Older threads
 

Hello- I recently watched Tula on YouTube and she mentioned that you can use the better brands of thread as they get older, which was news to me.

I’m going through my collection and keeping the Madeira, Isacord and Sulky branded threads and ignoring the Coats brand.

I have a lot of Robison Anton threads. I’m not familiar with these. Which pile should these go in, in your opinion? Should they go with the Coats or the Sulky pile?

Thank you!!

To test whether or not a thread should be discarded do a ( tug test) you pull out about 18” of thread, wrap it around both hands and give a good tug- if it breaks its time to get rid of it- if it’s strong and doesn’t break its a keeper. I’ve had brand new spools of expensive name brand thread that wasn’t usable and I’ve had 40 year old thread still usable. Name doesn’t matter, age doesn’t matter. How it has been stored matters. You can buy thread that was in a warehouse for a long time before it got to the store and heat/ humidity/ packaging wasn’t up to par and it’s no good from the start.

I would use them all as long as there were no issues with breaking or shredding. Use them up. You can pull out a section of thread approx 15 to 20 inches. Wrap around your hands and pull/snap the thread to check if it breaks easily.

PS: I use threads until there are issues with breaking. Quite often the issue is solved with replacing the needle or changing type/size of needle.

Ok so I shouldn’t give up on the Coats then. I’ve read a lot of people saying that brand doesn’t work well in the newer machines. Likewise, I’ll have to test the ‘good’ ones.

Thank you.

I have lots of cotton covered polyester Dual Duty Coats & Clark thread. I didn't know about Aurifil, etc. until comparatively recently, but my machines are quite content with C&C. But then, all my machines are pre 1990.

My criteria is also - does it break easily? If yes, it gets discarded.

If you are "thread selective" - if you wish to donate or sell your Coats thread, I am reasonably sure there would be takers.

I have a new Janome 6700 and use Coats and Clark, connecting threads, superior, etc. no problem with any of them.

I disagree with the statement that new threads are ok and old threads are not. Statements made above are the tests to be used. If it s strong then use it. If it easily breaks then don’t.

I do the break test, too. I don't mind using old C & C, but I intensely dislike the new stuff. It's way too stiff. Superior Masterpiece is my favorite, but I really am not a thread snob and only my Elna is fussy. The vintage Singers and Necchi don't care.

The reason why some say that old threads should not be used is that the newer machines with a higher stitch speed put more wear/stress on the thread and can break the thread, and the thread can give off more lint which is not good for the machine. I use whatever thread I want on my older slower machines, but hesitate to use anything but high quality thread on my newest one. If I do use an older thread and it passes the "break test," I still slow the machine down a lot. You'll know very quickly if a thread is too old when you start getting thread breaks even though you've put a new needle in. You also need to think about how the quilt will be used. Will it get a lot of stress and wear in its use? Or, is it more of a quilt that will be used for display. If people will be sitting on the quilt or kids may drag (God forbid) it on the floor, I'd use a newer thread just to play safe instead of sorry.

So what constitutes a "higher stitch speed"? I ask because I have a DSM that does 1500 spm. I also have an Innova longarm, which is plenty fast. I have only had an issue with one thread, which I later found out was taken out of production because so many other quilters were having problems with it.

There are other (more common) factors that will cause multiple thread breaks; using the wrong size needle, a burr on the needle or elsewhere along the thread path, etc. You can also decrease the stress and friction on the thread by using a topstitch needle. They have a larger eye. They also have a longer scarf, which is a groove in the side of the needle where the thread sits as it moves in and out of the fabric, reducing friction.

I'm with those that say to determine if the thread is good or not, do a break test. If your break test is fine but the thread breaks as you're sewing with it, then switch to a needle with a larger eye.

It's amazing how all the new in touch quilters know so much more and become experts in such a short amount of time. Now any quilter with a following seems to be a master quilter and expert of all things quilt related. The last few well known new quilt designer/instructor classes I have taken they have given out contradictory info from each other. One says don't the other says do. Too many are being hyped as the next new star in the quilting world that really don't know much other then what they want to sell.

Robinson Anton makes beautiful thread for machine embroidery or decorative stitching. I probably wouldn't use it for piecing, though. Check the fibre content - if it's cotton or polyester, it will probably hold up for piecing. Anything else I would set aside for decorative stitching only.

Thank you, that was very helpful. I wasn’t able to find many reviews and it’s new to me.

Robinson Anton makes a number of different types of threads and sizes. I have RA polyester, rayon, and cotton threads. I use the RA polyester thread when I am embroidery free standing lace for things like bookmarks. It is a fairly strong sturdy thread. I used a lot of the rayon for embroidery as it has a nice luster and looks beautiful...but it is not strong enough for use in piecing. I use 50 weight cotton RA for embroidery of fine free standing lace like delicate snowflakes and have also used to applique as it is fine and blends in. I am sure these threads can be used for other purposes too. I would go to the manufactorers website and do some researches on various threads as they make several kinds for different uses. I have some coats ad clarks dual duty thread and find it fine to use for piecing although a bit thick and what I mostly use it for is top stitching on binding which I apply by machine when I want the color I have. I would not use dual duty for embroidery or even long arm quilting as it, if I remember correctly is a poly thread in the core which has cotton thread cross wound around it and tends to fray in break in embroidery machine or at the speeds long arms go.

As others have mentioned, I do a break test and if it passes and is cotton or polyester it gets used for everything, piecing, quilting, etc. If it passes the break test but is rayon, "art silk", nylon, or unknown content. I use it for decorative stitching on art quilts. I've used very old thread (as in 75 to 100 year old thread) as well as thread from the later half of the 20th century and never had a problem with it in any of my machines (including the PQ1500s and the Sweet Sixteen) as long as it passes the break test and is paired with the correct needle.

Also, some vintage machines are "high speed" if you consider 1500spm to be high speed and some modern machines aren't if you consider 850smp to be slow.

Rob

The Robison Anton Thread is a good high quality thread. It goes in the Sulky pile all the way. I use it for embroidery work and domestic sewing. It is a good and strong thread.