Sew Mama Sew Asks About Your Thread Stash

Sew Mama Sew is asking about our thread collection and asked if we'd answer some questions.

Pictures...LOL.   I have so much thread in my collection.  Some nice arranged on the wall:

And others stuffed in bins:

And some more on a thread rack but not on the wall:

Now on to the questions:

How do you select colors for your personal thread collection?

By project.  I just can't buy thread just for having it.  Every thread I have is used for a purpose.  To waste thread is a crime.

Do you always match the color perfectly to your project?

If it's an embroidery project that comes with a specified thread chart, then yes.  Some embroidery designs can have 30+ different colors and it's just easier to buy what the project says to use.

If I'm quilting I match to how I want the quilting to look.  Do I want it subtle or obvious?

Do you ever use contrasting thread?  


Yes if it adds to the quilting and the pattern.

Do you use the same color in the bobbin as the upper thread?

Yes and No.  If the backing is different than the front I match for both.  If I'm piecing I use whatever is in my bobbin collection first.  I figure no one will see the piecing.  If it's a white fabric I match top and bobbin.

What if a fabric has big areas of very different colors?


I don't buy it.  LOL.  I find a thread that blends in with the colors.  Mulit-colored fabrics are more forgiving with thread than plain colors.

Do you have any tips or suggestions about choosing thread? 


Don't be afraid to try different brands.  Look for the best prices you can but don't cheap out either.  Get a real thread chart of brands you love and mark what you have already.

If it's a color you will use a ton of, buy a cone.  Prewound bobbins rock.  Just make sure you get the ones that fit your machine and not the cardboard ones.  Make sure you buy the right thread for the project.

Do you ever buy thread because you love a color (without a particular project in mind)?

Sometimes.

Do you "invest" in threads?

Yes.  With the embroidery threads.

What types of thread do you have? (elastic, quilting, all-purpose, wool, etc)  

I have silk, cotton of all weights, polyester, monofilament, hand quilting and variagated.