The Sewing Place
Tools of the Trade => The Haberdashery => Topic started by: Greybird on January 29, 2021, 14:22:40 PM
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I am still working my way slowly through the saga of my daughter's curtains, and am trying to hand stitch the bottom corners of the hem. I normally only use polyester thread, but the fabric came (from Just Fabrics) with reels of Gutermann cotton thread. I am assuming all you Dark ladies use cotton thread for your quilts and wondered if you have come across the same problem I have. The thread is fine in the machine but, if I pull off a length to thread a needle, it comes off in ringlets. Before I've even got the needle into the fabric it's springing back on itself and tying itself in knots! It's driving me potty! I've tried running it through candlewax and soap but nothing seems to help. Can you?!
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I’ve just had this problem this afternoon.... give me cheap poly any day!..the damn stuff just kept getting knots in it. Mine was Gutterman too.
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Have you tried ironing the thread (between sheets of tissue paper) after you have run it through the wax?
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No I never thought of that @StitchinTime ! Will give it a go - thank you!
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It's possibly the way it comes off the reel. If it is wound diagonally it should come off from the top, the way it would on most machines. There is proper hand sewing thread. I have not used it but that probably won't curl.
You could try damping down before ironing. Hope this helps. :)
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I’ve not actually had a problem with Gutermann but for hand sewing always wax and iron.
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Ordinary cotton Gutermann thread should be fine - I haven't had any problems with it. BUT I have used Gutermann cotton quilting thread and that was very springy. Didn't try that again!
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I greatly prefer using cotton thread over poly, especially for any hand stitching. I would not use it for curtains that will be getting any direct sun. The thread breaks down from it.
That said I use a thread conditioner always when hand stitching. Or waxing, best with ironing after. Or you can love your thread, something Natalie Chanin of Alabama Chanin does. Thread your needle and holding at the needle end pull your index finger and thumb along the two threads multiple times until they relax and lay together.
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(https://media3.giphy.com/media/l1KVb6WM7r1ALtaeI/giphy.gif?cid=ecf05e47qt3op3g7llp40spapknmo3qm15g482imh7h8rwfu&rid=giphy.gif) @BrendaP
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Ironing thread..... that isn’t going to happen!
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I've never had a problem like that with Gütermann thread - but they do make a lot of different cotton threads inlcuding Cotton (sizes 12, 30), Natural cotton (sizes 40. 50 and 60), Quilting, Jeans and Basting thread.
@Greybird What exactly is printed on the spool?
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@BrendaP it says Gutermann CA02776 100% cotton C Ne 5u and the yardage. The spool is a light orangey colour.
I was stuck with this but I shall make a point of avoiding it in future!
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@BrendaP it says Gutermann CA02776 100% cotton C Ne 5u and the yardage. The spool is a light orangey colour.
@Greybird
Should be C Ne 50 (not 5u)
It's this one
https://consumer.guetermann.com/en/product-finder/natural-cotton-c-ne-50 (https://consumer.guetermann.com/en/product-finder/natural-cotton-c-ne-50)
which is the most readily available Gütermann cotton. I have a couple of spools of it in front of me and neither of them are very curly or springy coming off the spool. I can only assume that it's something to do with the particular dye in the spool that you have.
After you thread your needle get the two ends level then pinch the thread and slide your fingers down the length several times. That will help smoosh out a bit of the twist in the thread.
The only other thing is that this, and almost every other thread manufactured for use on sewing machines is Z-twisted - because of the direction in which the machine bobbin turns. Most threads made for hand embroidery are S-twisted because it suits the way that most right handed people hand sew; the S-twists are less likely to twist around and get knotted than the Z-twists are.
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I never have any problems with it
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Thank you @BrendaP - you can always be counted on for a comprehensive answer! It could be 50 and part of it's rubbed off (could have been me hurling it across the room!). Thank heavens I have reached the point where I am putting the heading tape on and I can soon bury the rest of this stuff in a deep dark hole! In future I shall shall buy my own thread - what am I saying - I hope there won't be many more curtains to make!
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@Greybird i don’t think this should rub off a Gutermann reel. I’m assuming it is genuine?
Only asking because I know there are reels of fake stuff being sold on Amazon
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@Ohsewsimple it does look as if it might have rubbed off. I would assume it's the genuine stuff as it was sent by Just Fabrics with the fabric. I should think they buy in bulk from the manufacturer. Actually I remember when I was working in Harrods, a little lady used to come regularly and fill up the Gutermann thread stand - presumably she was from Gutermann?
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Ours used to come from Groves and Banks wholesalers. But I’ve never had the print come off before.
I have seen fakes and the ink does come off of those. That’s what alerted us once when someone complained their machine wasn’t working. When we swapped the thread for the real stuff it was fine. I’m really careful about what I buy from Amazon and the like. Rather pay more and get the genuine article. But I would have thought yours should be ok. Just seems weird.
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I got a large reel of fake white from Amazon at the beginning of the first lockdown, when I complained they refunded and told me to keep the thread, did make me think they knew. I wouldn’t mind but it wasn’t cheap
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@Greybird This is what part used reels should look like.
[ You are not allowed to view attachments ]
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@Greybird for future reference - we've just had 2 pairs of very large curtains made to measure by Just Fabrics and we're very pleased with them. I usually make my own curtains but these were too big for me to manhandle.
We now live near to Cheltenham so they came out to measure up and then we were able to go and collect them.