Monday, December 31, 2012

How Much Thread Does a Quilter Use In a Year?

About this time last year, I was wondering how much thread I really use in a year.  I decided to save the spools as they emptied, as a way of getting a rough count.  I say "rough count" because I had used thread off some of the spools in a prior year and I've started a number of other spools that aren't used up yet so they didn't get tossed in the empty spool basket.  This is particularly true of all the different colors of thread I've used for applique.  But I figured this method would be good enough to satisfy my curiosity. 

And here is the result:


10 empty spools!  I thought it would be more but this makes sense when you consider that I finished only seven quilts and did not quilt any of them myself.  I am currently hand quilting a smaller quilt but likely won't use up the whole spool of hand quilting thread on it. 

Do you have any idea how much thread you use?  Enquiring minds want to know!




5 comments:

  1. We had similar thoughts about empty spools. Please check out my post from November--http://quiltfever.wordpress.com/2012/11/23/so-much-sewing-and-giving-thanks/

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  2. I've often wondered how many miles of thread I have sewn or how many miles I have sewn on my sewing machine, I'm sure my Elna which I bought in 1977 has been around the world a few times and maybe even to the moon and back. I will start a bucket of spools for 2013.
    Ann

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  3. I've wondered but never did anything to figure it out. I got an iphone for Christmas and found a App that calculates how much thread for a quilt, it's from Superior Threads.

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  4. I've never tracked how much thread used, but I can tell you I get plumb giddy when the spool empties! That hasn't happened very often in the past two years, but it will this year! Happy New Year, Carol!

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  5. Since we're starting a new year, I'm going to try this experiment. I hope you have a very happy New Year!

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