There are five types of sewing thread classified by the raw material used: cotton thread, pure cotton thread, continuous filament polyester thread, polyester-cotton blended thread, and nylon thread. Most of the sewing threads are made of pure polyester fiber. To answer how the polyester thread is made, it undergoes six processes in the polyester sewing thread manufacturing process: carding, combing, assembling, twisting, and two winding phases.
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Cotton thread
Cotton thread has good heat resistance, but poor elasticity, wear resistance, moisture resistance, and antibacterial ability. It is suitable for high-speed sewing and durable ironing. The most commonly used is the long-staple cotton thread, which is made of long-staple cotton and processed by carding, singeing, and silk finishing. And it has high density and twist, so the tension is better than ordinary combed cotton. Pure cotton thread is often used for pure cotton clothing and other pure cotton fabrics.
Pure cotton thread
Pure cotton thread is generally divided into ordinary combed and fine combed parts. The real 100% pure cotton thread that can be used for sewing is the full-fine combed cotton. Generally, 402, 202, and 203 are commonly used. It is made of high-quality cotton from cotton areas by combing and singeing. Pure cotton thread is often used for pure cotton clothing and other pure cotton fabrics for sewing.
Polyester sewing thread
Polyester thread has high strength, flat and beautiful seam, wear resistance, and is not susceptible to mildew or rot. It has a low price, rich colors, is not easy to fade or wrinkle.
Polyester-cotton blended thread
It is made of 65% polyester short fiber and 35% cotton fiber. The thread has high strength, good wear resistance, low shrinkage, good flexibility and elasticity, and good heat resistance. It can be used to sew various clothes.
Nylon thread
Heavy duty nylon thread has high tensile strength and elasticity, smooth texture and silk luster, and excellent wear resistance.
Polyester sewing thread has become the most mainstream sewing thread material in industries such as apparel, home textiles, footwear, and bags worldwide. This is mainly due to its overall advantages in strength, cost, abrasion resistance, and chemical resistance.
Compared with traditional cotton thread, polyester sewing thread offers the following notable features:
High strength and durability: The breaking strength of polyester fiber is typically 2–3 times that of cotton thread. Its high tensile strength makes it less likely to break during high-speed sewing, making it especially suitable for heavy fabrics and industrial sewing.
Excellent abrasion resistance: Polyester thread has a smooth, friction-resistant surface that resists pilling and fuzzing, significantly extending the service life of finished garments.
Good chemical resistance: It is highly resistant to acids, alkalis, bleaches, and most organic solvents, making it suitable for garments that undergo after‑treatments such as washing, dry cleaning, and bleaching.
Cost advantage: Abundant raw material supply and high production efficiency make the overall manufacturing cost of polyester thread much lower than that of cotton thread or high‑performance fiber threads (e.g., Kevlar, nylon), offering excellent cost‑effectiveness.
Good dimensional stability: With low moisture absorption (only about 0.4%), polyester thread does not shrink or deform easily when exposed to moisture, resulting in better flatness of sewn garments.
These characteristics have allowed polyester sewing thread to dominate the sewing thread manufacturing process, making it the top choice for the modern textile and garment industry.
Are you curious about how the polyester thread is made? The polyester sewing thread manufacturing process involves several essential steps that ensure the final product is strong and durable. The polyester sewing thread manufacturing process ensures that the thread is suitable for a variety of applications.
1. Carding and winding: Pour polyester fibers into the disc, and then agitate and combine the regular fibers into a bulky fiber block.
2. Combing and assembling: The large block of fibers is further combed and assembled by the combing machine to form small strips of fibers.
3. Coarse and fine yarns: The strip fibers are adjusted to the required yarn count by the rough and fine yarn machine.
4. Assembling and twisting: The spinning machine twists the single yarns into required plies.
5. Winding and unwinding: The ply yarns are made into twisting or cylindrical yarns.
6. Dyeing and packaging: Dye according to the customer's required color and packaging for sale.
Sewing thread refers to the thread used to stitch textiles, plastic, leather products, and binding books and periodicals. Heavy duty sewing thread has the characteristics of sewability, durability, and appearance quality. It is classified into sewing thread, embroidery thread, and industrial thread according to usage, and three major categories of natural fiber sewing thread, synthetic fiber sewing thread, and blended fiber sewing thread according to the raw material used. With the development of the polyester industry, more and more sewing threads are made of pure polyester fiber as raw materials.
In the market, the quality of polyester sewing thread varies widely. Many garment factories and buyers often struggle to tell the difference. Here are some practical, experience-based criteria widely used in the industry to evaluate quality:
1. AppearanceHigh-quality polyester sewing thread looks round and full, with consistent color and minimal visible hairiness or knots. The thread on the spool should be neatly wound with even tension — no sagging or overly tight sections. Poor-quality thread often appears fuzzy, uneven in color, or messy right from the start.
2. Strength and ElasticityPull the thread firmly with your hands. Good thread feels strong and has moderate elasticity — it shouldn’t break easily. Pay close attention to the Ticket Number (size) and the listed tensile strength. For the same ticket number, higher strength usually indicates better raw materials and superior manufacturing processes.
3. Twist and Surface SmoothnessQuality thread has consistent twist and a smooth surface, but it shouldn’t feel overly slippery (excessive slipperiness can cause skipped stitches on sewing machines). Run your fingers along the thread — well-made thread feels smooth yet substantial, thanks to proper lubrication and singeing.
4. Color FastnessThis is one of the most critical factors. Premium thread maintains stable color after washing, rubbing, and exposure to sunlight. Reputable manufacturers usually provide color fastness test reports. Always request them when placing bulk orders.
5. Packaging and LabelingReliable polyester sewing thread manufacturers use neat, professional packaging with clear labeling, including composition, specifications, batch number, and production date. High-end suppliers often provide third-party test reports as well.
The polyester sewing thread manufacturing process is a journey that transforms raw materials into high-quality thread. Understanding the polyester sewing thread manufacturing process not only highlights the complexity behind the product but also informs consumers about the quality they can expect.
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