What are threads made of?

Sewing threads are usually used as a connecting material in the manufacture of clothing, shoes, interiors, toys and other necessary things. At the dawn of mankind, the role of threads was performed by veins of extracted animals and plant stems. What are they made of, read on.

The structure and properties of the sewing thread

Sewing threads are thin yarn, thin and long, evenly twisted. Obtained from fibers of natural or artificial origin. Used to connect the cut parts from the fabric.

The structure may have differences in thickness, direction of twist, the number of additions, the composition of the fibers . Thickness is usually indicated by a number, cotton ones can have number 10 or more, silk ones - 18.33, 65. For natural ones it is characteristic: the larger the number, the thicker the thread. For synthetic - on the contrary. The direction of twist is found right and left, the first is more reliable.

Important! Sewing material should be at least - two-twisted - made by twisting the two source threads. The number of additions also affects the strength, the threads are made in 2, 6, 9, 12 additions.

The threads are of different quality, so when choosing, you should pay attention to the following of them:

• tensile strength - it is difficult to tear such a hand;
• smoothness is an important quality for use in sewing machines so that it does not get stuck in the needle, breaking the eye at the wrong time;
• uniformity of twisting (the absence of thickenings makes the connecting material invisible);
• resistance to the effects of high temperatures, water, detergents - will not shed, not deform and not sit down the completed seams;
• Pile particles, if any, indicate poor quality.

Types of thread compositions

The application depends on the composition of the sewing material. There is no universal option suitable for any fabric. Three groups of threads are distinguished by composition.

Synthetic

They are made from polymer raw materials, which are molten in the molten form through holes of the required size, resulting in fibers of a given length and thickness. In appearance, it is difficult to distinguish them from natural threads, but they are cheaper and have the necessary qualities: elongation, strength, water resistance. One drawback, nevertheless, is the low heat resistance . There are:

• Staple. Synthetic threads are very similar to cotton, they are more durable and do not shrink. They are used for sewing linen, shirts, silk fabrics and even leather.
• Monofilament - a transparent thread made from polyamide. It is elastic, resistant to abrasion, and when processed with optical substances, it is able to acquire the color of the fabric being joined. Suitable for products in light shades.

The best artificial threads for sewing are those that are marked with LL . They combine a core made of polyester fiber with a lavsan braid. This is one of the types of reinforced threads, which are the strongest of all.

Natural

Cotton - indispensable for sewing clothes, especially - for children. Suitable for all sewing processes - from sewing to seam fastening. Cotton is a plant grown for the textile industry. It is collected, combed out, receiving fibers of about 6 cm. In the spinning mill, cotton yarn is twisted into yarns in several layers.

Flax threads are produced from flax, they are not often found in shoe production and in the manufacture of lace. Viscose is made from wood, but they are inferior in strength to other varieties. Silk is obtained from silkworm cocoons by unwinding the fibers of the pupae of this insect. Such threads are usually used to make finishing seams.

Mixed composition

Currently, 100% natural sewing threads are rarely used. Combined compositions have the best properties of sewing materials, therefore, are more popular. We are talking about reinforced threads, the strongest of the existing options.

Reinforcement - reinforcing a thread by combining fibers that increase each other's strength. The central part of such a thread is usually synthetic (polyester), provides resistance to stretching. The braid can be cotton, polyester, siblon. It gives the necessary smoothness. The result is durable, wear-resistant, non-shrink, heat-resistant and elastic threads. Withstand any number of washes and dry cleanings.

Reinforced thread is used not only in sewing industry. It is used in the manufacture of shoes and in the leather goods industry.

The list of threads is not exhaustive; modern technologies allow us to improve the available materials. Every year, the choice of threads becomes more diverse, which allows you to choose the right sewing material for any fabric.