New Threads : Polyester Pallette of Colors

I purchased this set of polyester embroidery thread from Thread Art during their Black Friday sale around Thanksgiving.  You can still purchase this set of 80 spools for a similar price (It amounts to about $1/spool).   I actually bought a 120 spool set, but I don't see that as an option now.  They even threw in a couple extra spools.

Since it's polyester embroidery thread, it's STRONG with a nice sheen to it.  I wanted to try it out before I blogged about it which is why you didn't see it last December.  It seems to work just fine in my sewing machine--for embroidery, and quilting.  I used it on the Birds & Bees Snowflake pillow.  I'm quite happy with it.  It feels good to be sewing again!  All for the want of of decent threads!

This is what I saw when I opened the box.  At first, I was a little daunted--I'm always a little daunted when I see so many styrofoam packing peanuts.  But that didn't last long.  Being December,  I was like a kid in a candy store!  Every new spool was a new color and felt like a new treat!

It was actually kind of fun to pull out each spool, put them on the stands, and arrange the colors.  As a Librarian, I like a good "order from chaos" exercise.  And this certainly qualified!

I realized one of the reasons I took a sabbatical from sewing and quilting 18 months ago was because I was so frustrated with my Madiera rayon embroidery thread constantly breaking.  I thought there was something wrong with my machine, and then I realized the thread was literally rotten--You can break it just by pulling on it.  I was so disgusted and disheartened -- To pay that much for a box of embroidery thread, and it doesn't last very long (less than 5 years).    I kept it covered, and out of direct sunlight, just like I was supposed to do for preservation.  And it still didn't last.   ;-(

Well--I made the switch to polyester embroidery thread.  It's come a long way ... and so have I. Maybe Thread Art doesn't make the best thread out there, but it's good enough, and the price is right.

You might ask, do I really need 120 spools of embroidery thread?  All in different colors?  YES!  This is the palette of thread colors which is just as important as a fabric stash.  If you don't have the right color, it can stop a project dead in it's tracks.  Fortunately, my husband does NOT ask this question.  He knows how important a creative life is for me

There's a little blue cap at the top of each spool that you can pop off to hold the thread end when you're finished with it.  I think they' re making improvements to that system.  It's not perfect (thread can still unspool slightly), but it's good enough.  Likewise, it's not the most expensive thread out there (Heck, I bought the fancy stuff last time around, and look where it got me), but it's good enough.

The spools are a little taller than the Sulky spools, which means they don't fit in the Slimline thread boxes.  I have the wooden racks to keep them in order and somewhat contained.  I am on the hunt for a box in which to keep them out of the light, and dust-free.  It would also improve their portability.

A little later ...
I stopped at Shopko today and picked up a couple of scrap-booking project boxes.  I was hoping that there would be room enough to keep the threads on the wooden June Taylor thread stand, but no dice.  These larger thread spools can stand up in the box on their own, and still allow you to adequately see the thread color.   And the lid closes down tight, keeping out dust, and making them much more portable.  That's an issue because I have quilt camp in a few weeks.  ;-)    I also added a layer of non-slip material and a layer of batting.  This raises them just enough so that they don't roll around and tip over in the box. 

Cheers!