Transparent thread is one of the most creative inventions made in the field of sewing and stitching. It belongs to the class of tricky materials that are required for stitching and can turn your sewing project into a dream come true.
It is primarily used to make stitches that can be concealed. Other uses involve making textures on your fabric or adding embellishments or accessorizing with appliqués and patches. So, what is the best transparent thread on the market?
There is a wide range of transparent threads provided by various brands. The quality of the thread depends upon the manufacturer and depending on the quality, the utility of the thread can be determined.
Although it is used as a piece of multipurpose equipment, tailors find it challenging to use it instead of a standard thread. This is because transparent thread is difficult to spot on a garment, which is why mistakes are not easy to notice. Since the membranes are tight, it makes sewing challenging as well.
Types of Transparent Thread
Transparent thread, otherwise known as invisible thread, is a monofilaments synthetic product. It is made from a single strand of synthetic fiber.
It has two categories depending on the material they are made out of:
- Nylon
- Polyester
Both models are useful for their individual qualities. However, transparent polyester threads are more tolerant to heat while polyamide is more susceptible to it.
As a result, transparent nylon threads tend to sag and lose their tautness after long exposures to heat. Although transparent nylon thread is softer and comparatively visible, they tend to become yellowish with age.
Both nylon and polyester transparent threads have their benefits and to see things more clearly, it depends on the comfort of the user and the brand being used.
Why Is Transparent Thread Used?
Transparent threads are used for a wide variety of projects. However, they find their optimum usage in clothing, which requires the stitch work to be as inconspicuous as possible. It is from this purpose that the name ‘transparent’ or ‘invisible’ is devised.
Transparent threads find maximum usage in making of quilts where the stitch work is deep and unobtrusive in nature. Quilts may be made of colorful fabric.
Choosing the thread of a particular color might cause it to appear in contrast with the other colors. In this case, transparent threads come to the rescue and make use of transparent stitches.
Textures in fabrics, deep stitches in quilts, attachment of appliqués and yokes, and binds for finishing are places where transparent threads are also used.
Transparent threads can be used equally for knitwear and weaves. They can be used in a variety of projects starting from lightweight work to heavy work.
Transparent threads are incredibly robust, which makes them fit for heavy stitch work. Its lightweight nature makes it usable for delicate fabrics and intricate work as well. It must be noted that these threads do not support heavy-duty work.
Apart from machines, transparent threads can be used for beading and for the addition of embellished accessories to clothing employing hand-sewn methods although, they are not mainly meant for hand-sewing techniques.
Stitch Work That Uses Transparent Threads
Transparent threads are broadly used for machine work. They may be used via needle and bobbin. In some cases, they may be clubbed with a regular thread and itself in the bobbin.
The spool pin can provide success either horizontally or vertically or with an in-between adjustment. It may be intelligent to make use of a spool-cap to hold the spool in its place such that feeding problems do not arise.
One of the significant adjustments that may be needed for using a transparent thread in a machine is the tension adjustment of the thread.
Transparent threads can be disorderly when working with it. You can apply locks to the stitches at the beginning and the end of the seamline. Besides, you can also make backstitches.
You can create a ‘floating edge’ with the combination of the regular thread and the transparent thread. In this procedure, a decorative thread which is a regular thread is made to appear on the top of the clothing material while the transparent thread holds it in place by applying stitches from the backside or the underside.
Best Transparent Threads for Sewing Machines
Some of the best transparent threads for machine work on fabrics are listed below.
1. Singer Clear Invisible Nylon Thread.
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Singer is one of the most well-known brands in the sewing industry. It manufactures and distributes some of the best threads, yarns, needles and other sewing equipment.
This spool of transparent thread provides 135 yards of length which can be used for beading, crafting, quilting, or making jewelry.
It is made of 100% nylon thread which is guaranteed to provide maximum strength and minimum shrinkage. It has a wideness of about 0.2 mm.
The only drawback of this product is that it tends to get stiff with age and loses its elasticity. Try your hands on this bestseller and let it work its magic on your upcoming projects.
2. Sulky Premium Invisible Thread for Sewing
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This particular transparent thread is a polyester thread. It has 0.004mm 100% polyester quantities in the thread. It makes projects ideal for machine washing and drying. As a result, there are chances for a lesser defect.
This transparent polyester thread is exceptionally smooth and soft. As a result, your DIY projects or machine-sewn projects would be much cleaner and more captivating.
Try invisible quilting, knitting, or appliqué work with this top-quality transparent thread.
3. Gutermann Invisible Thread
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This transparent thread reaches an equilibrium keeping its balance between polyester and polyamide. Both components including polyester and polyamide are present in 50% polyester and 50% polyamide.
This transparent thread finds its wide use in quilting, fuse blasting, attachment of zippers and appliqué work.
The most interesting feature of this product is that it can be used as a bobbin, on the top thread of your machine, and the lower loop of your serger.
Be it appliqué, quilt binding or hem, use this transparent thread for benefits of both polyester and polyamide threads.
You can also use the transparent thread to create temporary bonds to hold it in place and progress with your final stitch work later.
4. Mandala Crafts Invisible Sewing Thread from Nylon for Quilting
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This monofilament fiber is made from nylon and is non-stretchable in nature.
The most exciting feature of this product is that it is tangle-free and waterproof. This increases its utility manifold.
It can not only be used for sewing projects but artwork and photography as well. It comes in two spools; 3000 m and 3280m.
5. Superior Threads MonoPoly Invisible Thread
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This pack comes with one spool of 2200 yards of Clear 119-09 Invisible Thread. This transparent thread is made of 0.004 mm of monofilaments polyester.
This is a low stretch thread that does not go brittle with time. The brand guarantees against yellowing of the thread.
This transparent thread spool can be used for both the long-arm machine and home sewing machine effortlessly and effectively.
Related Questions
How do we take care of transparent threads?
Since nylon threads are susceptible to heat and melt away quickly, ironing should be done by using a pressing cloth over it. Lowering your iron temperature also helps.
Although polyester and polyamide transparent threads withstand washing well, they are not entirely resistant to hot washes.
Thus, hot water washing or warm dryer temperatures should not be used if you want your stitches to last longer and better.
What are the applications of transparent thread apart from quilting?
Apart from quilters, fashion sewers find great use of the transparent thread in their work.
Home décor items find extensive usage of transparent threads. Various kinds of stitches, such as patterned stitch or straight stitches are possible too.
Attach patches, appliqués, yokes, and laces effectively with invisible threads to avoid a show of stitchwork.
Apart from polyester and polyamide threads, what other variations are available for me in the market?
Transparent threads are available in two color variations: clear and smoke. Clear-colored threads allow effective blending in with colors while smoke-colored threads work well with dark colors.
Transparent threads may have a matte finish or a shinier texture.
Transparent Threads For Sewing Machines And Their Magic
For years, monofilament fibers or transparent threads have had a bad reputation among tailors and fashion designers. They were used either in upholstery or as fishing lines till the time their utility was re-invented and thus, extensively used.
Transparent threads of today’s day are much softer. Consequently, they do not poke people when used in clothing materials. They are manufactured with varying degrees of thickness, softness, and weight.
Available in spools of various sizes, it is up to the tailor to select which size meets their requirement.
Try using transparent threads for your projects. Their multipurpose utility makes them suitable for DIY projects, beading, knitting, accessory making, and many more sewing-based ventures.
