Effect of Sewing Thread Properties on Seam Performance of Woven Fabrics

This paper investigates the influence of sewing thread properties, sewing process and repeated washing on strength reduction of sewing threads and the seam strength of sewn samples. For this purpose, 24 different sewing threads were selected. The specimens were sewn with specific sewing parameters and subjected to 10 washing cycles. After each sample preparation part, the tensile properties of needle threads were measured. Also, the seam strength was measured. It was found that the breaking force of each parent thread was significantly higher than the corresponding sewn and washed-sewn thread strength. Considering the strength loss after sewing and washing, the samples sewn with core-spun threads have a lower loss of strength, while the samples sewn with cotton threads have the highest loss. Moreover, the seam strength values after washing are higher for cotton-containing threads than before washing. Conversely, an opposite trend was observed for the samples sewn with polyester-containing threads.