The Upholstery Forum

Hi folks!
I'm hoping this is the correct topical forum for this first query: the seemingly simple issue of thread storage has become an increasing headache for me.

I'm a longtime tailor who's branched out in the past few years to custom upholstery and some light marine work. I'm lucky to have ample workspace with good lighting here in my large finished basement and am currently reconfiguring my shop to better accommodate my industrial Juki machines.

How do you all store your thread? From my tailoring, I already have hundreds of spools of Gutermann Mara and serger cones. Until now, my thread has all been piled into a shallow open metal bookshelf I snagged from my dad's shop many years ago where I just sort it vaguely by color and deal with the occasional spool rolling off.

But now I'm amassing heavier TEX weights of AMAN & A&E sunstop spools for the upholstery/marine work. Do you organize by color or weight? Open storage sitting on a shelf or on rods or wooden dowels mounted on the wall? I've tried the plastic "suitcase" storage so beloved by home crafters -- someone gifted me a bunch of these containers -- but it drives me crazy for being too fussy & inaccessible.

So: how do Real Upholsterers handle their thread? --- or do you simply use white, black & brown and call it a day, lol?
Thanks so much!

I just mainly use 92 and 138 thread. 92 comes with a white thread retainer on top of the spool. 138 uses yellow. I use silver spools for 92 and black for 138.

@circuspeanut , I try to keep the thread weights all the same. I stock 92 and 138 and they are both compatible in my machines without making tension adjustments. I think you will hone it down too and do the same.

I use plastic bins for each weight of thread and store them on a shelf. For my embroidery machine I have a large wall rack, but for all my sewing threads they get a plastic bin.

@MalcolmM , what is your thread of choice?

Amann searabond and now outdora, from T70, 90, 210, 270

I have not heard of outdora