Threads are the unsung heroes in our quilt-making. Fabric gets all the attention and the biggest impact on our wallet, however, without thread, nothing would stitch together, and we wouldn't have all those fascinating quilted designs.
We can become just as obsessive with our thread purchasing. Weights, textures, and a rainbow of colours, oh my! If nothing else, playing with the colours can lift your spirits for the coming week.
So what else to do, but finally declutter our thread stash. Are you thread-y for this?
The amount of thread you need is dependent on what type of quilting/sewing that you like to do. And since you might potentially use all of it, where can you cut back?
Space Start with how much space that you want the thread to occupy in your space. I tripled the capacity of my thread drawer by making trays out of foam board. This is one of my older videos which you can watch here. Foam Board Organizational Hack
Eliminate the Dusty Ones
I have many that I accepted from friends that were cleaning out their mother's or aunt's sewing room and they thought I could use them. But now their quality has deteriorated beyond the point of usefulness.
No Label
Consider eliminating those without any markings. If you have no idea if they are poly or cotton, 60wt, 50wt or 40wt, what are the chances you might use it?
Sizing
How many different spool shapes are you wanting to manage? Can you eliminate one size?
Amount of Thread
How many spools have less than a project left on them? I add my end-of-spools to a miscellaneous bobbin that I use for practice pieces. I also like to use them in my hand sewing when I make my hexies.
Bobbins
Speaking of bobbins, how many do you have? Do they work in your current machine? Any broken ones?
You might have other threads for other crafts like floss for cross-stitch etc. How many of those projects will you make in the next 5 years? How much space in your sewing room do you want them to take up? Be honest and cull accordingly.
While you’re working on this challenge, I have two great podcast with thread experts. Anita Zobens and Stephanie Ngai of Wonderfil.
Did you fnd a thread nest? Share your stories on social media. Follow the hashtag and #declutterchallenge2024. I’ll see you tomorrow for Day10
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