Imagine a product that can be used for anything from filling for pillows and furniture to hoses, power belts, clothing, water bottles, carpets, curtains, sheets, wall coverings, upholstery, ropes, and tire cord. It can even be used to replace or reinforce damaged body tissue. That is the polyester’s convenience.
Read More: Polyester Thread
Polyester can be found in fibers and plastic forms. The polymers used to create the break-resistant plastic bottles used to hold soft drinks and bottled water are called polyester materials. And those elegant balloons with the adorable sayings printed on them? They are also constructed of polyester; more precisely, they are an aluminum foil and Mylar sandwich. The mylar/polyester blend used to make our glitter thread is comparable.
Polyethylene terephthalate, or simply PET, is the most widely used polyester for fiber purposes. (This material is also utilized in a lot of soft drink bottles.) Extrusion, which forms continuous filaments of semi-solid polymer, is the process of forcing a thick, sticky liquid (about the consistency of cold honey) through the tiny holes of a spinneret, a device that resembles a shower head. Monofilaments, or single holes, and multifilaments, or multiple holes, are made depending on the number of holes. Different types of threads can be produced by extruding these fibers into shapes such as round, trilobal, pentagonal, octagonal, and others. Every shape produces a unique texture or sheen.
Primary polyester thread types
A filament polyester core thread is wrapped in spun polyester to create corespun polyester threads. It is also referred to as “P/P,” “PC/SP,” and “Poly-core spun-poly” thread. The extra strength that the filament core adds makes core spun polyester threads like OMNI or OMNI-V advantageous to use. Because of their robust tensile strength and matte finish, OMNI and OMNI-V are popular choices for quilting.
Polyester filament is a continuous thread of fiber. When some hear the word filament, they mistakenly believe it to mean monofilament. A filament thread is just one kind of filament, such as monofilament, which resembles fishing line. It is a thread with only one (mono) strand. One type of monofilament thread is called MonoPoly. Multiple filaments, which are made up of two or three strands twisted together, are another type of filament thread. The largest category of polyester filament is this one. Although they are not transparent, multifilament strands are silky and free of lint. A lint-free thread has the benefit of requiring less maintenance and a cleaner machine. Two of these filament polyester thread examples are The Bottom Line and So Fine!.
Trilobal polyester is a continuous, high-shine, twisted fiber thread with multiple filaments. It looks bright like silk or rayon, but it has the benefits of polyester fiber. Fibers with a triangle shape reflect more light and give fabrics a lovely sheen. Trilobal polyester threads make up both our Fantastico and Magnifico thread lines.
Shorter lengths of polyester fibers are spun or twisted together to create spun polyester threads. This is akin to the manufacturing process of cotton threads. The desired size of thread is then created by twisting these short fibers together. Spun polyester threads have greater elasticity and resemble cotton threads in appearance. Spun polyester is typically a cheap thread and is inexpensive to produce. Spun polyester is not as strong as corespun, filament, or trilobal polyester threads, so we do not suggest using it for quilting.
Strong polyester thread used for upholstery applications is called bonded polyester. Bonded polyester is frequently used for outdoor furniture and car upholstery because of polyester’s exceptional UV resistance. Stitched at high speeds, a unique resin coating increases strength and helps reduce friction.
After stretching, polyester fibers recover rapidly (the stretch and recovery are referred to as elongation), and they absorb very little moisture. With a melting temperature of roughly 480º F, polyester is heat resistant (safe for use in dryers and irons). By contrast, nylon begins to yellow at 350º F and melts at approximately 415º F. The majority of common cleaning solvents can be used to wash or dry-clean polyester fibers, which are also chemically resistant and colorfast.
The most frequent query concerning polyester threads that we get
Is it acceptable to use polyester thread for quilting? Will my quilt be torn by it?
A common misconception is that polyester thread can rip through the fabric of a valuable quilt. Most of the stories we are told are myths that have been passed down from earlier times. When Grandma first started quilting, the majority of the thread that was available was cotton, and stitch in the ditch quilting was typically done along pieced seams. With the passage of time, machine quilting has become more widely used and offers a wider range of methods. Quilting is no longer limited to the seams. By introducing complex and contrasting patterns all over the quilt, machine stitching can improve its aesthetic appeal. The quilt is not stressed further by machine quilting. The piecing still has stress points. Polyester thread is too strong, according to some, and will rip the fabric. The seams are most likely where the fabric will rip if it ever rips from excessive wear and tear. The areas that are machine quilted are not the real stress points of a quilt; the seams are. Strength cannot be solely derived from fiber. A thick, robust cotton thread cannot be compared to a thin, weak polyester thread.
For piecing, we utilize and suggest MasterPiece Cotton Thread. Using irons on high heat is safer when cotton thread is used for piecing. We then employ artistic quilting to embellish and beautify the quilt using additional threads, including cotton, polyester, silk, and metallics. Because there is less stress away from the seams when polyester thread is used for decorative quilting, the fabric won’t be torn under normal or even heavy use.
