siss

would it be alright to use serger thread for sewing jean quilts for charity.

i just thought it would be cheaper, but want them to be strong and not fall apart after the first few washings as we want these to be durable.

what are your thoughts on this.

thanks in advance for your help.

crashnquilt

For sewing thru denim material you should be using a 100/16 needle. I would think the serger thread may shred in the needle eye. Otherwise I'd say go for it.

pocoellie

I personally wouldn't use serger thread for denim.

siss

thank you pocoellie and crashnquilt.
i will keep this info. in mind.

elizajo

I've frequently used serger thread in my serger to overcast the raw edges on denim when I'm making jeans. I've never had a problem with breakage or tangling in the machine. I even grabbed some last week for basting some handwork. Make a little sample and try to pull the layers apart. There are needles made for denim-- I'm not sure of any differences to a quilting needle.

Last week, I pulled out some Maxilock serger thread for my first FMQ because I had a lighter color in it than the Connecting Threads brand that I had ordered. I had to rig up a cone holder and spool holder for my machine

amma

So serger thread is thinner than cotton or poly sewing thread? Is it made of both?

elizajo

I hope someone knows the answer to this because I have looked on the cones for a thread weight number and can't find one. Just by holding Metrosene poly thread next to Maxilock, the Maxilock looks a bit thicker. It's also not as smooth as the Metrosene, so whenever I use it on my sewing machine I use a brush to clean out the bobbin area.

I know it holds up well to frequent laundering and the stress on seams that jeans have. At most, you might have a little more fuzziness to the thread after frequent usage, but so does the expensive cotton thread on my often-washed quilt.

Prism99

I don't think it's so much a question of whether serger thread is thinner than regular thread. I think that serger thread is made up of short-staple fibers, which means that it will break more easily and shed more fuzz.

When serging, the weak thread isn't such a problem because there are 3-, 4- or 5-threads working together to hold the seam.

On a sewing machine, there are only 2 threads working together to secure the seam. That may or may not be a problem with serger thread, depending on how much stress is put on that seam. I think on most regular cotton quilts it would be fine for piecing; once a quilt is quilted, there isn't much stress on any one individual piecing seam. However, for a denim quilt that won't be quilted, each pieced seam is going to be under a lot of stress -- both because there will be no quilting, and also because denim is so heavy. On a small quilt, again this might not be a problem because the weight of the quilt even when wet might not be too much. If it's a large denim quilt, though, and there is no quilting, just picking it up will put a lot of stress on piecing seams from the cumulative weight of the quilt. If the denim is wet, the stress weight on those piecing seams will be even greater.

I think using serger thread on a denim quilt works if you are actually serging the seams together. I think the risk comes in when you use serger thread in a sewing machine to piece denim. Look at the weight of the thread used in denim jeans to secure hems; it's pretty thick! Also, all the stressed seams are double-sewn. The reason for the thick thread and double-sewing is so those seams will take lots of abuse and not come apart. A large denim quilt that is dragged around is going to need to have seams that can take a lot of abuse too, especially because of the weight of the fabric.

Just my musings here......

siss

thanks prism99, elizajo, amma, sounds like using serger thread to sew jean quilt together is a no no.
very good info. we want them to be washed over and over,

amma

Thank you for all of the wonderful answers!!! I have learned a lot here! :D :D :D