Thread count is the most widely referred to term when searching for those ?perfect sheets.? Generally,heat resistant yarn the higher the thread count, the more costly you'll find the sheets. But is thread count the real measure of luxury bedding?

Thread count is only one factor in the equation of luxury bedding. The qualities of the fabric are what put the luxury in your sheets. There are, however, two main types of fabrics and they are natural and manufactured. Luxury bedding is almost exclusively made from high-quality natural fabrics such as Egyptian cotton.

Thread count refers to the number of threads per square inch of fabric. A higher count usually indicates a finer thread. It is the finer thread that gives a sheet its softer feel, unless chemical finishers are used. These chemical finishes, which are often used on cheaper sheets, will make the sheets initially appear to be silky smooth, but after a couple washings the finish will wear off. Chemical finishes are also detrimental to those who have sensitive skin or suffer from allergies. In reality thread count is mostly a measure of a sheet's softness and not necessarily its quality. For example a 340 thread count sheet made with Egyptian cotton can feel as smooth as a 400 thread count sheet made with cheaper cotton. Does this mean that a low grade cotton sheet with 800 TC fabric feels twice as smooth as 400?

Not necessarily. If you have been shopping for luxury bedding you may have seen advertisements for 800 + TC sheets. This number can be misleading. These sheets achieve a super high thread count by adding multiple plies of fabric together. While these sheets are smooth, they are not as proportionally smooth as the high number would lead one to believe. The added plies increase the durability of the sheet which may be necessary if the bedding is made from low quality materials. High quality fabrics will be made with high quality fibers which are strong and tightly weaved. The best fabrics are generally going to have a thread count between 300 and 350.

Natural materials, such as Egyptian or Pima cotton, are preferred over manufactured materials for bedding. This is because cotton will allow the body to breathe while at rest. But if one prefers a silk-like feel then Lyocell is a good alternative. It is a manufactured material that is made from natural biodegradable materials.

So remember, when shopping for high quality sheets keep in mind that thread count is more an indicator of the smoothness of a sheet and not as much an indicator of quality. If a bedding set claims to have a high thread count check to see if it is made of a high quality fabric. One should seriously consider an investment in quality bedding materials such as Egyptian cotton for longevity, comfort, and especially if you have sensitive skin or suffer from allergies.

Friction - Friction is not a very popular method of embroidery thread yarn Manufacturers hair removal although some people find it effective on fine hairs of the legs and arms. In this method, a rough surface, like a mitt or a pumice stone, is used to rub away hair on the skin's surface. A mitt with rough strips on a smooth surface is often used. Friction is inexpensive, fast, basically painless and can be done at home. This also exfoliates and smoothes the skin. Most say this method is good for fine hair on the legs while others use it between shaving or waxing sessions. The effects last a short time, a few hours to a few days and a pigmented area often called the dark 'shadow' is often visible. This can also cause skin irritation if rubbed too hard and is not for use on sensitive areas like the face, arms or bikini area.

Threading (Khite) - This method is called khite in Arabic and fatlah in Egyptian. It's not a commonly used method in the West but it is primarily for removing hair at the root and is used mainly on facial hair, especially in the eyebrow area. Rows of three to five stray hair strands are pulled out with twists of cotton thread. Traditionally, the practitioner holds one end of the cotton thread in his teeth and the other end in his left hand. The middle part of the thread is looped through the index and middle fingers of the right hand. The practitioner then uses this loop of thread to lock in a series of unwanted hairs and yank them by the root from the skin. There are also devices made that can hold the thread during the procedure. A more modern procedure eliminates the use of the practitioner's teeth. Threading is inexpensive, neat, accurate and fast. This method is considered a little less painful than plucking or tweezing for many people. Threading is deemed good for cleaning the eyebrows and facial hair. Similar to plucking, results can last up to two to four weeks. Unfortunately, you cannot do it yourself and it is a little difficult to find a good professional practitioner outside urban areas. Many states call for a licensed cosmetologist to do hair removal like threading. Threading can result in pain and itching. In some cases, this results in side effects which include folliculitis, which is a bacterial infection of hair follicles causing reddening or puffiness of the skin and changes in skin pigment.

Rotary Epilators - Rotary epilators are devices that are akin to electric razors. The difference is that, instead of a cutting blade on the rotary head, the epilator has rows of tweezers which yank hairs out by the root. This tool is good for the hair on legs and arms. The hair-free effect can last from several days to a few weeks. However, this device can be hard to use on the backs of legs. Others become sore, especially on the body's sensitive areas and the epilators often prove to be difficult to use on fine hairs. Also, the hairs to be removed must be grown long enough so that the tweezers can grasp them. To aid in this procedure, the skin must be pulled tight to avoid pinching. Like plucking, this can also result in irritation and ingrown hairs.

Eltex has reported solid success with its Eye Compact II yarn monitoring system for pre oriented yarn carpet tufting machines since its launch at ITMA 2019. Unlike sensor systems that are employed at later positions on tufting machines in order to detect faults in formed fabric, Eye Compact II technology is about prevention at earlier stage through detection of missing yarns.“We have a very healthy order book for this new monitoring system because it meets a real need for the carpet tufting industry,” said Brian Hicks, Eltex CEO. “We have already installed a number in the US and are currently fulfilling orders for companies in Australia, Canada, Thailand and the UK.”The sensor units of the Eye Compact II, have been successfully miniaturised to approximately a third of the size of those with the established Compact system, allowing them to be mounted on the very latest high speed tufting machines that are graphics driven, with limited space at the puller rollers.“There are a number of reasons why yarns can go missing, the most obvious being a bobbin simply running empty,” said Eltex sales and marketer Peter Wiberg. “They can also be broken as they’re fed through the creels or pulled out of position, so they are not successfully picked up by the needles.”Critically, the sensors need to be installed after the last puller roller and before the tufting needles, because otherwise the roller could still be feeding yarns that will not been successfully taken by the needles. This is only possible with the extremely slim Eye Compact II units, which can also be positioned either above or below the rollers.“Missing yarns can often go undetected by the operator, with anywhere up to eighteen hundred being fed at high speed into the tufting machine at one time,” said Wiberg. “Our system provides a 100 per cent guarantee that all of the yarns that should be in the tufted construction are being correctly fed into the primary backing. This both mitigates against expensive repairs at a later stage and also allows single operators to control multiple machines simultaneously.”Another benefit is that the sensors can be arranged more closely together, with each of them monitoring 16 yarn positions, and their robustness ensures that once fitted, there is little the technicians or operators need to do.
The Eye Compact II system easily learns pattern changes and displays the number of yarns involved to the operator for confirmation, and different parameters for different yarns groups can also even be set if required.“This new sensor technology operates at a critical stage in high-end carpet production, where everything comes together in the entire manufacturing process,” Hicks concluded. “The yarns and the carpet backing have already been produced and both are wasted if a fault is only identified later during the tufting stage, when it is also necessary to stop the machine. By eliminating both production waste and machine downtime, manufacturers can significantly boost both their profitability and sustainable footprint.“All of these benefits along with the ability of a single operator to control multiple machines, mean that the new Eye Compact II provides a very quick return on investment.”With its research and development work primarily carried out at its headquarters in Osby, Sweden, and North American sales and service operated from its subsidiary in South Carolina, the manufacturing plant of Eltex has been located at Templemore in Ireland since 1976, providing significant advantages in terms of high flexibility and logistical services to customers on both sides of the Atlantic.  
Eltex is a member of TMAS, the Swedish textile machinery association.“The Eltex Eye Compact II perfectly illustrates how Sweden’s long tradition and history of textile production are being combined with a good climate for innovation,” said TMAS secretary general Therese Premler-Andersson. “The solid contribution to overall sustainable textile manufacturing that are being made by such incremental technology improvements around the world are often not fully recognised, but they are certainly appreciated by satisfied customers.”