Old Thread / Estate Sale Finds.....OK or Avoid?
 

Just wondering if thread gets "old"?
What are your thoughts of the baggies of thread that I
see at most of the Estate sales that I go to?
Most looks fairly old, but I was wondering if anybody can tell me if it is okay to
use in quilting; or should one avoid it like the plague?
Thanks for any info. :)

I can only speak from personal experience. I just completed an applique top that had 84 different fabrics, and I wanted to match fabric/thread. I had a really old spool of the exact color I needed. It was hard to work with. It kept breaking, and was hard to thread because it separated when cut. I did use it, but made sure I was using a "good" piece of thread. Hope it doesn't come back to haunt me. I did throw it out after I was done though!

I personally avoid old thread and fabric. But people say you can use old thread if it passes the snap test - hold about a foot's length in your hands and pull your hands apart quickly. If the thread snaps, toss it.

I often use older threads but like Peckish suggested I do a snap test and if I have any issues at all I take it out and move on. But then again, I was using a vintage machine that could use just about anything. The modern machine I use now is fussier, I'm figuring it's time to pass on my vintage threads.

Thread does get old, especially cotton thread will dry out. But I do the snap test and if it holds up there, then I use Sewer's Aid on it. It helps restore it. I go thru white, off-white, and beige thread quite a bit, but my other colors not so much since I don't sew clothes anymore. Most of the other colors are for mending.

You run into the problems of dried out thread, excess lint, and dust with old spools. Like Tartan, I like the look of wood spools (empty or full) as decoration, but wouldn't use the thread I bought with my SInger 15-91 at an estate sale.

I echo the advice given. Keep those pretty spools with their "clothes" on!

I bought about 100 spools from an estate. Paid $8.00. Almost all my sewing is donation quilts, I found most of my purchase to be alright.

using old threads
 

agree with the snap test and also with using thread on wooden spools as decorator items in a glass jar. However, if you have old thread on plastic spools and want to make use of it, unroll it from the spool and keep it in a baggie until you get the amount/colors you want, then sandwich them between layers of wash-away stabilizer to make decorative thread lace - sample photo attached - then use the lace to decorate bags, clothes, etc, or stitch to background as in photo as wall hanging. As shown in the picture, add other items of interest if desired - this one contains hexagons from an old, unusable GFG made by my own grandmother, some feathers, bits of vintage tatted lace, beads (added after adding it to background), silk ribbons, etc.