I lost my Mother alittle over 3 years ago and was left with lots of mixed thread...LOTS. Not high quality thread, well some are coats & clark. Not sure what to do with it. Been using some in the bobbin. Trying not to gross out my new machine...

You could always donate it to a local group who makes charity stuff? Or I would keep using it in my machine as long as the machine doesn't get mad at you....my machine can be very fussy :-)

I've been using older Coats & Clark thread for years - even some on wooden spools. From some of the postings I have read lately, I think maybe the older thread was better made.

I knew I could count on your quick answers !! Love you guys!

I have thread left to me by my mother who died in 1986...and she had thread left over from her mother, who died in 1964.

The sewing machine shop said to toss it because it isn't any good.

I have put it aside, but I still choose to use it on occasion. For the extra linty stuff, I just clean the machine more frequently.

I am also saving any empty wooden spools....for a project I have yet to discover!

With the prices of everything going up, I would use it as long as it is working well for you. Thread can get pricey! If you're not interested in using it, I like the donating idea. I had a bunch of spools that I bought at a yard sale. I donated them to the community center where they teach kids to sew and quilt.

I don't quite believe the "don't use old thread" rule is valid. I mean, if the thread was stored away from dust and direct sunlight, what's the problem?Maybe not for a show quilt. If the thread sewn into our clothes can endure the stress of wearing, seams getting pulled on when we sit etc, temperature changes from heated indoors to frigid outdoors, and WASHING (with hot and cold water and detergent) and DRYING, then why would thread that's been resting peacefully in box or drawer for years crumble? Most of the time, clothes become unwearable due to stains or wear of the fabric, not the seams. And most of our clothes are hardly couture with the finest thread. I don't think clothes sold at Target have fancy thread in them. So I'm gonna keep using my own thread stash for everything but my finest projects (and those too for appliqué). I suspect some of that "old thread is bad" argument is intended to push us to buy more thread.

Go ahead and keep using it in the bobbin. As long as it's still strong and doesn't break. You're smart to keep it out of your tension discs. Coats and Clark is poorer quality thread, so limit it to the bobbin and you'll use it up that way!

here is an idea for leftover spools my aunt and I did one summer I was visiting. she would go to salvation army or good will or yard sales and pick up costume jewelery then take it apart for the gems...then we would take ribbon and cover the middle of the spools or can paint them. we then would take pieces of the jewelery and glue it onto that to make a design. thread a ribbon through with a bead on the end to keep from pulling through and we would have christmas ornaments.

I have always thought the sewing machine people are in cahoots with the thread people!