The Price of Thread 03-04-14



Folding thread holder from late 1940's.

 When I buy thread I'm always astounded at the high cost. There was a time that thread was about the cheapest thing about sewing. I think the thread now, besides coming in so many different colors, weights and variegated variables, is much better. But I've rarely ever had thread that was just "bad". Even when it was 10cents a spool. Here are some pictures from my thread drawers. The stand was given to me when I was thirteen or so and was sewing a lot of my own clothes - it is just a sentimental dust catcher now. The wooden spools are from various years. But look at the prices on the spools - 10cents, 15, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50. When polyester fabric came in, so did cotton wrapped poly thread, about the only thread available for a while. In the 60's and 70's 100% cotton fabric and thread was just not available. Everyone wanted drip-dry, no iron fabric for clothing. Not many quilters around. I remember having to zig-zag every seam allowance on a baby quilt to keep the fabric from shredding away. I wonder how long that one lasted. That was in the mid-70's and may have been the last quilt I cut out with cardboard templates and scissors. Soon the rotary cutter revitalized the lives of quiltmakers everywhere. Soooo much easier, quicker and not so hard on the hands. Sorry, I just had to take this walk down memory lane.