storing your thread
 

I was gifted a thread holder wondering how many of you use them. I was under the impression it was better to store it in a drawer?? I was also told it has a life of 3 years. I know some of mine is more than that and seems to work okay.

I store mine in a rolling plastic 3 drawer unit that I got at the dollar store. It works for me. I had one of the thread holders wth the pegs on it, but I had too many spools so I gave it away and went with the plastic drawers.

I keep mine in plastic bins with lids on them. Keeps things clean!

I've never understood how people can use the peg stands or the wall holders because my sewing room is always full of lint and dust from the fabrics. I vacuum at least three times a week and still have lint. I thought I must have the most fuzzy sewing room in the world. So with that said all my thread is also stored in a rolling drawer unit.

I keep mine on those peg stands. I know it could get dusty and I would have may have to replace it some day. But, I love having them handy and I can see quickly what I have and it is so easy to pick the thread I want to use. But, most importantly my young granddaughter loves to come and look at "grandma's colors". :)

I have it in the plastic pins with spool pegs. Much easier to pack it up and go when necessary. Now, iF I had only remembered to bring my 15 degree wedge tool with me.

Ditto...can't stand dusting thread spools!

I have 2 drawers , one for unused and one for in use.

Same here. I have one bin for neutrals and one for the quilty colors.

I have threads much older than 3 years...and I still sew with them without problems. It may be a sales pitch from the thread distribitors to get us to buy more than we really need to.

I also have thread more than 3 years old and have no problems with it. I store my thread in plastic boxes with dividers...have one for regular cotton thread, one for embroidery thread, and one for novelty threads. Then also have a drawer full of varigated colors for quilting.

My sewing room has two windows - south and west. Streams of sunlight!! All of my fabric and thread needs to be stored away from the sunlight. I use plastic tack boxes from Menards. Keeps them out of the sun and dust. I have 3 currently, but oh darn - was at Menards today and should have bought another!!

Thread can dry out. We hear about it often here in the desert. Told if you put the thread in a plastic bag sealed up with a few drops of water overnight, it will rehydrate. I haven't tried it yet, but it's supposed to solve old, dry thread that is breaking. I haven't had a problem yet, but very little of my thread is older than a year.

Now, if you are in an area that is moist in the summer, I can't see it being an issue. When I lived along the Great Lakes we had 80% humidity a lot of the summer.

Oh, back on topic- I had my thread in a drawer, but I was given a peg stand as gift, so they are now on that.

I keep mine in a clear over the door 12 pocket hanging shoe organizer... I can see all of it at a glance and I can shut the closet door to keep them fro getting dusty and out of the sunlight..

I use Acid free photo boxes with golf T's glued in the bottom set the spool over the T and there is room to store your matching bobbin if needed. Saw this Idea on QB works great, but I don't have a whole lot of thread, each box holds about 24 spools. I have a diffrent box for each type of thread.

My thread is in plastic tote bases (no lids) in drawers 'kind of' sorted by color - black/grey/white -- pink/purple -- orange/red/yellow -- blue/green -- handquilting thread -- speciality threads

I keep mine in rolling plastic drawers I bought at the Dollar store

Newbee3, My grandmother always said to keep your thread "out of the sun". Her thread holder was always on the wall next to her machine. We never had any problems with the thread. When not in use (to keep dust off), my grandfather made a cover for this thread holder that just fit over the top (like a picture or a door without hinges). I know that as a young person sewing on this machine and using the thread from the wall was always a trip (just because of the lables on some of this thread would have a price like 15 ct - just think about the age of that thread). I know I use cookie/candy cans (with lids because I like the pictures), for my thread. That way I can have them out, but not all over.

I keep mine in bins too to keep the dust off and covered to keep the light off. I also have thread much older than 3 years and seems to be doing fine. I think they are concerned with rot but I have never found rotten thread.

I found a wooden scrapbooking drawer unit that is the perfect size for thread, the drawer handles had preprinted titles on them (paper, glues, stickers, etc) I taped paper over it with the colors of the thread (reds & pinks, blues & purples, etc) it sits next to my machine and is perfect to just reach into.

My sweetie just finished builting me a cabinet for my threads. It is 4ft tall, 3 ft wide, has pegboard as the back so I just put those metal tool hangers in it and slip my thread on. Door closes keeping out dust and light. I love it, it is great. Holds about 100 cones of thread. I also have thread I have had for many years and I use it whenever, if I have a problem I pitch it out but it usually still works great. Thread costs too much not to use it.

Don't believe the advice about thread only lasting 3 years..........I have thread from many years and still strong.
If it doesn't easily break then use it. If thread only lasted 3 years think of all the quilts coming apart and we would be walking down the street with our clothes dropping off our body. I have never seen an expiration date on a spool of thread.
Bah.....humbug!!!

I have two 3-drawer (scrapbook) cabinets from Michael's stacked next to my machine. One drawer holds a ton of thread and keeps them from getting dusty.

I bought some bins from te fishing dept of Walmart and I store my thread in them, They are a good buy instead of buying a quilt thread holder. Check out the fishing dept for diferent containers!

If thread has a life of 3 yrs then what is holding together those 100 yr old quilts; many have been washed mulitple times and some were done so on an old wash board. I almost got rid of my thread a few years ago that was old until I thought about all of those quilts still out there. I'm sure if thread had that short of life on a spool tucked away then it wouldn't even make it around for 3yrs once put into a quilt and used and abused. I have 2 thread holders and use them. I don't see a problem with it as long as it's not in the sun and gets used enough not to get to dusty

I have some of mine on a wall thread holder but I put clear plastic over the top of the holder so the thread is covered
with plastic.
My machine embroidery thread is in a plastic thread container from Joanns.

I store my some of my threads on a wall holder but I attached clear plastic to it so it would cover the thread.
I put my embroidery thread in a plastic thread box from Joanns.

I have a 120 spool peg rack on the wall next to my machine and keep it covered with a piece of clear plastic vinyl I bought at Walmart. Works great, keeps it close to the machine and free of dust , dirt etc.
My embroidery machine thread is a a wood cabinet with a glass door that got recessed into the wall when my sewing room was built, so only the trim shows. makes my thread look very pretty :)

I use the peg holders I have 2 for regular thread and 1 my DH made me for serger thread. I haven't had any problems, but mine is hangs in a cabinet with the doors closed most of the time. The over stock is kept in plastic containers. I also keep my thread for the embroidery and quilting machines in plastic, they are the only ones that I have ever had trouble with related to lint. As far as, thread over 3 yrs old I've used some and have never had any issues. As far as the storing, I probably would not store mine out in the open, but I think it is a personal choice. I've heard good and bad on both.

I do the same!

romanojg- great point about the old quilts and their thread! I hadn't ever thought of it that way!

I keep mine in a plastic container in a drawer so no sunlight gets on them.

I like the bins to keep the dust off. I do have a rack on the wall for some of my older thread, but then I have to clean the dust off before I can use it.

Mine is throwed in a drawer. A couple of years ago I bought a pattern for a thread cubboard. It is so cute. It is deep enough for the cones and has several shelves, has a glass door, the wood around the glass is wooden yard sticks. and the knob on the door is an old wooden spool. My son in law is a carpenter, I gave him the pattern to make for me, but alas, he hasnt had time yet. Maybe someday.

I store my thread in plastic drawers, old plastic sewing boxes, in dresser drawers. I love a bargain and buy thread at auctions and yard sales. I stay away from the bargain names. Some of my cotton blends are 25-35 years old (from when I was sewing clothes, etc.), vintage cotton thread does "rot". I do a tension test before I use the thread. If it snaps when I pull on the thread, I throw it out. I know there are "thread purists" out there, but hey, I recycle, reuse, regift, stay away from anything made in China (if I can). I use thread from my stash when piecing by machine, I do use machine quilting thread when I quilt by machine, and hand quilting thread when I quilt by hand. All my piecing is done with my stash of thread. I love thread, I have hundreds of spools.

I use those plastic Hot Wheels carriers that they usually have in Walmart around the holidays. They have different size compartments for different size spools - or cars, of course. Easy to tote too.

It is better to store them in something to keep the dust and LIGHT of them. Keeps them from getting dirty or faded. But, If don't keep so many and your going to use them up in a timely fashion...go ahead and use your gift. Maybe the colors will inspire you by keeping them in sight. :)

I use the plastic drawers also. Seems to keep dust out.

Lynn

I have mine in plastic bags, they are not sealed, but, I have a small rolling chest. They are put in the one drawer.

I keep mine in the plastic carry things made for miniature cars. Bought a bunch of them when they were around $5 at Walmart. I have 3 for embroidery threads and 3 for piecing and quilting threads. Love the colors showing thru.