In every fabric store you are likely to find one or several giant thread cases, each brand having their own special case to hold every color they offer. I can tell you from experience that there is so much thread in these things and so many shades that it is a headache to re-stock and to see which thread needs to be re-ordered. To those who don’t need to stock it or who enjoy the color spectrum they can be things of beauty and also a necessity for sewing.
It looks as if you pick a brand, pick a color and off you go. I guarantee that if you stand in front of a thread case for a while you will see a lady walk up, hold up her fabric against the wall colors , pluck out a spool and literally run away. I envy those quick ladies, but hope they know what they’re picking and that they got enough. All thread is essentially the same, but each will have different characteristics and qualities. If you look closely within any thread case you will see even within each brands there are different styles; heavy/upholstery, polyester, metallic, clear and general ‘all purpose’. Look even closer and you will notice that while all spools looks the same size there will be different amounts rolled onto each spool, depending on style and thickness.
Cotton thread
The thread I reach for these days is Coats & Clark Machine Quilting thread. 100% Cotton (mercerized extra long staple Egyptian cotton to be exact). 350 yards per spool means it comes with more than most. It doesn’t come in every color imaginable, but it is a fine thread that I never have problems with and it passes my ‘snap test’ beautifully, which is snapping the thread apart with my hands to see how it holds up. Thread does have a shelf life and if exposed to the sun or just aged it becomes weakened. If it pulls apart too easily it is not worth sewing with. If a specialty color is needed they have more colors available in smaller spools of 100% cotton. Coats & Clark is one of the largest corporations that I choose to support; the largest thread manufacturer in the world apparently. I am looking the other way.
Bobbin Case
One of my favorite notions is this plastic bobbin case. Yes it is generally this stringy, but with the lid closed they are unlikely to tangle. I also like having both a mix of plastic and metal bobbins. The plastic ones wear down after a while, but are great especially after oiling for providing more grip. It is also nice to use these clear bobbins when color matching with a project. For general sewing I recommend winding the same type of thread in your bobbin that you will be using up top. The same type/weight will help avoid tension problems , although it is handy to note that if you are having tension problems using 2 different colors of thread will make it easier to spot whether it is the top or bobbin thread that is too loose or tight.
