DYK – Coats & Clark Thread

May 1, 2008October 26, 200827 Comments

DYK – Did You Know?

Coats & Clark Thread

It’s time to stitch together that all-important project. But wait! What type of thread will you use? What will give you the best look? Since many crafting/quilting/sewing stores have good-sized Coats & Clark thread displays – we will look at their new styles to see what will work best for each type of project.

Those of you who shop in Hancock Fabrics stores may have noticed a new display of Coats & Clark threads. What has changed from the old style? What new features can you look forward to?

A new thread – Dual Duty XP replaces the Dual Duty style

Dual Duty XP (X-tra Performance) has a polyester wrapped, core-spun construction. This creates a thread with an enhanced seam appearance.
Spools now have a smooth trap at each end to secure your thread – no need to hunt for the notch in the end to hold your thread, just wrap around the trap and you’re good to go.
Spools are now color-coded to match the thread type – this will make it easy to identify the type of thread you have picked up. The display tray has also been color coded to match the thread types.
New manufacturing process unique in the industry creates a thread that is both smooth and strong, reducing thread problems when sewing.
A color-conversion chart can be downloaded at this link (scroll to the bottom of the page that opens): Chart

Features that haven’t changed in this thread

Consistent tension used in the process of wrapping onto the spool – which means it unwraps consistently also.
A wide variety of colors, particularly for the Dual Duty XP threads.
100% Cotton threads available in some styles.
A wide variety of thread types, allowing you to match the thread to the project instead of just the color.

Now, on to the types of thread, and what you can use them for…

Dual Duty XP All Purpose Thread – Art S900, S910, S930

Spools color-coded in white
Available in three sizes: 125 yds (114 m), 250 yds (229 m) & 500 yds (547 m)
100% Polyester wrapped polyester
A medium weight thread, designed for most hand and machine sewing applications.
Colorfast, weather resistant
New colors include more fashion brights, ‘color tints’ which give you very pale tints of color (great for prom sewing), and the whimsical multicolor (great for any application where the thread becomes a focus in the project).

Coats Cotton All-Purpose Thread – Art S970

Spools color-coded in yellow
225 yds (205 m)
100% Mercerized Cotton
For all purpose sewing on natural fibers
Egyptian Extra Long Staple (ELS) cotton

Dual Duty XP Fine – Art S940

Spools color-coded in purple/lilac
225 yds (205 m)
100% Polyester wrapped polyester
Fine, but strong to reduce breakage
Designed to reduce seam puckering in lightweight fabrics.
Ideal for machine embroidery, heirloom sewing, prom/bridal sewing, and microstipple quilting.

Dual Duty XP Heavy – Art 950

Spools color-coded in tan
125 yds (114 m)
100% Polyester wrapped polyester
Heavier, stronger thread
Great for bold topstitching, buttonholes, and cording
Recommend size 16 or 18 machine needle

Dual Duty Plus Button & Carpet Thread – Art S920

Spools color-coded in green/turquoise
50 yds (45 m)
74% Polyester, 26% Glace Finish Cotton
The strongest and heaviest of the hand sewing threads.
The perfect thread for sewing on buttons, tacking carpet, or for most craft hand sewing applications.

Coats Extra Strong Upholstery – Art S964

Spools color-coded in rust/brown
150 yds (137 m)
100% Nylon
Weather Resistant
For machine and hand sewing on upholstery, outdoor and heavy fabrics.

Coats Transparent – Art S995

Spools color-coded in red/rose
400 yds (365 m)
100% Polyester
Designed for true invisible stitching.
Can be used for many applications, including machine quilting, home décor and crafting.
Thread size – .004

Coats Metallic Embroidery – Art S990

Spools color-coded in gray
125 yds (114 m)
60% Nylon, 40% Polyester
Suitable for machine quilting, decorative stitching, and appliqué.
Idea for machine embroidery.
Can also be used for hand applications such as hand embroidery or cross stitch.

Coats Denim – Art S976

Spools color-coded in gold/yellow (see also Coats Jeans Topstitching)
125 yds (114 m)
Denim color is heathered to blend into jeans
Strong thread
Designed for use in mending jeans

Coats Jeans Topstitching – Art S974

Spools color-coded in gold/yellow (see also Coats Denim)
60 yds (54 m)
Gold Top-stitching color for the traditional and authentic bold top-stitching used on denim.

Dual Duty Plus Hand Quilting – Art S960

Spools color-coded in lime/green
325 yds (297 m)
66% Polyester, 32% Glacé Finish Cotton
Designed specifically for hand quilting applications.

Coats Cotton Hand Quilting – Art S980

Spools color-coded in pink
350 yds (320 m)
100% Glacé Finish Cotton
Designed for traditional hand quilters who prefer to work with cotton threads.
Great for use in repairing heirloom quilts.

Coats Cotton Machine Quilting – Art S975

Spools color-coded in light brown
350 yds (320 m)
100% Mercerized Cotton
Designed for machine piecing and quilting
Egyptian Extra Long Staple (ELS) Giza cotton for excellent sewing on natural fibers.

Coats Polyester Machine Embroidery – Art D75

1110 yds (1000 m)
100% Trilobal Polyester
40 wt – compatible with digitized embroidery machines
Ideal for baby clothing, towels, outdoor and other frequently laundered embroidered items.
Color fast – even when washed in chlorine bleach
Excellent strength, high luster

Coats Metallic Machine Embroidery – Art D79

600 yds (548 m)
60% Nylon, 40% Coated Polyester
40 wt – compatible with digitized embroidery machines
Has a coating of pure silver to provide a high shine
Can be machine washed and dried

Coats Polyester Bobbin Thread – Art D78

1800 yds (1645 m)
100% Polyester
Doesn’t add bulk to the project, providing a smooth backing for your design
Lint-free
Works well with polyester, rayon and metallic embroidery threads
Low stretch

What does a Glace finish mean? – this is a polished finish given to cotton threads to prevent tangling and thread abrasion (such as tearing of fiber as it goes through the needle)

What does Mercerized mean? – this is a chemical bath through which the thread passes several times under tension. It provides extra luster and strength to a cotton thread.

What is the best color thread for my project? – select a thread that is a shade darker than your fabric – it will appear lighter when sewn in. When sewing on a fabric with a pattern, the thread should match the dominant color if you want it to blend in.

What is the best type of thread for my project? – Consider how you will be stitching the fabric together – is this a hand sewing project, or are you working with a machine? Do you need it to be stronger for more vigorously used fabrics, or something fine for a lightweight fabric that might pucker? Are you quilting?

Some Tips for Machine Sewing

Keep your machine in good condition – a clean, oiled machine is always best
Wind the bobbin slowly and evenly
Change your needle often, every 2-3 projects. Or, if sewing a large project, every 6-8 hours of sewing time.
Sew at a steady pace – this will help your stitches remain even.

Some tips for Hand Sewing

Cut the thread, do not break it.
Keep the thread to a manageable length (20” is recommended) to reduce knots and tangling which will weaken the thread.
Sew loosely; do not draw thread too tightly.
If you find the thread twisting, take a break and let your needle hang free to untwist the thread.
To prevent twisting and tangling, pull the thread from the side – not the top – of the spool.

Sheila Reinke, Heart of Sewing
Sheila

Road Trip!

April 21, 2008October 26, 20081 Comment

Those of you who looked at my Events Calendar recently may have noticed that I recently traveled to the University of Kentucky to teach a program for their Cooperative Extension Program.

Lately, my job has had me doing a lot of traveling, and I realized, as I was getting ready to drive by the Gateway Arch in St. Louis yet again, that I had passed the Arch 14 times (7 times leaving, and 7 returning) in the past year without ever stopping! Now, that’s a shame – to be that close to such a great landmark so many times and not stop at least once. So, deciding there is no time like the present, my husband and I took a small detour before continuing onward.

It is awesome, and I do mean that in the old-fashioned definition of awe inspiring. The Arch is both 630 feet wide and tall, deflects 18″ in a 150 mph wind, has 1,076 steps in the stairway (thank goodness the stairs are for emergency use only), and the list goes on. But those are the technical statistics. There are exhibits and pictures that take you back in time, when riverboats were king of the rivers, and the Westward Expansion was new and exciting. It really reminds us what it took to make this great country of ours that so many can take for granted today.

If you look closely, you can see my hair in the left side of the picture here…. This was taken at the top of the arch, inside of course!

Once we got to the top, the observation deck allowed us to look out at some incredible views (even if leaning over like this was a bit uncomfortable).

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View from the top!

After this very stop to stretch our legs, the trip to the University of Kentucky continued. There were 181 women who attended the Expo, titled “It’s Sew Fine: For Home and Family”. I taught two of the seventeen classes that were offered at the expo, and I think it’s fair to say that almost everyone had a great time.

The first day (Tuesday), I taught a class on making fabric yo-yos. The one thing that all the participants had in common, was remembering making their yo-yos ‘the hard way’ previously. I was teaching how to use the clover yo-yo maker, and they loved it. Almost everyone realized they were going to have to get more than one size and shape of yo-yo maker to have for future use!

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Long-term readers of this blog will remember the fun we had with yo-yos here a while back. If you haven’t heard of the great Yo-Yo makers from Clover, check out my yo-yo tagged posts.

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Participants brought finished projects ready to embellish, and then we just focused on the fun part – dressing it up!

Want to know what else I was up to in Kentucky? Well, here’s a hint… this picture is a picture of fabrics cut for a quilt block I was teaching… tune in tomorrow!

Sheila Reinke, Heart of Sewing
Sheila

Tips on Using Photo Print Fabrics

April 11, 2008October 26, 200810 Comments

Today, I’d like to expand a bit on one of the products used in yesterday’s DYK post on June Tailor printer fabrics.

I have been making photo fabric quilts, pillows, purses, etc. for about 6 years now, and I have always been impressed with the Colorfast product from June Tailor. I can’t tell you how many times I have worked with this product.

I have told so many people that if you want to encourage a young person to start sewing, just use a printer fabric to include a picture in the project and they will love sewing. It is so easy to put a picture of their dog, favorite friend, first car, etc. Personalize their project and you won’t be able to stop them from making more projects.

Since I started my daughter with the pictures she has made 5 queen size photo quilts with 48 pictures each as well as lots of other smaller quilts. She makes almost all her gifts, and several projects are sewn. Next week you will see a quilt she is making to give to a friend.

I was on the road traveling so I asked her to take some pictures of the process of putting a photo onto the colorfast product. Her response was why not create a label she will add to the back of the quilt she is currently making? Great idea!!

Stayed tuned for next week to see her complete finished project, but here are the images she sent me in making her lable.

Decide on pictures or writing you want.
Use email, file transfer, scanner, (you get the idea) or create the image you want on your computer. (Just because I am calling it photo fabric, don’t forget that anything you can print on your printer at home can be printed onto this fabric.)

Resize the image to the size you want the finished product to be.
Put sheet of fabric photo sheet with paper on the back into your printer. IMPORTANT: Needs to be an inkjet printer – most current home printers are inkjet, but double check if you aren’t sure what you have. Optional – you may want to do a test print of your finished image before printing onto the colorfast sheet.
Print the image.