Thread organization!
 

How do you organize your thread? If you have multiple machines, domestic, embroidery, mid/longarm, do you use only one type thread for each machine (I'm sure) but what about cottons, polyesters, weights, plies. ANd can someone out there remind me what the "T" on the label means; i.e. "T12", or "T3", etc. I use mostly Coats and Clark All purpose and have for years with no problem. Just ran across a Ziploc gallon bag of polyester. I have thread organizer containers just a lot of thread to organize.

I bought a plastic craft boxes from amazon that holds thread nicely. Connecting threads also sells them.

i put mine on pegboard behind my machine... it is out of direct sunlight. i've done it that way for years and have not found any damaged thread there.

Do you separate the different blends like cotton from polyester or machine quilting from hand quilting, etc.

I have thread stashed everywhere!

At the machine, are the spools that have been started.
Left drawer has polyesters. Right drawer has cottons.
Bobbins are held onto the matching thread, with a bobbin buddy/stick.

Away from the machine is my stash of new spools, again separate drawers according to type of thread.

I have several of the fancier embroidery type threads that I use for FMQing or straight-line quilting. Because they are not used regularly, the started ones are kept at the front of the drawer and the others behind a divider.

Over the years I have had different ways of storing my threads.
This is what is working well for me now.

There is no "right" way, as a lot depends on what space you have available for thread storage ... and how much thread you keep in your stash!

Most of mine are in plastic boxes that have dividers. The bobbins for each color are with them. If you like these and see them in Walmart, the fishing department has the same thing for less than the sewing section. Ask me how I know.

I have some of mine on 3 thread racks on the walls behind the machines. Two of the racks are for serger thread (plus a divided box) and one for smaller spools of machine thread. I have all my Sulky rayons, metallics, sliver, etc in thread boxes with some miscellaneous decorative threads. These at stacked against the wall under the window. I used to help out at the Sulky booth at Quilt Festival with set up and tear down and Fred would let us take our wages in merchandise so I have lots of thread boxes and threads from them.

Anyone know what the "T" stands for on some labels. I can't for the life of me remember.

the tread for each machine is in a drawer at that machines sewing table. Then there's drawers of different sizes (cone vs spool), the LA thread, different brands, specialty threads (metallic), 12 wt thread. All in drawers.

I only use cotton thread, it is in drawers in a parts storage unit. I also keep a selection in a to-go container for sew days. We just finished a two-day in-house retreat at our local extension office.

I just looked at mine and most don't have the T, but I know I've seen it. Just researched it and cannot find a bit of information. Will try again.

(later) I can't seem to find anything on what the T means. Sorry.

(still later) I used several different wordings, and nothing. Then I just put T 12 and every site I went into mentioned SILK as part of the description.

Perhaps show us a photo of the labels/spools that have it.
More likely someone will recognize it with that.

Plus you didn't mention what brand(s) of thread you see this on.

I just found 5 spools Jim had bought me a few years back. They all say T 56 and hand quilting. I've read that if it says hand quilting on the label, that it cannot be used on the machine.

Yes, I believe that is true.

I don't know what the T stands for, sorry.

My thread all fits on one wooden thread rack. I have just a few poly spools and put them all on the left side, farthest from my machine. Machine quilting thread is all I have otherwise, as I don't have any specialty machines. I use those rubber "Peels" around each bobbin that has thread on it, and I use matching "huggers" for the spools. I stack the spool on top of the bobbin if the thread colors match.

My discipline is to not buy thread unless I have room for it on that ONE rack.

I try to keep my threads near the machine I use it the most but have found I'm using my embroidery thread on my quilt machine from time to time too. I have my on pegboards with those old-fashioned 36 x 36 towels over them till I can come up with a better plan to keep the dust off them. Had to add yet another pegboard when Connecting Threads changed the height of their threads as they no longer fit into my rolling cart. I use the commercial hooks so I can put the bobbin under the spool so they don't get lost for my quilt machine. Don't have a pic of the serger threads on the other side of the room but you get the idea.

Decorative Threads that I use in art quilts are sorted as follows: Vintage and antique cotton thread is kept together in three vintage thread boxes sorted by color. Vintage cotton wrapped poly and nylon are kept in another set of vintage thread boxes also sorted by color. Vintage and modern silk, rayon and trilobal poly and metallics have their own boxes and Various specialty threads are in a couple of other boxes sorted by material and whether they are able to go through a needle or must be used for bobbin work or handwork only (think Razzledazzle and other lumpy shiny threads).

Thread that I'm certain is strong enough for everyday using quilts is stored in another box that includes thread for piecing as well as quilting--- these are strong modern threads such as aurifil, isacord, wonderfil, and some of superior's threads. I keep a limited range of colors in these threads so they are all stored together in one tin.

If there is thread left over on the bobbin when I'm done then the bobbin gets stored with the thread spool- depending on spool type and what kind of storage box I'm using they either get put in the little bobbin cubbies in the vintage thread boxes, or attached to the spool/ cone with Hugo's amazing tape.


Rob

I believe the T stands for Trilobal. Trilobal means 3 ply.

http://fashion-incubatorcom.r.worlds...6/f-i-logo.png Found the "T" meaning on some of the spools of thread.

TessaGin .... your link only takes us to a logo/graphic.
Perhaps you could give us a link to the info you mentioned?
Thank you!

This is what I store my smaller spools of thread in, have 3 of them. http://tinyurl.com/y8ef42xk

I have my cotton threads on two spool holders, same wall as window, no sunlight at all. The others are in a box in cabinet or in school supply boxes.

Most of my thread is on the wall on those peg things. I keep my quilting thread downstairs in a wooden box because I only use it for hand quilting.
But I know that's another project I need to dive into. My sewing room is horrendous at the moment. :)

Tex system is based on the weight in grams of a thread 1 kilometer long. A kilometer of tex 10 (very fine) thread weighs 10 grams, while a kilometer of tex 100 (very coarse) weighs 100 grams. The Tex system measures the entire thread, no matter how many strands or plies it has. While a thread can have any actual weight, the Tex system has official ranges of sizes that get the same Tex number. For example, all threads weighing between 24.0 and 26.9 grams per kilometer are designated T-24. This is on the link. Sorry it didn't link but you can Google that logo then thread systems. Hope that works for you.

I probably don't have as much as you do. I have most of it out on a couple of racks so I can see it. For me with thread it's out of sight out of mind.

I have a big roller cart with drawers that hold my rayon, embroidery thread, a small 3 drawer tote for my metallic, etc thread. My cotton is on a thread holder on the wall, my serger thread is in a tote with drawers, my specialty threads for serging are in certain drawers. I like them to all have thier own space and then I can go right to where I need to go and find what I want. I hate searching thru everything to get to one type of item. I now also have another tote to hold the new stretch thread from coats n clark, I need to make sure that doesn't get mixed up with the other, it also has a space to put the bobbins for stretch thread in it as well

I hung clear shoe holders on inside of closet doors. Works great.

I have mine on pegboard, 1 section for embroidery the other for sewing thread

I only have a fraction of the thread that some of you work with but love how I have it stored that is easy to pick out what I need.

I use several of the stackable Art Bin plastic containers sold at JoAnns.
I have one for my specialty threads like metallic etc., one for my rayon threads, two for my aurifil threads, quite a few that are tall enough for my serger threads and lots for other cotton threads. All are sorted by colour - I have one for black, creams and white cotton and one for grays, one for reds and pinks, one for blues, oranges and yellows and so on ....... lots of different shades!

I really like how portable they are and all organized. I can sit in different rooms with various boxes ready to pick from when I do hand work and when sewing.

Mine all fits into a rolling cart. Most of my thread is cotton; either Aurifil or Connecting Threads. Those are all comingled and sorted by color. My few cones of poly are together in the bottom drawer.

My embroidery machine is upstairs in a whole 'nother part of the house, so all my embroidery thread is kept separate, in boxes that go into the drawers of the stand the machine sits on.

Some day I hope to have enough space to put all my sewing machines (and thread) in the same room!