Of course, the parts book comes in second to the manual. Or at least the two together form a force to be reckoned with like no other. Look at the parts individually, look how they go together, create a super-structure. Once you have made it through the introduction and the tables of contents, the way to view these is with the diagram pages accompanied by their numerical lists, to identify the parts names.

* Due to the parts book’s length, this will be posted in three sections.

** This book is available in hard-copy form, from Dunlap Sunbrand International, which there is a link to in the side bar of this site.

["A fine cord of a fibrous material, such as cotton or flax, made of two or more filaments twisted together and used in sewing, needlework and the weaving of cloth." - taken from Infomat]

Thread, thread - thread. This has been a long pressing issue with the sewing world, possibly one of the oldest and most important one at that. It’s hard to imagine what garments, or other textile products would be like, if the quality of thread was considered irrelevant, or even if, in choosing quality thread it was an irrelevant action beyond, say, the color choice. Obviously by now this is not the case, with many companies devoted to the future of thread and it’s ability to mend our existence, solve unusual problems, and uphold complex structures (?) - an immense variety of thread is being produced every day. American&Efird, ApparelSearch, Gütermann, H.P. Thread, The Thread Exchange, Coats&Clark to name a few, gets things going: and so on and so forth we begin to see how important our threading obligations are. After writing about the silk thread used on those mysterious black denim jeans, things started to unravel a bit, and it seemed time to confront this topic, if not to settle it, to at least begin the investigation.

However there are a few ground rules here that should be acknowledged - but do not need to be adhered to in the long run by any means. Between the lineage of sewing machines which have led up to now, from the old Singer Stylist 534 to the Brother DB2-B791-015, there have been some consistencies and inconsistencies with threading. The inconsistencies are simple, every time a thread has been chosen and used, it has always been a domesticated thread available from your average sewing machine (or fabric) dealer. Of course this in itself is consistent, but based on not sourcing out “industrial” thread for these “industrial” machines, the argument is that only one side of the threading spectrum has been administered, leaving an inconsistent, or at least narrow look at what threads are the best.

The reasons for straying away from “industrial” thread choices (figure “industrial” thread here to be anything you can purchase in a .5 - 1 pound cone or more) are varied and complicated. A lot of the discouragement was due to availability of the information behind the thread choices. In the L.A. Fashion District, it was possible to buy millions of feet if not more in thread length, but if you were buying in bulk, the choices of what those many feet would consist of were limited, you could find either lightweight polyester thread, or some nylon based serger/overlock threads. When you wanted to find something that was blended with either cotton, polyester, nylon, etc. it was impossible, as the bulk threads are packaged for economic reasons not informational reasons, therefore the “nutrition” labels are not there which may display the percentage of the blends (all of the thread was/is either 100% polyester, or 100% nylon, the rest a mystery). Of course, most of these threads will get most of the jobs done - however around the Brother DB2-B791-015 - these matters are not left to chance, why have a great sewing machine and great fabric and skimp out on the most important detail? These experiences left one essential question, where does big industry get bulk thread from, and why, and what tasks is it used for if at all? Looking back on it, many of the small spools of domesticated thread seem to be of much higher quality than what was available on the shelves in huge amounts, it may be a matter of customization vs. streamlining production, but then what threads do our smaller manufacturers use? As an example, Work Custom Jeans of L.A. always had pegs and pegs of the tiny little Gütermann “Heavy Duty” thread in 30 meter spools, this is in no way economical - but it does ensure a magnificent product. It would certainly benefit Work to trade those little bundles in for cones - saving time and money. Does Gütermann offer this option, and if so, is it only to the dominant powerhouse factories where all different major label clothing and accessory companies are probably having their products made under one roof? More than likely this deficit of thread is caused by domestic demands, who needs 1000 plus yards of expensive thread anyway?

The consistencies lay in that most of the domesticated threads purchased, have been used over and over, seeing their faults and their merits. The readily available threads have one huge advantage to their name - they are well labeled. The options go on and on, and if you purchase one that does not work out, you aren’t left with a ton to waste. A telling tale; with some looking around - the thread issue really came to light when making a pair of jeans. While using a 100% nylon thread, a flood of questions came to the forefront. The nylon was strong, but it was not quite the right weight, plus it would melt under the pressure/heat of the iron, when you were not paying close enough attention. So, a generic 100% polyester thread was tested, this time it was even finer in weight so the look simply wasn’t there, also it was not as strong, but at least it withstood heat better. Unfortunately cotton thread was too light in terms of it’s diameter (coarse-ness or gauge). What would have been great was a blended thread, part nylon, part polyester, and maybe even part cotton. Thus the search began, and after reading the “nutrition” labels of almost every single spool of thread at the shop, it was evident that threads were going to shape things quite a bit. While Coats&Clark offers a lot of blended threads, Gütermann typically produces better single-fiber threads. However, a lot of what determines a threads strength depends on how it was wound, and how consistent each individual fiber was to begin with, whether it had a smooth and even surface, how uniform it was in shape, etc. Some nylon threads have been very good at withstanding heat, and some not so much, so even with the same material your results are going to differ quite a bit.

Here are some thoughts, and propositions on where then to go when choosing a thread. For all intents and purposes, suppose that there is no limit to whats available, and anything and everything is at a reasonable price, in whatever quantity needed. First - strength, if strength is what your after, then you may want to lean towards a natural fiber like cotton, or wool, but in order to provide that strength, these choices would have to be unreasonably thick in their diameter (coarse-ness or gauge). Moving to polyester leaves us with an even stronger fiber that can achieve the same strength with less thickness. Nylon accomplishes this even better as it has the highest strength to weight ratio - although it is most susceptible to heat. Second - heat, when it comes to heat first consider that your encounters with it will be in two places - one is from contact with an iron - and two is from friction during the stitching process. More than likely the iron is going to have a higher temp, but at least it is a less common application, where as friction under the stitching process is going to be a factor every time we build a sewn item. This friction could come from just about anywhere, but will mainly reside in the eye of the needle as the thread passes through, and against the back of the hole in your needle-plate, or on your feed dog as is the case with the Brother DB2-B791-015 and any other compound needle feed machine (and walking foot too). Any other friction occurring above the needle will probably not get hot enough to matter, and if your sewing through a very thick item (as the case may be for sail makers) friction and heat will surely occur within the actual punctured holes of the material, this could cause melting of both thread and material. If and when this heating does occur, it will cause the thread materials outer fibers to rub off more easily and cause some (amount of) clogging in the tight areas. If this factor increases exponentially it may cause the thread to break because of how much material loss has occurred, that coupled with the tremendous amount of tension that thread endures will certainly open up the possibility of breakage. So if fighting heat is an issue, consider that nylon thread will probably be the most finicky in these situations, with polyester being in the middle, and then finally cotton and other natural fibers being the most resistant to high temperature applications. Third - how does the stiffness of the thread affect stitching? In some applications certain thread will not embed itself in the materials very easily - if at all. This is a big deal, because uniform stitching, pulling evenly from both sides is going to ensure a strong seam, a protected seam (as there will be fewer loose loops waiting for something to snag on) which will promote a longer life cycle, and a better looking seam in terms of aesthetics. With stiffness, we also have to figure how much of that comes from the diameter of the thread and conversely how that effects the seam strength/quality/construction. Think of a length of yarn, that would be an example of a thread that is very soft and supple, but has a very large diameter vs. a length of fishing line which has a very small diameter but is relatively stiff considering it’s size - this would display that large diameters do not necessarily have to be extremely stiff, and thin mono-filaments are not always going to be flimsy. Now using something more common as an example: the Gütermann 100% silk thread that was used for the black denim jeans was very supple, and almost elastic in nature, and has a rather large diameter - Coats&Clark makes a “button & carpet” thread which is probably equal in diameter to the silk thread, but is far stiffer and does not stretch at all (within human parameters at least). Here are two threads which sew very differently yet have the same outer dimensions (nearly), the “Button & carpet” thread requires a very high tension setting to get it to nest in the fabric, while the silk thread requires very little adjustment of the/a/your machine to achieve the proper stitch depth. Or, the Coats&Clark “extra strong” quilting thread vs. Gütermann’s “heavy duty” upholstery thread (large spool): the Coats&Clark is a much finer thread in diameter than the Gütermann, but it is also a lot stiffer - yet not quite as strong. The Coats&Clark has a bit more trouble passing through the needle and making all of those turns, whereas the Gütermann can complete the route much more easily and embed itself in your desired materials with ease, however - with patience, you can set up the quilting thread to work just fine and achieve a more hidden seam. These are all very subjective reasonings, hopefully it will help illuminate some of the discourse that is the deciding factor of how a garment or other textile product maintains an elevated level of integrity.

Hmmm, with this in mind - maybe some of the theory can be approached. With all these overriding factors flying around, what then is the ultimate thread?

These jeans are made with 100% silk fibers.

These jeans are stitched together with 100% silk thread.

Normally that would not be the case but while shopping for materials at the fabric store these little spools of thread showed their face before the normal Gütermann “Heavy Duty” 100% polyester thread appeared.

While many different thread types have been tested for jeans production: Coats&Clark’s “extra strong” quilting thread - for a very subtle topstitching affect, Gütermann’s “extra strong” 100% polyester thread in the 3oz. cone - because, well, it was plentiful and has proven to be very durable, Coats&Clark’s typical “all purpose” thread (which is also 100% polyester) - because it is cheap, Gütermann’s “heavy duty” 100% polyester thread because it had the best color and texture, and of course now Gütermann’s 100% silk thread (however, Gütermann makes more than one type of 100% silk thread - the type used here came in a 30 meter length, it is the coarser of the two most common silk threads that they offer on the shelf [the other comes in a 100 meter length]) - the most effective (for jeans) has always been the Gütermann 100% polyester “heavy duty” type. After using the others the Gütermann seemed to have the best finish and look (it had the best density, and size wise - looked best against the tooth/grain of the denims being used), while also being very strong and easy in the machine, also it has a bit of elasticity so it takes shape well and almost has the ability to influence form depending on how you run your thread tension. The biggest draw-back is that it (like the silk) only comes in the 30 meter spools, so you tend to have to change out your bobbin and top thread a lot. Also because of it’s girth, you may want to use up to a #20 needle, here a #18 is generally used, but that is about the minimum, as any smaller needle would probably not let the thread run though freely enough.

The Denim, is a no name black dyed cotton weave. This particular batch was picked up at Michael Levine’s in the L.A. fashion district about 10 months ago. It had been chosen before and proved to have very good building qualities, it irons very well - even when ironing in the curves for pockets - , doesn’t fray too much, is very stiff - holds it’s shape well, and has a beautiful finish (as long as you do not wash them too many times, or put them through the dryer, obviously this a huge moral dilemma, for the new ones they will probably never be washed, at most dry cleaned - these jeans are not like many others). The first pair of jeans made with this denim - about 1 year ago - turned out well enough, which is why it was put on the back burner to purchase more of it and use it on a rainy day. In the meantime, the first pair have been worn around and used regularly, wearing them is a slight learning curve because as it turns out the denim is VERY stiff, and doesn’t allow a lot of freedom of movement, these are definitely a dress jean - the old and the new. While this may sound un-utilitarian, or sacrilegious, consider that jeans are just as much a support as architecture, and in many ways these two are mimetic of each other, the jeans should not be confined to one context - perhaps that minimizes their potential, and undermines garments as a whole. Anyhow, the first pair were made with an orange-yellow thread that for it’s intention worked out well, but aesthetically could have been improved, and with a few glitches in areas like the zipper configuration, it was obvious that more of this black denim would be to an advantage later on (in case it disappeared from the racks if nothing else). In fact, not long after making the first pair of jeans with this peculiar denim (using the Gütermann 100% polyester “heavy duty” thread - the orange-yellow) - Work Custom Jeans of L.A. made a small production run of about 20 (?) for an L.A. boutique called Scout (although theirs were all black, the denim and topstitching). Which was a funny coincidence, because at the time the black ones which were made here* were on display at an equally selective venue**.

Back to the present. These are the most current jeans made on the Brother DB2-B791-015. The silk thread was picked up because the fabric store did not have the usual Gütermann “heavy duty” thread which has become the standard jean thread to use. Although, the silk thread had an obviously nice finish, and considering that silk is a natural fiber and maintains a very strong tensile strength, the choice really was not at all outlandish. There are a few internal areas that used a lighter weight “all-purpose” thread, around the zipper, and on the first pass along the outside seam for securing the bias tape (used in place of an over-lock stitch). For the zipper and it’s two adjacent components the “all-purpose” thread (with a #12 needle) works the best because it seems to sink into the materials better and create less bulk, using the silk thread or the “heavy duty” stuff might end up with a bit too much density where it is undesirable (the “extra strong” quilting thread is a good option here too as it has added strength without the added bulk, although the quilting thread does not quite run as freely as the “all purpose” so you have to choose accordingly and pay attention to your needle size to ensure that the thread does not hang up on any small spaces). The “all-purpose” thread was also used for stitching the pockets bottoms and the little denim panel that resides across the top - to act as a backdrop behind the radius created by the front panel that is the slot for reaching into your pocket. With the pockets made and the zipper component completed the initial phases of pattern cutting began.

The front panels were ironed and made to fit the pockets, the pockets were ironed and this was all stitched together. Then the zipper was stitched in, which in turn fits the two front panels together and completes the first phase of the jeans. At this point the back panels began construction starting with cutting out the full panel, the top panel inserts and the back pockets. Once all of this was ironed into shape it was time to stitch again. The back of the jeans went together quickly and easily, having the reverse feed, made finishing off the pockets a snap, the tops of the corners were well tacked and there was no need to switch out the foot or even the usual hassle of re-setting the stitch length. One of the other huge benefits of the Brother is that it is so much easier to set the stitch length - it is only a matter of adjusting a small knob while holding the reverse lever down - whereas on the Singer you had to stop the motor, clear your thread, hold a little button down in the middle of the base plate (flat-bed machine), roll the manual feed pulley forward so that it audibly clicked out of the stitch length position you wanted to change and then run the pulley forward until it was aligned approximately with the area of the notch that corresponded to where the new stitch length was designated, let go of the button and kind of massage it into place. Okay. Another interesting discovery while putting these parts of the jeans together was the possibility of using a 211 compensating presser foot as the everyday 1/16″ gated presser foot. This became a clear possibility as the 211 foot sews very clean seams whether in a radius or not. Considering that you can pick up 211 presser feet justified to the left or right, and get 212’s and other sizes, this may be a solution to the customized feet. After getting the front and back panels all together the slow and important step of ironing and pinning the inside seam began. This is the kind of thing that just takes time and a bit of finesse, without a “folder” this seam can only be done with accuracy by ironing each edge back by about .5″ and then assembling those together like a lap seam, pinning, ironing again, and then carefully laying the stitches in. Unfortunately this step still had a little glitch in it, and after sewing in one length of the double stitched seam, it was apparent that the other side was going to have to be done from the back to ensure proper material feed. The only reasons why this is a downer is because it causes the stitching to not match, one row will look nice and tight, and the other will look less so. Also there ends up being an inconsistent gap throughout the entire length. In the future, more time will be taken to make sure that all of that length is as consistent as possible. Next was the outside seams (going along the outside edge of the leg). These are made by using a bias tape, to keep the fabric from fraying, and ensure that the stitch is consistently about 3/8″ in from the edge. After the bias tape is completely in, then an added length of stitching is put in with the topstitch on the outside, folding the seam to one side, this is done to fix that seam as flat as possible, so that in the future no excess ironing is needed.

With the main body of the jeans finished, the waistband goes in, the belt loops, and then hem the legs. The waistband is usually a push and pull tug of war. It will go in just fine, and function just fine, but there will always be a few puckers that need-lessly annoy. This time around, the waist band was folded and ironed in like a large piece of bias tape, which works well, and prevented most of the puckering. While that was being installed, one end of each of the double-faced belt loops were inserted just slightly under the outside lip of the waistband. By double-faced belt loops, imagine a belt loop that looks the same on both sides (one of them is basically two belt loops sewn together with their backsides facing each other), again, this is a tactic used to supplement the fact that there is no serger available to the Brother DB2-B791-015 and company. The only drawback to this belt loop is it’s thickness, when you go around the final perimeter of the waist and tack in all 12 ends of the belt loops, this thickness becomes a truly crucial area because of how short a pass you have to make over it back and forth to tack it down, if a belt loop were a few inches wide this forward-reverse-forward dance would be a lot easier to control and a lot easier on the machine. However, next time, this tactic will be refined by using a very lightweight material for the back side, rather than doing the two layers of denim that were done this time - this was an obvious way to fix the problem in hindsight. Lastly, the hem. This is always a kind of slightly arbitrary exercise, and luckily this time the hem length was right on the mark, but with almost no bunching at all, so if there is one good wash, with warm water and hot air to dry (which is not in the schedule, but if it were) then that hem is probably going to shrink up and look a bit short. Next time.

In the end these are a truly handsome pair of jeans that should see a fair amount of use when the occasion calls for it. There is even enough of this intriguing black denim left over to make yet another pair, so it’s only a matter of time until then. For now these will be the new envy.

*Actually the first pair of jeans made with this denim were made on the Singer600WI, not the Brother DB2-B791-015. There was little learning curve transferring between the two, the greatest advantage of the Brother was having the reverse feed that simplified a lot of small tasks. The actual feed of the Brother also helped, namely in the most strenuous areas like the juncture between the back panels where the four quadrants all come together slightly above and center of the back two pockets.

**It should be repeated, that this was a coincidence.

PostScript; Another good link to find Work and Scout is at The Refinery (or).

PostPostScript; This is too hard to resist, the presser foot of all presser feet.