintegrate more rapidly than synthetic fibers such as polyester, nylon, and acrylic.
• Sort thread by fiber content and weight to make it easy to organize what is needed for your current projects. Keep each type in a separate clear plastic bag or drawer.
• Store "slippery" thread, such as rayon, upright with a thread net (or Amazing Tape) slipped over it to keep the thread from becoming entangled with other spools.
• Keep in mind that "bargain" thread is usually not a bargain, and that even with the best storage conditions, inferior thread will not produce good results.

from the Bernina Archives