All about thread

Thread. You can’t sew without it. But there are lots of different kinds. How do you choose? What is the difference. Let’s talk about a few types.
These are your basic all-purpose polyester thread. Coats & Clark and Gutermann are probably the brands you’ll see most often. Poly threads are good and strong and can withstand the quick whir of your machine. For everyday sewing, these are great. They come in a rainbow of colors, and several sizes, too.
Cotton thread is used in quilting. The two at the left are for machine quilting. The one at right is for hand quilting and is coarser and has a glace finish that helps prevent tangling and breakage. In quilting, the cotton thread stitches sink into the fabric nicely when pressed. Cotton is not quite as strong as poly, but it’s stable.
Serger cones. These are large spools meant for sergers and some types of regular sewing machines. They are usually synthetic.
Elastic threads are used for shirring, smocking and gathering. Wind a bobbin with it by hand (some insist this must be done loosely, some do it tightly. I guess you should experiment with your machine). See this tutorial on shirring for details.
I just wanted to show you these little bobbin holders called Handi-Bobs. They snap onto the end of your thread so you can keep your bobbin with it. Especially handy when you have several threads that are close in color but hard to tell, like black and navy. Very appealing to toddlers, who will destroy your perfectly organized thread collection in mere moments. You can find them here.
Incidentally, don’t use old thread. I bought a big bag at a thrift store once (including this one). Most of it is OK, but some of it has been pretty rotten, literally. It’s better to avoid old thread because even if it holds up through the project, it might not last long or hold the seams securely.
Metallics are often used for decorative stitching, including embroidery and quilting. Use a large-eyed sewing needle in your machine to reduce friction and thereby breakage. Use care and go slowly when winding the bobbin. Cheaper metallics won’t have a coating to protect the metal of the thread from rubbing on the needle and creating friction. So spend a bit extra and get the good stuff.
There are many other types of thread, including:
Invisible nylon – great for quilting if you want it to blend in to your fabric

Silk – often used for embroidery, silk thread is strong and absorbs dye well. It also has a nice sheen.
Upholstery/carpet/button thread – heavy duty and stiff, this is great for holding together upholstered goods and securing buttons to cushions
Outdoor thread – heavy duty
Jeans thread – yellow and heavy duty, just like on your jeans
Top-stitching thread– great for decorative stitching

Of course, there are even more types of thread. I haven’t covered them all, but these are probably the most common.

Finally, when hand sewing, consider waxing your thread. It makes it much stronger and keeps it from knotting and tangling. If you’ve never tried it, I’ll be you’ll be a quick convert when you do! Simply run the thread along the wax. One of these will last you for ages.