Back to our thread dilemma…
You are staring at a myriad of thread choices either in the shop or online. You have made your choice on materials based upon your newly found knowledge. But now to decide on the thread size.
There are loads of options from really thin to so thick you’re not sure it will fit through your needle! There are a bunch of different numbers on the spools. What do they all mean?
There are typically three sets of numbers on the thread.
- Length
- SKU
- Thickness
The length is usually provided in yards or meters. It is pretty self-explanatory.
SKU or Stock Keeping Unit – I always wondered what that acronym meant – is the company’s stock number. That number helps them keep track of colors and materials. Matching this number when you need to buy more for the same project is pretty important!
Thickness or weight can get a little more complicated. There are three different measurement systems for thickness.
Thickness
Weight is the measure known to most quilters. This standard is actually based upon length. Yup – go figure. It is the number of kilometers of thread in 1 kilogram. This makes the numbers a little less intuitive. The higher the number, the more kilometers, which means the THINNER the thread. The lower the number, the fewer kilometers, which means the THICKER the thread.
Denier is a little simpler to understand. It is the standard used for embroidery thread. It is based upon the weight of 9 km of thread. The most common size is 120 denier, which means 120 grams per thread. This thread is typically paired, so it is written as 120/2 or 240 denier. The nice thing with this thread is the logic – the larger number, thicker the thread.
Tex is the newest standard, which the standard organizations would like the industry to adopt. We quilters are steeped in traditions and habit, so don’t expect to see it too soon. Tex is similar to denier, except it is based on 1 km of thread. Again, the larger the number, the thicker the thread.
In Reality
If you are with me so far, you are doing well. From this point on, we are going to keep it simple and just talk in terms of weight. It is the most common, so is the easiest to follow.
Since you have twisted your brain around the logic of weight, you know that the smaller number is a thicker thread. And a larger number is a thinner thread.
This should mean that 100 wt thread is really thin compared to a 12 wt thread. This is generally true.
One would ASSUME that means that all 40 wt threads are the same thickness. NOPE.
Look at the picture on the left. From left to right the thread thicknesses are: 100 wt (thinnest), 50 wt, 40 wt, 40 wt and 12 wt (thickest).
But wait, the two 40 wt threads don’t look the same. Are you sure you labeled them correctly?
Yep – I triple checked. The one on the right is OMNI (40 weight, corespun polyester). The one on the left is Magnifico (40 weight 2 ply polyester thread). So, what does all that mean? It means they are constructed differently, so they look different even though they have the same amount of thread. The two ply looks “fuller”.
The same holds true if you compare a 50 wt cotton thread to a 50 wt polyester thread. They may look different because they have different densities.
Then, why bother with the weight if it doesn’t help you figure out which threads are thicker??? Are you getting as frustrated as I was when I started running this experiment? Glad I am not alone.
You have to make sure you are comparing apples to apples. The thread weights matter when you compare two threads with the same material and same construction. A two ply 50 wt poly thread is thinner than a two ply 40 wt poly thread. A two ply 50 wt cotton thread is thinner than a two ply 40 wt cotton thread.
Uses
If you are done with the mind-bending thickness exercise, let me make it simple for you.
Compare threads before you buy them. Lay them on a contrasting fabric and take a picture. Blow it up and take a good look at it. That will help you truly understand how they compare.
Then, think about how you are going to use it.
Micro quilting – Really thin threads like 100 wt are great for microquilting. They look good for small stitches without building up lots of thread. If you are adding lots of filler stitches – this is it.
Piecing – If you want really flat seams, use a 50 wt or 60 wt thread.
Blended quilting – If you want the fabric to shine, pick a thinner quilting thread like 50 wt or 60 wt.
Proud quilting – If you want the quilting to shine, pick a little thicker thread like 30 wt or 40 wt. Just understand that any backtracking or double stitching will be MUCH more noticeable.
Statement quilting – Do you want your thread to stand out – think modern, sashiko or wool hand stitching? Then, you want a really thick thread 20 wt, 12 wt or even 8 wt. Of course, this is when you need to decide if you are sewing by machine or by hand. Most machines can handle 12 wt, but not 8 wt.
Needles and Tension
You may be wondering what bobbin thread I used in these examples. It was all 50 wt thread poly thread. I did not adjust my tension in any of these – it was all factory settings.
I did change my needles based upon the thread thickness.
What did I use? That is the subject of next week’s blog!
Happy quilting!
