Unveiling The Truth About Thread Count

By definition, thread count is a simply measured by counting the number of threads contained within one square inch of fabric however in Australia and New Zealand we use per 10cm squared of fabric. 

The threads are measured in both directions being the length (warp) and the width (weft) threads. The thread count is the number of threads counted along two sides (up and across) of the 10cm squared of fabric then added together. Thread count is a measurement of the coarseness or fineness of a fabric.

While thread count is commonly used as an indicator of sheet quality, it’s not the only factor or even the most important one. Many manufacturers use misleading tricks to drive threads counts higher.

Some manufacturers use two-ply or triple-ply yarns (a yarn is made by twisting together multiple finer threads threads made of two or three often lower-quality strands twisted together). For this reason, a fabric with 250 two-ply yards in both the vertical and horizontal direction could have the component threads counted and marketed as 1000 thread count.

However, the National Textile Association, which cites the international standards group ASTM, accepted industry practice is to count each thread as one, even threads spun as two- or three-ply yarn. 

This is why Flaxfield Linen only uses single pick insertion when weaving our fabric (one warp thread passing over and under one weft thread) and states a thread count of 400 for our high quality bed linen, counting the threads in the correct way.