SEWING

THREAD
POOJA
BY
MISHRA
 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.
TYPES OF SEWING THREAD

SEWING THREADS

Natural Synthetic
MANUFACTURING
PROCESS
 Single yarn

Plying

Heat setting

Dyeing/Bleaching

Finishing
 FIBERS USED FOR
SEWING THREADS ARE
 Cotton and its blends with polyester is a major
fiber 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

Silk threads are also used in high fashion oriented

wears
 Types of threads
•Sewing threads may be of
Spun
Filament
core spun
Texturised

•All sewing threads are ply yarns

•Sewing threads are more highly twisted and

firmer than regular yarns
•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 fibers 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 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:
Fine
s Tex Medium Tex
18-30 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 Extra Heavy Tex
60-105 105-135

Foot wear Decorative stitching

Golf bags Bold Design Look
Luggage
Over coats
Parkas
Protective Clothing
Work Wear
 Sewing threads as available in the market:

1.    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...
      
2.    Nylon Thread, 
             138D/2,138D/3,210D/2,210D/3,420D/3,630D/3,840D/3.
     
3.    High Tenacity Polyester Thread,
             150D/3 ,210D/2,210D/3,250D/2,250D/3,300D/3

      4.    100% Rayon Embroidery  Thread,  

             1000M/cone ....5000M/cone ......
             75D/2,120D/2,150D/2,250D/2,300D/3,300d/2x3..
     
 5.    100% Polyester Embroidery Thread,
120D/2 ,150D/2

      6.    100% Spun Polyester Sewing Thread

             20s/2, 20s/3,20s/4,30s/3,40s/2,50s/2,60s/2....

      7.    Metallic Yarn

             For the use of lace ,underwear and outwear
             125G/cone ....

      8.     Knitting Yarn
             150D/1 ,150D/2 . 300D/1
             1kg/cone /0.5kg/cone