skip to main content

Money Saving Tips

When to discard spools of thread?

Bumblebeez SC Zone 7

15 years ago

I have a drawer full of old- decades- spools of thread from my grandmother and mother. I don't sew except for the occasional button, however, someday I will learn and might want the stuff.

How can I tell if it's any good? Once I take up sewing I will make pillows, tablecloths, drapes, etc.

Is there a tension test?

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (5)

lexi7
15 years ago
Bumblebeez, if you pull the thread with both hands, you should be able to judge the strength yourself. Are the spools made of wood? If so, they are worth about 25 cents each or more. If the label is etched into the wood, they are worth more. I once collected wooden thread spools, and I would have paid $1.00 each for spools with etched labels.
mary_c_gw
15 years ago
Decades old thread won't sew well, especially on a sewing machine. It will probably be dusty, it's likely dried out, and I know it will create an unreasonable amount of lint in a sewing machine. Especially as a novice, you really want fresh thread. Pillows and drapes need a strong thread, and I use an upholstery weight for this type of sewing.

But as lexi said, wooden spools have a bit of value.
Related Discussions
Always discard virused plants --- or not.
Q
Comments (12)
I have no doubt that orchids, like all living things, have a defense mechanism against outside dangers. In us we call it the immune system. They undoubtably have something similar. I have been told that stressed plants exhibited the virus which then subsequently seemed to disappear. Or physical evidence there of, not the chemical test. My plant is a good example. At one time evidence of virus, now no evidence of virus. Could be nothing else other than stress, a couple of years ago, allowing the virus to show itself and now is dormant again. What this illustrates is that there may be many more virused plants in all of our collections which, if in excellent health otherwise, will not show any signs of it. If one would test every plant in a large collection, there would be a significant number which would test positive. Nick
...See More
What Would You Discard, if You Had to Regroup?
Q
Comments (36)
Mary, George Hooker's formula is a daylily forum favorite. Mr. Hooker's original formula calls for measurements in coffee cans and orange juice cans. All the ingredients plus some water were mixed together to make the stock. Then the stock was further diluted and slowly poured around the roots of the plant. I omit the pesticide he recommended in 1978 and the liqued iron (my blue stuff had iron) and just mix one five gallon bucketful of dilute, ready-to-apply mix: 5 tablespoons of that fertilizer stuff that turns the water blue, your choice. 1/3 cup fish emulsion fertilizer 1/3 cup Epsom salts 5 gallons of water. If you're a purist, you could use compost tea instead of the blue fertilizer and water and just add fish emulsion and Epsom salts. To minimize sloshing out all my solution, I put everything except water in two five gallon buckets on my little wagon, pull them to the area I'm going to fertilize, add water to the first bucket, dip and pour on everything in easy reach until it's gone and then move on to fill the second bucket at the next area. Oh, you add solution by size of plant. The daylily people put 2-4 cups, by size of clump. Warning: Fish emulsion is awfully smelly. One year there was a recipe on the daylily forum for something even worse that added alfalfa and let it ferment for a day or so. It was not for those who can't abide bad smells, lemme tell you! Libby, we should start a thread about pretty plants that just aren't cute any more. My Sago Palm has 34 new fronds this spring. It was cute when it finally had 12 one year and 16 the next.... Now I have to start a tropical bed around it so it doesn't look 'funny' or it might need to go. Nell
...See More
Removing spool from sewing machine...
Q
Comments (23)
I've had my Kenmore since Mother's Day, 1978, I've always pulled the thread back through the tension disks. And I've always adjusted my bobbin, and I have an extra one too for speciality thread. CMC, I think the reason you feel a resistence on the thread is you may not have the pressure foot raised. In down position, there is more resistence. My Kenmore has served me so well over the years. A few years ago, I was making three flower girl dresses and a mother of the bride dresses for my Aunt. I got everything late, to help out, so I was running against a deadline. Everything was going pretty well when my Trusty Kenmore decided to mess up. Well, I couldn't figure out what was up with her, so I took the tension disks apart. Let me tell you, NEVER, NEVER, NEVER, incase I didn't say it, NEVER take that thing apart. It comes alive and shoots all over the place, bouncing off every surface in sight. There is this spring in there that will pop out without warning knocking you between the eyes and then scoot across the floor and out of sight. If you're in the kitchen doing your sewing, that squirelly little thing will most definately head toward the stove or the fridge. and under there it'll go. After pulling the stove out, I finally found it. It took for ever to get it put back together. While I was making all those uncalled for repairs, there didn't seem to be any lint build up, But then again it probably was planted between my eyes where the spring hit.LOL My problem ended up being the bobbin tension. It was smooth sailing until I surged the center of one of the dresses cutting a giant hole across it. That's another story all by itself. Urban legends, hmmmm I wonder how many of them we swear by without even thinking about their validity. doris=^.^
...See More
Thread From Spool Pulls Right Out
Q
Comments (4)
Are you sure you have the right type of needle in the machine? Try using a different needle and see if that helps. Have you double-checked that you have put the needle in correctly? Is the machine threaded correctly for the model that you have? Unthread the machine and thread it again. Have you taken out the bobbin and checked it really well for stray threads? Sometimes tiny thread bits can mess up the operation. Take a brush and clean out the bobbin case area really well. Wish I could help more.
...See More
ladytexan
15 years ago
Yes, pull some of the thread and see how easily it breaks.

I would probably roll off the entire top layer of thread, though. After discarding a lot of thread once, I decided to roll off the first layer and test the thread underneath and it was much stronger.
Bumblebeez SC Zone 7
Original Author
15 years ago
Heh, It never occurred to me that anyone would want an old spool!
Many of them are wooden, small and etched with the name and price - Coats and Clark .15. None of them are wool.
Thanks for the advice. So I should save them to sell someday and don't use for real sewing on a machine. I'll keep the worthless ones for buttons and such.
ilene_in_neok
15 years ago
People make neat things out of old wooden spools, too.

I saw a really nice looking walking cane made out of old spools. They, in fact, left the thread on and laquered over it so it became part of the spool.

In one of those country decorating magazines I saw where they cut the spool ends off and used them for knobs on their kitchen cabinets. It was kinda cute.

We used to make spool dolls by stringing them together.

They make spools out of plastic now, and sometimes styrofoam. And they don't hold nearly as much thread as the old ones always did.

Related Stories

DECORATING GUIDES How to Decorate When You're Starting Out or Starting Over

No need to feel overwhelmed. Our step-by-step decorating guide can help you put together a home look you'll love

DIY PROJECTS Make a Cute and Low-Cost Rolling Table

By Shelly Miller Leer

Turn a free salvage spool into a chic outdoor party table with an easy-to-make slipcover and wheels

STORAGE 10 Ways to Get More Storage Out of Your Space

By Laura Gaskill

Just when you think you can’t possibly fit all your stuff, these storage ideas come to the rescue

STUDIOS AND WORKSHOPS Creative Houzz Users Share Their ‘She Sheds’

By Becky Harris

Much thought, creativity and love goes into creating small places of your own

DECORATING GUIDES Book Tour: Salvage Secrets

By Vanessa Brunner

Joanne Palmisano Shares Practical Tips for Giving Old Finds New Life

DECORATING GUIDES Textile Textbook: Vintage Fabrics Tell a Story

By Jess McBride

We share a dozen ways to honor the past with heirloom textiles

ORGANIZING 21 Tips for Organizing Your Stuff

By Laura Gaskill

Restore order at home with these ideas for tidying up cupboards, shelves, doors and more

LIFE 10 Steps for Saying Goodbye to Sentimental Objects

By Laura Gaskill

Are keepsakes cluttering your space and your life? Consider this approach for letting go and moving on

LIFE How to Build Your Housekeeping Muscle

By Alison Hodgson

Train yourself to clean and organize until the routine becomes second nature with this step-by-step approach

ORGANIZING 7-Day Plan: Get a Spotless, Beautifully Organized Kitchen

By Laura Gaskill

Our weeklong plan will help you get your kitchen spick-and-span from top to bottom

Sponsored

NME Builders LLC

2 Reviews

Industry Leading General Contractors in Franklin County, OH

More Discussions

Moss: Ferrous Sulfide fertilizer - can I use on asphalt shingle roof?

0