Well there are all kinds and sizes. I buy thread at JoAnn's on the big cones and I think I pay less than $4 but it also has a huge amount of thread...

It is good enough thread for all of my sewing needs and not nearly as expensive as buying it on a regular spool.

I had my machines cleaned awhile back and the shop owner sells expensive thread...He asked me what kind of thread I use and I told him and he said ...hmmmmm that could be a problem...cheap thread breaks etc etc etc and you should use (whatever brand he carried) and I said...Funny...I haven't had any problems at all...

I noticed how the price went up several months ago. Now I look at yard sales & thrift stores and stock up as I find it. Dollar general has some, 3 spools for $1.00. If you stick to black or white its cheap, colors are too high.

When I see the prices of patterns and fabric, I wonder how people can afford to sew these days. Back when my kids were little, these supplies cost so much less.

On the other hand, 30+ years ago my Kenmore sewing machine cost $400. Last month, I got my new Brother Project Runway edition refurbished (from Overstock.com) for $79. The price for a new model is $139. I love it, by the way!

I used to sew most of my clothes, but not any more. The price of patterns and fabric, not to mention the notions, make it not economically feasible. Dottie

I buy patterns and fabric all the time but only when it is on sale. Even JoAnn's has a 50 per cent off coupon in their flyers and in the paper, so I buy expensive fabric at half price. Patterns are often $1.00 or $1.99 for as many as 10.

I don't sew for myself very often but it's still a bargain if you shop for items the same way you shop for food. I wear mostly jeans but I still make a few tops and I make lots of scrubs for my kids...and I think every one here knows that I sew for dolls.

I used to make all my clothes, but it got to the point that it was cheaper to buy clothing on sale. I still make quilts, but it is by no means an inexpensive hobby. People grumble about the cost of quilts, but they'd probably be surprised to know the cost of the materials. One quilt can take several spools of thread. And material is very expensive.

Like Ruthie, I only buy materials when they are on sale....

And all the quilters that I know, don't waste their time on cheap stuff...It's the best available. With all the time and effort it takes to make a quilt, they want it to be around for generations.

I often use my JoAnn's 40% off coupon on a spool of thread. I tend to just keep to the neutral colors of threads such as off-white, tan, beige & grays in their various shades as you can use them with a lot of different colors. But I still have quite a supply of various colors from back when thread was "reasonably priced".

Sewing is not cheap anymore, for sure!

Seems to me many things have gotten so expensive.

I almost didn't believe my sister when she told me last week that she spent over $7 for a regular spool of navy blue thread. Our prices tend to be doubled to yours.

I'll treasure my spools in the sewing basket and hope like crazy they don't rot anytime soon.

Anybody remember when the spools were made of wood, not plastic?

I have a very big supply of thread and lots of fabric. Today I went to Joann's with a 50% off coupon and bought fabric to make one of my sons in law some boxers for his birthday. They have bowling balls and pins on them. He will like them! I plan to get that sewing room straightened up soon. One year, Cheryl and I both sewed at the same time making clothes for Amber's wedding. I like using computer desks for sewing machine tables. Yes, things have gone up, but if you watch when you shop you can still find some pretty good deals.

Sue

I certainly remember when thread came on wooden spools! And I have a friend who carves them, then auctions them off for charity. He does some wonderful spools!

Tami

Ya jannie. I used to make cattails with them.

I would really like to get back to sewing for myself. I don't really need anything, but I WANT it! It seems that all the clothing in stores is made for either teeny little teen-agers, or very large. What ever happened to the nice middle-of-the-road Misses sizes?

Phyllis, I think in the minds of manufacturers we don't exist.

I sew for my grand daughter. I buy all my notions with the coupons. I ride my bike to the store (which is now since I moved 17 miles from home, where in Tulsa it was only 4 miles from home), so I don't even use gasoline to go there. :)

I also take hubby along, and give him a coupon, and we buy two of the same item, or two different things, for 40 or 50% off. :)

Moni

It was at Joe Annes that I brought this spool of thread.since then I went on line and saw thread for 89cents.I think I'm going to return it.Sewing takes my mined off of myself .I don't need the garments but it's so much fun.If you remember wooden spools you must be as old as me.

I went on line at thread art. They have great big spools for cents,Do you think those big spools fit any machines?I have a Bernini.Help!!!!!!! Be for I order

Be sure to check out the shipping fees, Goldy.

I, too, remember wooden spools. And--for a while--Styrofoam spools, too.

I've seen some nice looking patterns on eBay. And I still have so many from back in the day when I sewed for my kids. I'm looking forward to making some things for the newest member of our family, my cousin Hazel Terrilyn, born on Christmas Eve.

I went on line at thread art. They have great big spools for cents,Do you think those big spools fit any machines?I have a Bernini.Help!!!!!!! Be for I order

I think the "Polyester Sewing Thread 600M Spools" for 89 cents would fit your sewing machine, if those are they ones you're referring to, Goldy. But as cautioned above, check out the shipping & handling charges *before* you hit "submit order". They could be $3 - $5 for the 89¢ spool. It would be a better deal, perhaps, if one were ordering several colors. One spool of thread.... not so much of a deal.

Do you quilt Goldy? That's a really neat & productive way to "get your mind off myself" & the quilts can be gifted or donated to the needy. I remember wooden spools, but I'm a couple of decades younger than you, LOL!

I remember the wooden spools also.When we were kids my dad would put nails on the tops of them and mom would give us yarn and we'd make these long ropes from the yarn then turn theminto rugs for our dolls.I have a plastic one now that i got to make cording for my cross stitch pieces.
Kathi

I'm all for saving money but 5/$1 or 89 cent thread in a handmade garment, craft or home dec just isn't worth it to me. I watch the sales and use coupons. I collect wooden spools. Don't know what my friends with do with them when I die though. LOL

I only buy quality fabric and quality thread. I was machine quilting a small wall-hanging sized quilt 2 days ago and the cheaper Coats and Clark thread ($4 spool) kept fraying and breaking and I never have that problem with the more expensive Mettler thread. That is $7 a spool, unless I can find it on sale. I wish we had a Joann's nearby, I would love to shop there and use their coupons. We only have Hobby Lobby and they don't carry my thread.

Since a quilt gets stressed a lot, I wouldn't use cheap thread to assemble it or to quilt it, it's just going to break and then start to come apart. If you're willing to invest a lot of time in something, you need to willing to invest the money in it, too. In my opinion, of course!

Now, if I'm making something that doesn't need to last for years, I'm all for using Coats and Clark thread, but only in my other machine, I'm not going to use it in my good one. It creates a lot more lint.