Which one is not 50wt?
 

Can you pick the 1 that is not 50wt thread? All are sewn with the same pre-wound Bobby Cot bobbin thread.

middle one

The one on the right looks thinner, but I keep forgetting about threads, higher number, thinner? Lower number thicker?

Third to the right.

Middle one for me

I'll guess left one.

I think it is the one on the right.

Weight doesn't tell the whole story. How many ply in each thread?

I'm going to guess the one on the far left as it looks a little heavier to me. I'm guessing the center is a 3 ply 50wt, and the far right is a 2 ply 50wt.

I'm also guessing you need to reduce your upper tension :)

In order, left to right:
Coats and Clark 30wt
Connecting Threads 50wt
Aurifil 50wt.

The whole point of this little guessing game is because I bought several spools of the Coats and Clark cotton quilting thread on a great sale, not realizing it was 30wt. I figured I'd never use it because it is, at 30wt, generally considered too heavy to use for piecing. I have been using Aurifil so of course the difference was huge! I decided to try some Connecting Threads brand thread because it gets pretty consistent positive reviews so I bought their Salt and Pepper collection. I was truly surprised to see that it is practically the same size at 50wt as the Coats and Clark 30wt thread.

Now, here is where I am getting really confused: Aurifil at 2ply is considered 50wt and Connecting Threads at 3 ply is considered 50wt, so why are both threads not the same size?

DogHouseMom - I probably do need to tweak the tension on the machine. I was using it for another project using heavier fabric than the sample and the picture was taken using the super macro setting on my camera so any flaw will be revealed. :)

Woo hoo! Exactly as I guessed.

The "50wt" indication means that it will take 50 kilometers of thread to weigh 1 kilogram. So a thinner thread that is 50wt is denser (and heavier) than a 50wt thin thread. This is regardless of the number of ply.

http://www.superiorthreads.com/educa...-measurements/

As for that 30wt you accidentally picked up ... use it to quilt with!!

Boy is that confusing! So, which one is best for what?

Actually, a 2-ply 50 weight thread is thinner than a 3-ply 50 weight thread. This is because the weight is apparently calculated for the single strand, not for the thread after multiple strands are put together. http://www.superiorthreads.com/educa...weight-system/

I missed that part Dunster ... thanks.

>>Obviously, a 50/3 is heavier than a 50/2 because it has three strands of a size 50 thread twisted together and the 50/2 has only two.

Wow! Great information, dunster! Never knew that......

What is the fabric that is being sewn?
What is the ply of the thread?
By the way, what point are you making here?

This was incredibly informative!

Cotton Fabric - 2 layers. I'm sorry I don't know the manufacturer.
The Coats & Clark and the Connecting Threads are 3 ply, the Aurifil is 2 ply.
It was a question. I believe I stated my question clearly. If you have 2 threads of the same stated weight, as are the Connecting Threads and the Aurifil, why are they different sizes? The Coats & Clark 3 ply at 30wt is practically identical to the Connecting Threads 3 ply 50wt when looking at them with a naked eye. I don't have a microscope handy to truly compare them.
DogHouseMom and Dunster were gracious enough to take the time to explain the differences.

Thanks for posting this question. I like their conclusion:

" Choose thread based on the type of fiber, look, feel, and thickness and not by the printed weight size. Trust your eyes and fingers more than the label. You'll get better results and be much happier with your selection. Choose fine threads to blend and medium and heavier threads to show."

taken from http://www.superiorthreads.com/educa...weight-system/

Coats and clark quilting thread is for hand quilting. has a wax coating and can cause problems with your machine. Vi

This seems about right to me. There would be no reason you COULDN'T use 30 weight to piece, except for all the bulk in the seams, and how that would throw off your 1/4". That's why a lot of us use a thinner piecing thread like Aurifil or Alex Anderson or John Flynn threads from Superior. I have found, too, that Connecting Threads thread is quite a bit heavier than I like for piecing, but I do use it for quilting.

Unless I am doing hand embroidery, this is what I want from thread: (1) color match or contrast depending on what I'm sewing; (2) no damage to the fabric, therefore no "invisible" thread; (3) hold the fabric together for as long as the sewn item is viable and (4) be something I can pay for.

Coats and Clark meets all my criteria. Blessings to all of you who have other criteria and mey the thread fairy keep your seams straight and strong. froggyinexas

I'm with you froggyintexas

I think the far right..

I'm thinking it's the middle one.