Understand sewing thread and use sewing thread well

Understand sewing thread and use sewing thread well

Sewing thread is the main thread material, used to sew various clothing materials, and has both practical and decorative functions. The quality of sewing thread not only affects sewing efficiency and processing costs, but also affects the appearance quality of finished garments.

Classification and characteristics of sewing threads

Clothing sewing threads are usually divided into three categories according to raw materials: natural fiber sewing thread, synthetic fiber sewing thread and mixed sewing thread.

1. Natural fiber sewing thread

a. Cotton sewing thread: Sewing thread made from cotton fiber as raw material through refining, bleaching, sizing, waxing and other processes. Cotton sewing thread can be divided into matte thread (or soft thread), mercerized thread and wax thread.

Cotton sewing thread has high strength and good heat resistance. It is suitable for high-speed sewing and durable pressing. It is mainly used for sewing cotton fabrics, leather and high-temperature ironing clothes. The disadvantage is poor elasticity and wear resistance.

b. Silk thread: filament thread or spun silk thread made of natural silk. It has excellent luster. Its strength, elasticity and wear resistance are better than cotton thread. It is suitable for sewing all kinds of silk clothing. , high-end woolen clothing, fur and leather clothing, etc.

2. Synthetic fiber sewing thread

a. Polyester sewing thread: This is the most commonly used and popular sewing thread at present, made of polyester filament or short fiber. Polyester sewing thread has the characteristics of high strength, good elasticity, wear resistance, low shrinkage and good chemical stability. It is mainly used for sewing jeans, sportswear, leather products, woolen materials and military uniforms. It should be noted here that polyester sutures have a low melting point and tend to melt during high-speed sewing, clogging the needle eye and causing suture breakage, so a suitable needle must be selected.

b. Nylon sewing thread: Nylon sewing thread is made of pure nylon multifilament and is divided into three types: filament thread, short fiber thread and elastic deformation thread. At present, the main variety is nylon filament thread. Its advantages include large elongation and good elasticity. Its tensile length at the moment of break is three times higher than that of cotton thread of the same specification, so it is suitable for sewing chemical fiber, woolen, leather and elastic clothing. The biggest advantage of nylon sewing thread is its transparency. Because this thread is transparent and has good color harmony, it reduces the difficulty of sewing wiring and has broad development prospects. However, the transparent thread currently on the market has too much stiffness and too low strength, and the stitches tend to float on the surface of the fabric. In addition, it is not resistant to high temperatures, and the sewing speed cannot be too high. At present, this type of thread is mainly used for parts that are not easily stressed, such as decals and hems.

c. Vinylon sewing thread: Made of vinylon fiber, it has high strength and stable stitches. It is mainly used for sewing thick canvas, furniture cloth, labor protection products, etc.

d. Acrylic sewing thread: Made of acrylic fiber, it is mainly used as decorative thread and embroidery thread. The yarn has low twist and bright dyeing.

3. Mixed sewing thread

a. Polyester/cotton sewing thread: Made of a blend of 65% polyester and 35% cotton, it has the advantages of both polyester and cotton. Polyester/cotton sewing thread can not only meet the requirements of strength, wear resistance, and shrinkage, but also overcome the shortcomings of polyester that is not heat-resistant. It is suitable for high-speed sewing and can be used for all types of clothing such as cotton, polyester/cotton, etc.

b. Core-spun sewing thread: a sewing thread made of filament as the core and covered with natural fiber. The strength of core-spun sewing thread depends on the core thread, while the wear resistance and heat resistance depend on the outer yarn. Therefore, core-spun sewing thread is suitable for high-speed sewing and garments that require higher sewing strength.

Principles that should be followed when using sewing thread well

The comprehensive indicator for evaluating the quality of sewing thread is the sewability.

Sewability means that under specified conditions, the sewing thread can smoothly form good stitches and maintain certain mechanical properties in the stitches. While ensuring sewability, the sewing thread also needs to be applied correctly. To achieve this, the following principles should be followed:

(1) Compatibility with fabric characteristics

The relationship between sewing thread and fabric Only when the raw materials are the same or similar can the shrinkage, heat resistance, wear resistance, durability, etc. be unified, and avoid appearance shrinkage caused by differences between threads and fabrics.

(2) Consistent with the type of clothing

For special-purpose clothing, sewing threads with special functions should be considered. For example, elastic clothing requires elastic sewing thread, and fire-fighting suits require heat-resistant, Flame retardant and waterproof treated sewing thread.

(3) Coordination with the stitch shape

The stitches used in different parts of the garment are different, and the sewing thread should also change accordingly. For example, bulky thread or deformed thread is required for overlocking, double The thread stitches should be of high extensibility, the crotch seams and shoulder seams should be strong, and the buttonhole lines should be wear-resistant.

China’s apparel industry chain supporting resources

Source: “China Textile Network”

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