Which thread - cotton, polyester or even something else?

elsmandino

Hi there.

My wife fancies having a go with altering some clothes - something that she has never done, but we are going to have a go, having bought a beginner sewing machine a while back not ever properly used.

Just an initial question - we were thinking of buying a pack of thread that should cover most colours:

e.g. SOLEDI Sewing Thread 30 Colors 250Y Sewing Machine Threads Set All Purpose Polyester Thread for Hand and Machine Sewing with 16 Needles 2 Threader : Amazon.co.uk: Home & Kitchen

But I have noted that there are at least two different types of thread - cotton and polyester.

Which should I get (or do I need both)?

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Sus59

Polyester will be fine for most jobs.  Be aware that cotton can shrink in the wash and may also absorb colouring from other items in a wash.  Also, polyester thread is stronger than cotton.

I do a fair bit of sewing/alterations and only ever use polyester thread.

elsmandino

Perfect - thanks very much indeed for that.

Polyester it is.

flipflopflo

I would say polyester as well. Also I would probably go for a better quality like Guterman All Purpose. 

Do you have any fabric shops locally? Anyone local doing beginner lessons? 

Just out of interest what machine did you buy?

Pop over to the Crafting board, there are lots of helpful people over there as well. 

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/categories/crafting

elsmandino

We ended up with one of these - quite basic but seems to offer quite a lot for beginners.

Buy Brother LS14s Manual Stitch Sewing Machine - White | Sewing machines | Argos

Unfortunately, I was unable to find anywhere local that sells sewing supplies.  All the smaller places, that used to offer it, have since disappeared.

Really good point about lessons, actually - we are a bit nervous having a go, based purely on the handful of youtube videos we have seen.  A few lessons would certainly be a worthwhile investment.

Thanks very much for the heads up on the crafting thread - shall have a nose over there.

GaleSF63

Definitely use a good quality thread! I'm not up to date enough to make recommendations - except Gutermann, but this is one area where it pays to pay for quality. You don't want extra problems while you are learning (breaking thread for example).

flipflopflo

That’s a nice little beginner machine. Though won’t be able to do anything too weighty ie:multi layers of denim. Make sure you invest in some good quality needles like Schmetz. Starting out you will probably get away with just using white, grey and black thread. So if you have blue material eg:navy you can use black and light blue you can use white. 

If you google your county and sewing lessons you may find that there are some nearby organised by a group or a private individual. 

flipflopflo

Have a look at Debbie Shore on YouTube for sewing. 

For practice draw some straight lines on some white cotton (use an old pillowcase or similar) and then practice sewing over the lines. As you get used to straight lines then start on wiggles, zigzags, squares etc. It will help you to get used to controlling the machine. 

A good investment is this book 

Also check out Facebook for local sewing groups. 

joedenise

For practise I second using some cotton fabric.  Charity shops are a good source of things like sheets and duvet covers fairly cheap.  Can even use some of them to make actual garments like tops and skirts! 

Might be worth contacting your Local Education Authority to see if there are any sewing courses offered in the Adult Education area.