I was at a LQS over the weekend. An instructor was teaching a class, and I overheard her say "And be sure to buy new thread every time you begin a project." One of the students said she has thread from a sewing project from last year, and the instructor told her to go into the store and buy new thread. Really? Thread doesn't last a year? I have orange thread from a Halloween project I made two years ago. In fact, I probably have thread from three years ago. Should I toss them out? Or, was this instructor trying to help the LQS by throwing a little extra business their way? How do we know if the thread at the LQS is more than a year old?

Sorry if these are dumb questions, but hearing what that instructor said really bothered me.

I have never heard this nor thrown thread out. Hmmm

that sounds strange! I would think as long as it isn't from the year of the flood it would be ok...

I've never heard that! You should check older threads by trying to stretch & break them. If it breaks easily, discard it, otherwise, it's good to go.

I would say she was helping the lqs. If thread holds the quilt together for years and years why would it even be possible for it to go bad within one year? It just doesn't add up to me :/

Ditto

dose she get a kick-back of the thread comp? knew I would don't take a class from her ot the LQS again.

I use thread of all ages. I could not afford to get new for every project. If I have a problem when using a spool, then I discard but not before. Would rather spend money on fabric. I stock up on thread when on sale or buy a color I need for project but don't have.

:thumbup:

I think a lot of the older threads are stronger than what they are selling now. I have never thrown any thread out.

ditto

Baloney! Clothes being washed and worn, exposed to light, mechanical stress, and extremes of temperature and humidity last years. Quality thread protected from light, dust, and temperature extremes and exposed to no stress or wear, is not going to go bad on the spool in a year, even 5 years, even longer. This is the type of thing that discredits a teacher or shop. IMO, this violates the trust of students. I've been experiencing this too, classes that are as much a commercial as a class. But to give such blatantly wrong advice just to generate sales? Blech! Bob Purcell, president of Superior Threads, teaches a thread seminar. He doesn't criticise other brands, and he says we should put quality thread collections in our wills.

good advice.

did you ask the teacher why she says to toss the thread? If I were you I would ask the next time I saw her or the shop owner.
In my 30+ yrs of quilting I have never heard this.

i have threads from years and years ago ~ they have been stored properly, and are still soft and strong. You can feel when thread dries out, then it is weakened and will snap and give you all sorts of fits. But you can sometimes rejuvenate an old spool by sticking it in the freezer overnight.

I have threads that say $.15 on the ends!!! my grandmother lived thru the depression, she never threw anything out! So I have thread that she bought at Woolworth's in probably the 40's and 50's, and because of the way she stored it, I am still working on using it up :)

Well, I don't think I would use thread from the '40s in one of my quilts. I would just display it and enjoy its prettiness! But I also don't buy new thread for every project unless I am working with colored thread and don't have a color that looks good with the colors in the quilt.

The instructor must have worked at the LQS. There is no reason for this.

If she didn't give a reason and couldn't back it up with facts then she was just putting in her two cents. I don't know of anyone that would not use thread they bought last year or five years ago. Most of my thread will be over five years old when I get around to using it all.

I think they just want you to buy their thread. I had something like that in a shop where I took my surger only they wispered loud that my thread quality was what was wrong with my machine so i asked a the tech about it and he said any thread in todays market is just fine and that in some of these quilt shops the thread is very old.

If she offered to help you get rid of the old stuff, I would really worry! Ha! Just a bad joke. As someone said, it doesn't wear out in old clothing or quilts, why should it wear out waiting to be used? I have thread years old that I still use.

I was not in the class. I was in the store and overheard what the instructor said. Buying new thread for each project didn't make sense to me, but I thought "Hey, she's an instructor so she must know what she's talking about."

I'm happy to know I'm not the only person who uses thread that's several years old.

You're not alone by far.

The stretch to break test is the best. If it breaks easy, toss it, otherwise use it.

I'm curious why the teacher said that. Maybe she had a reason other than helping the quilt shop out with sales.

I was in a sewing machine store having foot pedal rewired, glanced at his display of thread, and asked him how long thread was good.

He said a year. I just looked at him. He elaborated and said he even had ladies who put their thread in a ziplock bag with a damp cotton ball & stored it in the freezer.

The hair on the back of my neck rose.

Freezing would totally stress the thread. If fibers only lasted a year, there would be no 100 year old quilts or fabric around, and most of us would be naked, scrambling to find new clothes all the time if this were true.

I decided then & there I would never go in that store again.

sheesh.

LOL, I have some really old stuff that works great!

I have heard of this .. an yes thread does age but it takes quite a bit of time , but the break test will tell you if its not suitable .
I agree with other postings that many classes have become a new format for selling. I recently attended one and was shocked at how many special "tools" they told each student were needed. I found it bordered on unethical since they were already paying big bucks for the class. It made me question any info given in the shop .. as to the motives.
But then again so have some of the magazines... it never fails one of the quilt patterns in a magazine requires a specific tool or ruler , and no alternate method without the special tool is given.

I have a kitty litter bucket of spools of thread that my SIL got for $5 at a yard sale over a year ago. I couldn't begin to tell you how old that stuff is but it works just fine. Most are fairly neutral colors that I can use with anything and do with no issues. I've had a couple of spools with excessive breakage and out they go but otherwise I don't think I have to buy thread for 10 years!

:lol: :lol: :lol: I've got thread that is 30-40 years old that works just fine. Sounds like she's lining the coffers. I buy thread when I need a particular color or run out.

I am still using thread that is at least 20 years old. The stretch test works. I am also wearing clothes that are more than a year old, and they aren't falling apart. ;-)

I have used a lot of my older threads, even cottons, to do quick embroidery stitch tests. Many end up just being a flap on a purse, but if it passes my stretch test, then the embroidery test, it's strong :) I don't use the old old stuff to do my piecing or final quilting. But have done many decorative thread designs on shirts & shorts for daughter and she loves the unique clothes no one else has :)

I heard that ONCE - from the shop owner's daughter who was teaching the class.

I have successfully used thread that was at least 30 years old. I never sew thread away unless it gives me trouble, and I've been sewing for 50 years.

I purchase thread in bulk! I can not afford to buy new thread for each project. I keep my thread in a closed file cabinet unless it is a spool in use.

I have spools I know are over 3 years old and work just fine.

I use all my threads and don't throw any out.

I use the stretch test. If it passes, I use it for machine sewing. If it doesn't pass, it is used for hand basting.

I bet I have threads that are 20 years old. If I use something old I do always test to see how easy it is to break. I just recently found an old huge cone of navy. I dusted it off and pulled probably 50 or more yards off then started with the testing. Excellent strength. Once I got down to 'fresh thread' it worked great.

Huh??

[quote=I have threads that say $.15 on the ends!!! my grandmother lived thru the depression, she never threw anything out! So I have thread that she bought at Woolworth's in probably the 40's and 50's, and because of the way she stored it, I am still working on using it up :)[/quote]

Me too! When taking the worn fabric out of our vintage quilts made in the 30's, 40's the thread in the quilting and piecing is still good. And these quilts have been well used and washed often.

Exactly!! Even using vintage thread is possible as long as it passes the strength test. I use vintage threads in restoration work when possible.

I can't believe anyone would tell a person to throw way all there thread if it was from another project and buy new. That person must be related to some of the Chef, that tell you to throw away all you old spices. I have had spices for years and haven't had a problem with them, nor have I had problem with thread. There are some thread that have given me problems, and If I find that I do throw them. I had a lot of thread between regular thread and embroidery type and with what threads cost, it is just to expensive to replace all of them.

I am so glad someone asked this question because I have wondered how long thread would remain useable.

I don't buy new thread unless I need a specific color that I don't have. If your older thread starts breaking I'd get rid of it otherwise use it until it's gone.

Actually, it makes sense to me to remind a student to buy thread when beginning a project. As someone who lives hours away from the nearest source, it's incredibly frustrating to run short of thread somewhere mid-project. I've learned to stock up on those neutral colours that are used most, and to buy thread when I start a project if I plan to use something specific.
But I don't throw away the leftovers.