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.
