Thread, Part 1

This morning a friend and I were talking about reorganizing our sewing spaces. Doesn't that seem to be the never-ending battle? I told her about how I store my thread and she said I should send it to one of the magazines. I told her I would do one better and put it on the blog!

Thread is a major investment. But having the right colors and weights when we need them is crucial. To make it easier for me to find what I need quickly, I sort my threads first by weight, then by color. Below you see the shelf containing my sorted threads.

On the left side of the photo are my 50 wt. Mettler cotton threads (I only use cotton). On the right side are my 60 wt. Mettler threads. Because there are fewer colors of the 60 wt., I sometimes combine two colors in one box. These are mostly inexpensive disposable food storage containers.


A close-up. See how easy it is to see through the containers to find the right color? And because the weights are separated, I don't have to paw through , say, a green container only to find the perfect shade but in the wrong weight. Once I've pulled the container, I can search under my Ott lights for the right shade to match my fabrics.


And, with thread becoming ever more expensive, buying larger spools does save money. The unfortunate news is that none of my Featherweights will accept the larger spools on the machine spindle. The fix? A cone holder. Be sure to get the one with the cast iron base unless you want to put screw holes in your sewing cabinet to hold it in place. These are not expensive, but worth their weight in gold. (For those of you who have never used one, the spool sits on a spindle on the cast iron base. Thread is pulled up to the metal hook. From there is goes into the machine just like normal.)

As an aside, behind the cone holder you can see my used pin jar--almost full! And two chicken pincushions that I have been gifted over the years. I don't feel like such a "cluck" when I do something wrong--they are supposed to be overseeing my work!

Hang onto your hats--tomorrow we'll be discussing fiber content of thread, as well as what weight to use where. And don't get me started on what color of thread to use for piecing--I just can't go there tonight. But wait for it--because it's coming.

Enjoy!

Hugs,

Sharon