Originally Posted by Maia B
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 point! I, too, have heard Bob speak, and he has not said, to my knowledge, that older thread is no good. I am using thread I have bought over the last 6 years. I DID throw away 35 year old thread when I began quilting because it was brittle and snapped easily. There is no reason to throw away perfectly good thread. I teach Learn to Quilt classes and just suggest to students that thread be kept out of direct sunlight and covered to keep dust off. You can find several types of storage boxes to keep it all neat and clean. I do hope that that teacher was simply misinformed, and not trying to "make a buck" off her students.