Question about serger thread for stretch material

[Jaseena]

I bought a Singer overlock serger and was wondering, what type of thread should I buy for lycra? Should I use regular serger thread? The book that came with my serger suggests a kinda fuzzy thread with a slight stretch to it (my description based on the picture the book has), but it does not give any brand names. What brand of thread do you use or recommend?

[shahla]

I've always used regular serger thread in my Elna Serger for stretchy materials and it's worked just fine. I believe serger thread is specially made to handle the speed in which the machine is sewing.

[Tourbeau]

I was taught you should use wooly nylon in the loopers. Sometimes on commercial garments you see all four threads with it, but you can get by with just two spools.

[Maral]

I understood that the wooly nylon for the loopers was to fill in the edge and look nicer; if anything were going to help with stretch I'd think it would be the needle threads.

I just use normal serger thread...mostly because I'd rather not mess with the wooly nylon. It was a royal pain to use at the mascot shop where I worked; kept catching on things and you have to tie a normal thread to it in order to thread the machine.

Mind you, I almost never use my serger for actual construction, just for finishing. I have a stitch on my regular machine I use for stretch; it's like a diagonal zigzag that looks like a straight stitch but can actually stretch.

[Tourbeau]

I understood that the wooly nylon for the loopers was to fill in the edge and look nicer; if anything were going to help with stretch I'd think it would be the needle threads.

On non-stretch seams or lettuce edging, it probably does mostly fill in, but it's used on knits for its elasticity and tensile strength. If I was sewing a garment I expected to be subjected to a lot of aggressive tugging and stretching (e.g., a Powernet body stocking), I would try to thread all four with it. I've also used it in a conventional machine--was told in that circumstance it's sufficient to use it in the bobbin alone, but I ran it in both. The absolute worst is trying to hand sew with it. Wooly nylon can't be beat for making a nice, soft repair to a knit (e.g., darning a sock), but it can drive you to tears with the way it splays apart and snags on itself. If you use a metal needle threader, it's not too bad in terms of getting it into the needle, but it is crazy, aggravating, annoyingly expensive thread.

Then again, no matter what kind of thread you use in a serger, threading it and balancing the tensions can be a headache...

[tigerb]

The manufacturer's website for YLI woolly nylon recommends it for the loopers only.

What makes the serger stitching stretchy is not the thread but the stitch. I've sewn many stretchy things with a 3-thread overlock using regular thread, and there is still stretch along the seam. Therefore you don't have to have elasticized thread to have stretch.

[tigerb]

My only recommendation for buying serger thread is:

1. Buy multiple cones of each color, because yes, you will use a lot of it.
2. Buy thread for sergers when possible
3. If you have a choice between cheap and expensive standard serger thread... spend the money.

[Tourbeau]

What makes the serger stitching stretchy is not the thread but the stitch. I've sewn many stretchy things with a 3-thread overlock using regular thread, and there is still stretch along the seam. Therefore you don't have to have elasticized thread to have stretch.

Wooly nylon does have stretch to it. It is not the same amount of elasticity as, say, the kind of elastic thread you'd wind onto a bobbin for shirring, but it does have more springiness than regular sewing thread. It is also more resistant to breaking than basic spun or covered-core thread, due to its multi-fiber construction. Sometimes on manufactured three-thread garments, I've seen wooly nylon in the loopers with invisible nylon (the stuff like thin fishing line) in the needle, so that combination is used in high-breakage situations, too.

The thread and the type of stitch work together. How much stretch/sturdiness you need in the garment determines what combination you can use. The seams on a girdle need to be able to take a lot more abuse than the seams on a T-shirt. It all comes down to how much tension you expect to put on the seams during normal usage (including taking the garment on and off). If it's not a very stretchy knit, and the size and cut are such that you don't expect to be wrestling yourself in and out of it, normal thread with a zigzag or basic serger stitch, or wooly nylon in the bobbin with a regular machine stitch may be totally sufficient.

3. If you have a choice between cheap and expensive standard serger thread... spend the money.

This is a true statement, no matter what kind of sewing you are doing. Cheap thread is not worth the money in the long run. Neither is old thread. Even if it does save money to raid Grandma's sewing box, old thread is more likely to fray and snap than stuff that hasn't been sitting around for twenty years.

[shahla]

My only recommendation for buying serger thread is:

1. Buy multiple cones of each color, because yes, you will use a lot of it.
2. Buy thread for sergers when possible
3. If you have a choice between cheap and expensive standard serger thread... spend the money.

Totally agree with tigherb on the cheap vs expensive thread. Don't buy the cheap crap from Walmart. I try to buy Maxi-lock when I can. Good thread does make a difference.

[Jaseena]

Mind you, I almost never use my serger for actual construction, just for finishing. I have a stitch on my regular machine I use for stretch; it's like a diagonal zigzag that looks like a straight stitch but can actually stretch.

Do you mean a straight stitch like this? --^--^--^--^--

Thanks for everyone's input! I bought some serger thread on line. Hope it works out.
Maxi Lock Serger Thread ONLY $2.00 in Thread: Sewing Supplies & Alteration Supplies by Sew True.com

They also have some cheaper thread that I found on that website - right after making my purchase - I hate when that happens!
http://sewtrue.com/Store/SERGE-WELL-...-YDS-P981.html

[mayaraschad]

I agree with this 100%! The woolly nylon also catches on everything ,especially your jewelry, and even your nails. Not good for costuming. The stitch is everything.

I understood that the wooly nylon for the loopers was to fill in the edge and look nicer; if anything were going to help with stretch I'd think it would be the needle threads.

I just use normal serger thread...mostly because I'd rather not mess with the wooly nylon. It was a royal pain to use at the mascot shop where I worked; kept catching on things and you have to tie a normal thread to it in order to thread the machine.

Mind you, I almost never use my serger for actual construction, just for finishing. I have a stitch on my regular machine I use for stretch; it's like a diagonal zigzag that looks like a straight stitch but can actually stretch.