Sewing Thread Consumption: Methods, Ratios, and Figures

Thread consumption is the amount of thread a single garment needs. It matters for two reasons: it is a cost line, and running short of it stops production mid-run. This covers what drives consumption, the three ways to calculate it, a stitch-ratio table, a worked example, and typical per-garment figures.

What affects consumption

Ten factors: stitch class, SPI, seam type, fabric thickness, number of fabric plies in the seam, thread tension, thread count, thread quality, machine options, and operator skill.