Description
500 Natural Nylon Monofilament Sewing Thread
500 Natural Monofilament is a nylon machine-sewing thread for suitable upholstery, soft furnishings and professional sewing applications.
Monofilament differs from conventional sewing thread because it consists of a single continuous nylon filament rather than several fibres or plies spun or twisted together.
Its natural appearance can make the stitching relatively unobtrusive across different upholstery colours, making it useful where repeatedly changing to a precisely matched coloured thread would be impractical.
For the alternative product in the range, compare 320 Monofilament Natural.
Suitable Upholstery & Soft-Furnishing Applications
500 monofilament can be considered for suitable:
- Furniture upholstery
- Soft furnishings
- Cushion manufacture
- Patterned fabrics
- Multi-coloured upholstery materials
- Concealed or less prominent stitching
- Decorative attachment work
- General professional sewing applications
Suitability depends on the sewing machine, needle, material, number of layers and finished seam.
Always make a complete test seam before sewing finished upholstery.
For covering materials, browse Livedale’s Vinyl & Fabric range.
Choosing Between 320 and 500 Monofilament
Livedale stocks both 500 Natural Monofilament and 320 Monofilament Natural.
The product numbers should not be treated as though they provide a universal comparison with thread references such as 40’s, 120’s or M36.
Different thread manufacturers and constructions can use different numbering systems.
When selecting monofilament, consider:
- Existing thread specification
- Sewing-machine suitability
- Needle size
- Thread diameter
- Material thickness
- Number of layers
- Seam construction
- Required stitch appearance
Where replacing an existing thread, retaining the original product reference or cone information is preferable to choosing solely from the number.
Monofilament or Conventional Upholstery Thread?
Monofilament is only one option for upholstery machine sewing.
For strong coloured construction seams, Somabond 40’s Bonded Nylon Sewing Thread provides a conventional bonded nylon alternative in a wide range of colours.
For a different thread construction, M36 PolyCotton Corespun Sewing Thread combines a continuous polyester core with a cotton outer surface.
The correct choice depends on the material, sewing machine, seam construction and required finished appearance rather than one thread being suitable for every upholstery job.
Browse the full Sewing Threads & Barbobs range to compare the available thread constructions.
Sewing Cushions, Piping & Zip Panels
Upholstery sewing often involves several layers of material, particularly around cushion borders, piping and zip panels.
For piped cushions and furniture edges, browse Piping Cords.
For removable cushion covers and upholstery access panels, explore the Zipping range.
When testing the 500 monofilament, reproduce the actual finished seam wherever possible rather than testing only on a single flat layer of material.
A piped seam, corner or zip panel may place very different demands on the thread and sewing machine.
Machine Setup & Thread Tension
Monofilament can behave differently from spun, corespun or bonded sewing thread.
Machine settings may therefore require adjustment when changing thread type.
Check:
- Needle size and system
- Thread path
- Upper tension
- Bobbin tension
- Stitch formation
- Material thickness
- Sewing speed
- Appearance on both sides of the seam
The thread should feed smoothly without excessive tension, looping or irregular stitches.
Make adjustments using waste material before beginning finished work.
Sewing Machine Maintenance
A clean, correctly maintained sewing machine can help provide more consistent sewing performance.
Remove accumulated lint and loose thread from accessible machine areas according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Where the machine requires lubrication, use 125ml Sewing Machine Oil sparingly at the specified lubrication points.
After oiling, sew onto waste material first to confirm that no excess lubricant can transfer onto the finished fabric or thread.
Monofilament, Machine Thread & Upholstery Twine
500 Monofilament is intended for suitable machine-sewing applications and should not be confused with heavier traditional upholstery twines.
For machine sewing, browse Sewing Threads & Barbobs for monofilament, bonded nylon, corespun thread, overlocking thread and pre-wound bobbins.
For hand stitching, spring work, buttoning and traditional furniture upholstery, explore Upholstery Twines.
Sewing Threads & Twines from Livedale
Livedale supplies professional sewing threads and upholstery twines for furniture manufacturers, upholsterers, cushion makers, soft-furnishing workrooms and furniture repair businesses.
Browse the complete Sewing Threads & Twines range for machine-sewing threads, pre-wound Barbobs and specialist hand-upholstery twines.
For piping cord, zips, tapes and other upholstery sundries used alongside sewing thread, explore Workroom Supplies.
