Sewing threads are special kinds of yarns that are engineered and designed to pass through a sewing machine
rapidly, to form a stitch efficiently, and to function while in a sewn product without breaking or becoming distorted for at least the useful life of the product. The performance of sewing threads depends on proper thread selection for specified fabric and seam type used.
Fibres used for sewing threads are
Cotton is a major fibre used because of its low cost and high versatility Nylon and Polyester Rayon is used primarily for embroidery or fancy stitch work rather than for seaming
Types of threads
Sewing threads may be of spun, filament or core spun type. All sewing threads are ply yarns Sewing threads are more highly twisted and firmer than regular yarns and are often treated with Special finishes or lubricants to improve sew ability
Spun threads
Lower strength than filaments Most versatile adaptable to a wide variety of machine adjustment conditions Less likely than filament thread to cause seam pucker Less costly
Filament threads
Higher strength than spun Permits use of finer yarn without compromise for strength Produces neatest seams Careful machine adjustments necessary Greater possibility of seam pucker Costly than spun thread, texture filament threads for knits
Core spun threads
Combines the best features of spun and filament threads Useful in seaming durable press garments (resin coated) Most Costly Same seam puckering tendency as spun threads Reduce heat generated during high speed sewing
Sewing thread finishes
Sewing threads are produced with various finishes Such as Mercerized Soft Glace and Bonded In addition to the above, special finishes are also given which include, Flame resistant and Heat resistant
Mercerized sewing threads
Description: Treated cotton thread that is stronger more lustrous, more stable than soft finished threads Sewing Properties and Uses: Increased tensile strength lustrous appearance and brighter shades Better sew ability than soft threads More costly and used in premium products
Soft finish sewing threads
Description: Natural cotton thread without finishes that appears somewhat fuzzy. Small amount of lubricant sometimes added to improve sew ability Sewing Properties and Uses: Excellent sew ability, lowest cost.
Glace finished sewing threads
Description: Highly polished cotton thread that is difficult to unravel. The polish and finish are obtained with waxes and starches Sewing Properties and Uses: Strongest cotton threads Rarely used in apparel Used in the manufacture of shoes, luggage, Canvas goods and similar applications.
Bonded sewing threads
Description: Applied to threads of manufactured fibres both filament and spun Waxes and resins produce high polish, eliminate fuzz, bond together filaments and plied yarn and imparts smooth protective coating Sewing Properties and Uses: Increased strength and sew ability used in apparel of heavy weight and coated fabric Used in the manufacture of shoes, luggage, tents and heavy-duty applications.
Numbering of Sewing Threads
Unfortunately there is no coherent and rationalized system of numbering for sewing threads. Sizes (weight per unit length) of thread are mostly marketed and expresses with their Tex number Designation. Threads made from silk, man made fibres and wrapped yarns are usually designated by metric number (Nm 70/3; Nm 80/3; Nm 120/3; Nm 120/2).
If the number of components is not given, then it is always the most common, three-ply yarn. With cotton threads, the English number is used. (Nec 50/3; Nec 40/3) The number of components often is not given but usually is 3. If it is not 3, then the yarn number given is chosen so that division by 3 will give the number of The single yarn component.
Ticket Number System: older method for sewing
threads based on count and denier systems.
Ticket Number is based on greige or unfinished thread rather than finished thread. Ticket number in filament threads is based on denier Designation except that the last digit is deleted. A 230 denier thread would be labeled size 23 or TN 23. Mercerized cotton thread sizes are designated by a letter symbol system rather than numerical sizes Finest mercerized threads- 00000 The coarsest are size F.
The weight and diameter of the un mercerized spun thread is indicated by a ticket number. This number is equal to the yarn count of the thread based upon a three ply cotton count yarn since originally all threads were made 3 ply. Ex: 30/3 yarn, if it is a thread, would have a TN of 30 Ticket Number system is indirect. So, 40TN is lighter and thinner than 30TN.
Threads were also made with other plies like 2ply for cheap threads and 6ply for more prominent. Therefore, the designation also included number of ply along with ticket number. Ex: Thread with 36TN and if made 4ply is indicated as 36/4 expressed as 36TN and 4ply. Thus the TN36/4 = TN36/3=TN36/2 All threads with same TN will have same weight and diameter and so will fit the same sewing needle.
The single yarns used for TN36/4 are finer than the yarns used in 36/2 A deviation in the designation of ticket number occurs with threads finer than 40. Ex: for a thread size of 50, the TN is really 45. for a thread size of 60, the TN is really 50 for a thread size of 70, the TN is really 60.
This is because the length of the thread decrease due to the further twist given to singles for 3ply
The American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) has developed a Ticket Number system based on Tex System Which can be used for all types of threads The Tex system of designating thread TN considers the Rounded off Tex Number as Ticket Number. Ex: If the Tex yarn number of the thread is 48, the TN would be 45 Tex Number (Direct System) = weight in grams / 1000m of yarn. (Lesser the count, finer the yarn)
Important factors in thread selection
Thread size should be as fine as possible and should be consistent with the strength requirements of the seam Finer threads require finer needles which causes less fabric distortion The breaking strength of the seams should be less than that of the fabric (60% of the fabric strength) Thread should have excellent fastness to colour change The thread should not shrink as result of washing
Important thread factors that govern seam appearance
Woven filament yarn fabrics More puckering Light weight fabrics More puckering Puckering of the seams can be eliminated through awareness of following points like.. Direction of seam Thread tension Stitches per inch Sewing machine adjustments Sewing machine operator skills
Sewing applications by thread size:
s Fine Tex 18-30 Medium Tex 30-60
Blouses Aprons Jeans Dresses Athletic wear Rain wear Lingerie Caps Pants Sleepwear Coats Shorts Swimwear Draperies Wind breakers Other light articles Foundation garments
Heavy Tex 60-105 Foot wear Golf bags Luggage Over coats Parkas Protective Clothing Work Wear
Extra Heavy Tex 105-135 Decorative stitching Bold Design Look
Sewing threads as available in the market:
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Bonded Thread (including bonded Nylon 66 and 6 and Bonded Polyester Thread) 210D/2 ,210D/3 ,210D/4, 280D/3,420D/3,630D/3,840D/3... 1000M/cone.....3000M/cone... Nylon Thread, 138D/2,138D/3,210D/2,210D/3,420D/3,630D/3,840D/3. High Tenacity Polyester Thread, 150D/3 ,210D/2,210D/3,250D/2,250D/3,300D/3 100% Rayon Embroidery Thread, 1000M/cone ....5000M/cone ...... 75D/2,120D/2,150D/2,250D/2,300D/3,300d/2x3..
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100% Polyester Embroidery Thread, 120D/2 ,150D/2 100% Spun Polyester Sewing Thread 20s/2, 20s/3,20s/4,30s/3,40s/2,50s/2,60s/2.... Metallic Yarn For the use of lace ,underwear and outwear 125G/cone .... Knitting Yarn 150D/1 ,150D/2 . 300D/1 1kg/cone /0.5kg/cone
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