Basic requirements for good quality sewing thread?



Good tensile strength
Good tensile strength holds the stitched seam securely during wash and wear.

Smooth surface and absence of faults
Smooth surface and absence of faults ensures less friction between the needle and the material during high-speed sewing. The thread must be well lubricated to increase its sew ability and resistance to abrasion.

 Uniform thickness / diameter
Uniform thickness / diameter results in an even sewing thread, which moves smoothly and quickly through the needle eye and the fabric. It also affects the thread’s tensile strength, resistance to abrasion and its twist construction. An uneven thread may twist into short knots and jam at the eye of the needle.

Good elasticity
Good elasticity enables thread to recover its original length immediately after the tension has been released. The elasticity of sewing thread affects the strength and the finished quality of a stitched seam.

Good colour fastness
Good colour fastness provides immunity to the different agents the thread is exposed to during manufacture and washing. The thread must hence be uniformly dyed.

Low shrinkage
Low shrinkage of the thread being used on the fabric material with higher shrinkage reduces the chances of seam puckering.

Good resistanceto chemical attack
Good resistanceto chemical attack is a desirable property for thread used in garments which may undergo washing, bleaching or dry-cleaning

Good abrasion resistance
Good abrasion resistance ensures a good sewing performance and makes the thread more durable.

The following figures show the results of thread-to-thread abrasion tests and give an indication of their respective resistance to abrasion:

If Linen, Rayon Continuous Filament (CF) has resistance of 1, then:
Cotton = 3
Spun Silk = 4
Spun Polyester = 12
CF Polyester = 30
Spun Nylon = 40
CF Nylon = 150

Good colour fastness
Good colour fastness will retain the thread’s original colour without running or fading when subjected to wash and light exposure. The thread colour should be resistant to different agents to which it is exposed during manufacture and use.

Colour fastness can be measured against:
Chlorinated water
Perspiration
Cold water staining
Dry cleaning
Pressing - wet and dry
Bleaching

Minimal metamerism
Minimal metamerism can be achieved by assessing colour with colour matching cabinets. Metamerism is an inherent property of a thread when the same thread colour appears to be different under different lighting conditions. Standard illuminants are often used to counter the effects of metamerism.

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