Find the right thread for furniture applications

Upholstery Journal | August 2008

by Jake Kulju

Cheryl Valleroy of Cheryl’s Custom Upholstery in Benton, Ill., has tried her hand at many a stitch. A Certified Master Upholsterer, Valleroy knows how important it is to have the right thread for the job.

“It is extremely important,” she says. “The wrong thread can fail and cause you a lot of grief, money and time. If you don’t have the right size, then you’ve got needle problems. If thread starts shredding, if you get a bad run or the wrong twist, the whole seam can start shredding and you can waste hours of time. It’s extraordinarily important to have the right thread for any furniture job.”

Valleroy has used many types of threads on her furniture projects, but has always returned to her old standby: standard bonded 69 nylon thread.

Nylon is a popular thread for furniture applications because of its strength, price, abrasion resistance and strong color bonding qualities.

“Nylon is cheaper than polyester, and for indoor applications it works just fine,” Valleroy says. “You don’t have to worry about exposure to sunlight or the elements.”

Valleroy explains that treated polyester and other higher-end threads can work with furniture, but that for the indoor job, nylon does the trick.

“You don’t need to use a rope to tie down a tarp when just a small little tie down will work,” says Valleroy. “Why use the high-end stuff if you don’t have to?”

For outdoor furniture applications, Valleroy always goes with polyester.

“Polyester stands up to heat, sunlight and water,” she says. “I use a 92 polyester thread for most outdoor and marine furniture.”

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