Thread has been essential to humans since the first garments were made for warmth and protection. Early sewing thread consisted of thin strips of animal hide that were used to stitch together larger pieces of hide and fur. The advance of civilizations brought many refinements in clothing and adornments, including the spinning and dyeing of thread. The Egyptians were skilled at making thread from plant fibers and in using the wool and hair from domestic animals in spinning. They and the Phoenicians also pioneered the use of berries and plant matter in the manufacture of colorful and longlasting dyes. The Chinese and Japanese discovered the beauties of silk fibers spun as thread and made as cloth.
Sewing thread had at least two historical heydays. In the Middle Ages, improvements in shipping, wool production and processing, and the opening of the Silk Road to Asia provided fertile ground for the flowering of woven tapestries and needlework. Tapestries were an art form that allowed large spaces to be filled with colorful scenes that were also portable. Tapestries were woven of wool yarn primarily, but linen, cotton, silk, and gold and silver were also used in weaving these magnificent paintings in fiber. Seamstresses and needleworkers were inspired to use the same materials in smaller works stitched with sewing or embroidery thread.
During the Industrial Revolution in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, production of thread moved out of the cottages and into factories equipped with high-speed machines. Machine manufacture generated more uniform thread with fewer flaws, and producers could devote more time to maximizing the characteristics of the types of fibers being used. Stronger thread, truer dye colors, and production of a wider variety of thread for different applications were among the direct results.
Thread is made from strands of fibers. The fibers may be cotton, silk, wool, linen, rayon, nylon or other textile material.
Humans first learned how to make thread as a result of success in spinning fibers for weaving. We found that by twisting the fibers tightly, we could make thread.
The production of sewing thread involves the same basic steps as the production of yarn for weaving. The staple fibers, such as cotton or wool, are cleaned and then combed until all fibers are smoothed out.
The thin, threadlike fibers are then rolled over and over to form thick coils. These coils are put in the drawing frame, where they pass between sets of powerful rollers. The rollers draw the fibers out and press them into thin ribbons.
The ribbons then go to another machine, called the doubling frame, that presses them into fine, delicate strips. The strips are folded over, and again drawn out.
Next the strips are combed again to make them even in width. They are then wound on bobbins. Several strands are twisted together to form a coarse yarn, which is twisted tightly into the finished thread.
Manufacturers then bleach or dye the thread, wind it on wooden spools or bobbins and send it out to stores.
Cotton ranks as the most widely used fiber for making thread. The long fiber Sea Island cotton makes the best cotton thread.
Silks and man made fibers such as nylon and rayon start out as filament, or extremely thin yarn. They do not need to be combed and pressed. The filament yarn is twisted directly into thread. Then it is bleached or dyed and wound onto spools.
Special characteristics of man made fibers make them increasingly important in the field of thread.
Perhaps the most outstanding quality of thread made from man made fibers is that it has great strength and durability.
Thread made from man made fibers offers higher resistance to seam failure than ordinary thread. Also, it makes possible higher sewing speeds. For these and a number of other good reasons, this type of thread is being used more and more today in the manufacture of shoes and clothing.
For most sewing uses, thread is drawn out to make a single strand. But for heavier sewing, manufacturers twist two or more threads together to make two ply thread or heavier.
Humans first learned the art of weaving and perfected a system of spinning fibers for use in weaving. It was later found that by twisting the fibers tightly, thread could be made. We learned to use the thread to sew garments together.
Before we learned to sew with thread, we could only drape or tie fabric around our bodies.
In weaving, the warp thread and weft yarn are crossed over one another in a set method in order to weave the required type of fabric. A machine designed to accomplish this task is called a loom. First, the warp thread and weft yarn are prepared so that they can be set into the loom.
- Carding the cotton removes cotton seeds. Collect two to three balls of raw cotton, and place them in between two fiber combs.
- You can spin cotton on a spinning wheel or on a spindle. Spin the carded cotton fibers.
- Wind the cotton yarn into a skein.
Normally made of polyester or cotton-wrapped polyester, it's compatible with most fabrics from light to medium weight cotton, linen, and rayon fabrics. With that said, it's not ideal for extremes in either category: very fine sheer fabrics or heavy denim.
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