There’s more to making thread than meets the eye. You don’t need much sewing experience to know that not all threads are created equal. Over time, you know which brands and types work best for your projects and sewing equipment; however, not much thought is ever given to just how that humble spool came to be. To the naked eye, the only change in thread over the last fifty years appears to be the spool, so Threads editors, Deana May and Judith Neukam, met with well-known thread manufacturer, Coats & Clark, to find out just what goes into making this essential notion and our namesake. The answer is: a lot. 

Thread making is a combination of fiber and science, beauty and technology, manpower and machine. Here we’ll share the amazing process of thread-making at Coats & Clark, give you a sneak peek inside their factories, and explain how every step of the process is designed to create a smooth, strong, consistent thread that improves your sewing experience. Take a tour of the Coats & Clark thread factory to find our how thread is made.

From Threads #144