Understanding Thread Weights for Quilting

Let’s talk about thread weights. Thread weights are numbers that tell you  the thickness of the thread. I work with thread weights all the way from 8 to 80 and I wanted to share what the most popular uses for each weight would be when using a sewing machine.

The first thing to know is that the lower the number, the thicker the thread. So an 8 weight thread is thicker than an 80 weight thread.

In this photo below I have sewn a straight stitch and a blanket stitch with five different weights of thread so that you can  see the difference in the thread types. 

Thread Weight & Typical Uses for Machine Sewing:

80wt - Very fine and thin - Piecing, Hand Appliqué

50wt - Most popular for quilters - Piecing, Machine Appliqué, Quilting

40wt - My favorite for collage quilting -  Machine Appliqué, Quilting

30wt - When you want the thread to be the star -  Machine Appliqué, Quilting

28wt - Not much different from 30 -  Machine Appliqué, Quilting

In this video I talk more about the threads and how they look on fabric:

What is your favorite thread weight?