When to Use nylon monofilament yarn？

This article is about the thread in clothing. For the social media app, see Threads (social network)

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Type of yarn used for sewing

An assortment of different colors of thread Red thread bobbin Multi-colored stranded embroidery floss

A thread is a long strand of material, often composed of several filaments or fibres, used for joining, creating or decorating textiles. Ancient Egyptians were known for creating thread using plant fibers, wool and hair.[1] Today, thread can also be made of many different materials including but not limited to cotton, wool, flax, nylon, silk, polyester etc. There are also metal threads (sometimes used in decorative textiles), which can be made of fine wire.

Thread is similar to yarn, cord, twine, or string, and there is some overlap between the way these terms are used. However, thread is most often used to mean materials fine and smooth enough for sewing, embroidery, weaving, or making lace or net. Yarn is often used to mean a thicker and softer material, suitable for knitting and crochet. Cords, twines or strings are usually stronger materials, suitable for tying and fastening.

Materials

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Thread is made from a wide variety of materials. Where a thread is stronger than the material that it is being used to join, if seams are placed under strain the material may tear before the thread breaks. Garments are usually sewn with threads of lesser strength than the fabric so that if stressed the seam will break before the garment. Heavy goods that must withstand considerable stresses such as upholstery, car seating, tarpaulins, tents, and saddlery require very strong threads. Attempting repairs with light weight thread will usually result in rapid failure, though again, using a thread that is stronger than the material being sewn can end up causing rips in that material before the thread itself gives way.

Thread material

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Material Description Purpose Cotton Spun traditional thread general Cotton/polyester A cotton thread with a polyester core which is slightly stretchy but retains the traditional look of cotton strength without sheen Fusible Fuses sewn fabrics together when ironed binding and appliqué Linen A spun thread, typically in a thicker gauge than that used for fabric garments. It may be waxed for durability and resistance to mildew. Traditional leather saddlery; leather luggage, handbags, and accessories; and beadwork. Metallics A delicate metallic coating protected by an outer coating providing extremely vibrant color/glitter and/or texture. decoration Nylon A transparent monofillament which can be melted by an iron. Nylon is usually stronger than polyester. strength with transparency Polyester A synthetic blend which is stronger and stretchier than cotton with little or no lint (may be texturized) strength Rayon Made from cellulose, but not considered to be a natural fibre because it is highly processed. Useful for obtaining bright colors, though not always color-fast. high sheen, soft texture Silk A very fine, strong and hard-to-see thread; tends to degrade over time, however. high strength and often high sheen, used for attaching beads Wool A thicker thread. homespun look, rougher texture, highly insulating, water absorbent Water-soluble Dissolves when washed temporary basting

Polyester/polyester core spun thread is made by wrapping staple polyester around a continuous polyester filament during spinning and plying these yarns into a sewing thread. [3]

Measurement types and labeling

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Thread gauges

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Yarns are measured by the density of the yarn, which is described by various units of textile measurement relating to a standardized length per weight. These units do not directly correspond to thread diameter.

Weight (Wt.) and Gunze count

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The most common weight system for thread specifies the length of the thread in kilometres required to weigh 1 kilogram. Therefore, a greater weight number (indicated in the American standard by the abbreviation wt) indicates a thinner, finer thread. The American standard of thread weight was adopted from the Gunze Count standard of Japan, which uses two numbers separated by a forward slash. The first number corresponds to the wt number of the thread and the second number indicates how many strands of fiber were used to compose the finished thread. It is common to wrap three strands of the same weight to make one thread, though this is not a formal requirement in the US standard (which is therefore less informative).

Thread Weight Table Weight Gunze Count Common Use

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Light 60 wt #60/3 bobbin or appliqué Thin 50 wt #50/3 bobbin or appliqué Regular 40 wt #40/3 Quilting Upholstery 30 wt #30/3 Decorative Heavy 20 wt #20/3 Decorative

Denier

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A denier weight specification states how many grams 9,000 metres of the thread weighs. Unlike the common thread weight system, the greater the denier number, the thicker the thread. The denier weight system, like the common weight system, also specifies the number of strands of the specified weight which were wrapped together to make the finished thread. Only embroidery threads have their weights given in denier.

Tex

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Tex is the mass in grams of 1,000 metres of thread. If 1,000 m weighs 25 g, it is a tex 25. Larger tex numbers are heavier threads. Tex is used throughout North America and Europe.

Silk machine twist

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Manufacturers producing fine silk threads, apply their own scales of thread measurement using "aughts" or zeroes at the finest end and FFF at the other, thus scaling 000, 00, 0, A, B, C, D, E, F, FF, FFF. The three finest threads are described as having "three aughts", "two aughts", and "one aught" respectively, and as having different "aught counts". Within a given manufacturer's spectrum, a higher "aught count" indicates a finer thread: this may be given as a single digit followed by a forward slash and a zero&#; for example, 3/0 indicates a three-aught thread or a thread size "000", but this number only has significance when compared to other threads produced by the same manufacturer: one manufacturer's 3/0 will always be more fine than that same manufacturer's 2/0, but may not be comparable to the 3/0 of another manufacturer. Very roughly, however, size A is 900 yards per pound of thread, and every 100 yards difference is one letter size different. The size is always given for the overall thread, not its individual silk plies.

Commercial

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Some heavier duty threads are given "commercial" size designations in set sizes of 30, 46, 69, 92, 138, 207, 277, 346, 415 and 554 only. Each of these numbers is merely the thread's denier size divided by 10. A commercial size 138 thread has a denier of .

Conversion information

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Thread weight conversion table

Conversion From To Method Weight Denier / weight Weight Tex / weight Denier Weight / Denier Denier Tex Denier / 9 Tex Denier Tex x 9 Tex Weight / Tex Commercial Denier Commercial x 10 Denier Commercial Denier / 10 Commercial Tex Commercial / 9 x 10 Tex Commercial Tex / 10 x 9

For example: 40 weight = 225 denier = tex 25 = [theoretical] commercial 27.8 . A common tex number for general sewing thread is tex 25 or tex 30. A slightly heavier silk buttonhole thread suitable for bartacking, small leather items, and decorative seams might be tex 40. A strong, durable upholstery thread, tex 75. A heavy-duty topstitching thread for coats, bags, and shoes, tex 100. A very strong topstitching thread suitable for luggage and tarpaulins, tex 265&#;tex 290. But a fine serging thread is only tex 13. And blindstitching and felling machines, an even finer tex 8.

Labeling

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Threads of different composition and construction may be labeled in a variety of ways. Most threads are composed of 2 or more "plies" of fiber, and this information is often provided on thread packaging along with the finalized thread's weight, according to a particular scale of measurement. The actual physical diameter of a thread is not recorded and is unhelpful.

Spools may have codes that indicate their fiber content as well such a "P" for polyester. If a fiber content is given in the label code, it will be the first piece if information located there.

Examples

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Code Meaning 120D/2 Spool is 120 denier thread composed of 2 plies (each of 60 denier) 50S/3 Spool has a weight of 50 and is composed of 3 plies whose individual weights are not indicated P60/3 This is a spool of polyester thread of weight 60 and is made up of 3 plies Den 75/2 Spool of 75 denier thread made of 2 plies #60/2 This is the spool's Gunze count: the spool has thread of 2 plies of 60 weight thread each

Sometimes a manufacturer does not provide any weight specification at all on its spools and instead provides only the fiber content and spool length such as "100% Silk 250 m". This means only that the spool has 250 meters of pure silk, but does not indicate how many plies make up that thread nor what the plies' or the combined thread's weight is.

Cotton count

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The cotton count system is based on the number of 840 yard hanks that will result from a single pound of a particular finished thread. This is the non-metric equivalent of the Gunze count, and is given with two numbers separated by a slash: the first is the size of the thread and the second is the number of plies of that size used in the finished thread. The cotton count was developed for the cotton industry, but cotton counts are also frequently given for polyester and polyester/ cotton blends as well.

Hong Kong ticket

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A Hong Kong ticket number, when present, is a cotton count number without the slash and with the final number always indicating the number of plies if more than one. A Hong Kong ticket number of is made of two plies of size 100 thread; a number of 100 is made of a single ply of size 100 thread; a size 503 is made of three plies of size 50 thread.

Single's equivalent

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A spool of thread may be described in terms of its "single's equivalent". This is the cotton count size of the thread divided by the number of plies which make it up. A spool of 30/3 thread has a single's equivalent of 10, because a single strand or ply of that thread has a cotton count size of 10. A 20/2 spool has the same single's equivalent as a 30/3, but a 30/2 spool has a single's equivalent of 15, which means it is composed of individually heavier plies than a 30/3.

High-temperature sewing threads

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High temperature sewing threads provide durability and resistance to extreme temperatures. Some threads can be used for applications up to 800 °C ( °F). There are a variety of different sewing threads available which have different applications and benefits.

Kevlar-coated stainless steel sewing threads have a high-temperature and flame-resistant steel core combined with Kevlar coating designed to facilitate easier machine sewing. The stainless steel core has a temperature resistance of up to 800 °C ( °F) and the Kevlar coating is heat-resistant up to 220 °C (428 °F).

PTFE coated glass sewing threads have an excellent temperature resistance combined with a PTFE coating to provide easier machine sewing. The glass core has a temperature resistance of up to 550 °C ( °F) and the PTFE coating is heat-resistant up to 230 °C (446 °F).

Nomex sewing threads are inherently flame-retardant and heat-resistant with a tough protective coating that resists abrasion during the sewing operation. It is temperature resistant up to 370 °C (698 °F).

Bonded nylon sewing threads are tough, coated with abrasion resistance, rot proofing, and have good tensile strength for lower temperature applications. They are temperature-resistant up to 120 °C (248 °F).

Bonded polyester sewing threads are tough, coated with abrasion resistance, rot proofing, and have exceptional tensile strength for lower temperatures but heavier-duty sewing operations. They are temperature-resistant up to 120 °C (248 °F).

See also

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Notes

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Also called invisible and nylon, monofilament thread is exactly that&#;one long filament, rather than small pieces twisted together. Even though it is often called nylon thread, it can also be made of 100% polyester. Monofilament thread is used in places where you want the thread to be invisible or as inconspicuous as possible. In general, it&#;s for any project where you want the thread to disappear. I quilted the fabric below stitching randomly placed lines of overlapping serpentine stitches (# on most current BERNINA models).  When using monofilament thread, the emphasis is on the texture created by the indentations of the stitches, rather than the thread.

Where to Stitch with Monofilament Thread

Monofilament thread is great for stitch-in-the-ditch quilting so if you accidentally miss the ditch, your stitching will not show. It&#;s also good for free-motion stitching where you want the stitched texture, and not the thread, to show on your project. If you are quilting a multi-colored quilt, the monofilament is perfect because it blends with everything. Invisible applique is also a technique for using this thread, as it truly does make it invisible.

How to Select Your Thread

Historically, monofilament thread has presented challenges and frustration when using it for sewing machine stitching. It was thick and resembled a fishing line, creating stitching problems for most sewing machines. However, today&#;s monofilament threads are very fine (size .004 or less), soft and pliable. Even though it is strong when stitched into the fabric, this thread should be easy to break as you pull it from the spool. Monofilament thread comes in two colors, clear for most fabrics and smoke, for darker fabrics. You have several choices, including brands such as Wonder Invisible by YLI, Transfil by Mettler, MonoPoly by Superior, and Sulky Invisible. You definitely want to use a brand-name monofilament thread and not something you pick up at a discount or variety store, even if it says it can be used for sewing machines.

How to Use Monofilament Thread

When sewing with monofilament thread, use a 60-70 weight needle because of the fineness of the thread. You&#;ll want the needle to have a sharp point, such as a Microtex needle. The bobbin thread can be almost anything from lightweight bobbin thread to a 50-wt. cotton thread. You may even use monofilament thread in the bobbin. If you do, wind the bobbin at a slow speed to keep it from stretching.

How to Adjust Tension for Monofilament Thread

If using monofilament thread in both the needle and the bobbin, there should be very few tension issues. When using cotton or polyester thread in the bobbin, you may need to loosen the needle tension slightly for quality stitching. Loosen the needle tension in small increments and test the stitch to see if it is what you want. Keep adjusting and testing until the stitch has the correct tension.

How to Thread Your Machine

Most monofilament threads are wound on the spool in a stacked formation. This means the thread should be set on the vertical spool pin with the foam pad under it so it can spin, feeding the thread without twisting. If it is a cross-wound cone, use a thread stand behind your machine and the thread will feed up without twisting. If the thread is pooling at the bottom of the spool, cover it with a thread net and pull the thread up and out of the net.  Once you have the spool in place, you can thread the machine as usual except for the needle. Because of the fineness of the thread, it is usually easier to thread the eye of the needle manually, rather than use the needle threader.

Recommended BERNINA Presser Feet

Typically, monofilament thread is used with a straight stitch. There are several presser feet that work well with this thread. An all-purpose foot, such as Reverse Pattern Foot #1/1C/1D is a good choice.

Another option is Reverse Pattern Foot with Clear Sole #34/34C/34D. This presser foot is a variation of Foot #1 with a clear sole that lets you see the fabric and stitching are under the foot.

You can also use monofilament thread for free-motion stitching. Quilters often use it when they want to show texture, rather than stitches on the quilt. Any of the BERNINA free-motion presser feet such as Free-motion Embroidery Foot #24, Quilting Foot #29 and Echo Quilting Foot #44C can be used when stitching with monofilament thread.

If you are sewing with monofilament thread on a BERNINA 8 Series machine, you will not thread your machine in the usual way. Check out a few tips for threading your BERNINA 8 Series machine with monofilament thread on WeAllSew.

If you are looking for more details, kindly visit nylon monofilament yarn.