so many threads, so little time

 

rayon machine embroidery thread is the most popular choice among embroiderers because of it’s appealing high sheen, widespread availability, consistent trouble-free performance and holding up to high-speed stitching without breaking or fraying.  rayon can be found in 40 & 30 wt., as well as in a wide range of solid, variegated and “twist” colors. the “twist” thread is composed of two or more solid colors twisted together to form a single strand, which adds automatic shading and dimension to embroidery designs.

 

polyester machine embroidery thread has a sheen almost comparable to rayon (just a little less shiny) and comes in a load of colors.  polyester’s usually a little cheaper than rayon because of it’s synthetic origin, for all you pennypinchers.  they’re colorfast, extraordinarily durable and have high resistance to chlorine and bleach, which makes them the ideal thread for embroidering kids’ clothes, work clothes, tablecloths, sportswear and any items that will be frequently and/or heavily washed. it won’t shrink, fade or bleed.

cotton machine embroidery thread receives high marks for stitching performance and it’s lovely soft sheen. also, cotton is available in most wide range of weights – from 30 to 120 wt. (120 wt. is considered heirloom quality), although the 30 to 50 weights are the most popular for their strength and sufficient fabric coverage. with cotton you can get subtle shading between colors within a color family, which may be extremely important when stitching complex designs with light and shade effects. the softer qualities of cotton thread are perfect for machine cross stitch. if you want your designs to look much like hand stitched cross stitch, it’s better to stitch them with cotton thread. or don’t be so dang lazy and just stitch them by hand.

metallic and glittery mylar thread is considered whimsical among stitchers, but it’s a mainstay in my sewing boxes.  it’s great for adding sparkling accents to embroidery designs, and is available in a wide range of colors as well as holographic hues, which pick up light and color from surrounding objects and add spectacular luminous accents to machine embroidery. some might perform better than others on your machine, so experiment until you find the ones that aren’t a bitch for your particular machine.  sometimes they can break with high-speed sewing, so you may need to adjust the thread tension and use specialty needles for these types of thread. and slow the hell down.

silk thread is strong and stable with an unmatched noble sheen. it’s the best choice when embroidering on silk and other luxurious fabrics. silk is considered the aristocrat of specialty threads, but don’t hold that against it.  it’s very expensive and pretty hard to find.  what i like about silk is that it combines the strength (but not abrasiveness) of polyester, the stability of cotton and sews smoothly without breaking. silk threads are available in a wide range of sizes, but the 30 to 50 weights are the most appropriate for machine embroidery.

stitch, stitch, in the ditch

needles are available in many types:  sharps, wedge (cutting) points, ball points, and metallics.

sharp point is good for most woven fabrics that won’t unravel.  sharps cut through the fibers, and deliver the thread with less push and pull on the fabric.

ball point is used with knits and other stretchy fabrics, when it’s important to avoid cutting the goods by needle penetration.  (that’s what she said!) the rounded points will cause the needle to slip between the fabric threads to prevent cutting the fabric and causing it to unravel.

wedge points are for leather, vinyl and other heavy and very dense materials. these needles are for fabrics which are not woven as they make a small slit rather than hole. the wrong needle on leather would cut the design out.

there are also marvelous needles for specialty embroidery thread like metallic, glitter and other delicate exotic fibers. specialty needles (like sullivan’s metafil, madeira’s metallic, schmetz metallica etc..) have larger coated eyes and deeper scarfs to handle the thread more easily.

always remember to test-stitch the design with the type of needle you’re going to use BEFORE STARTING YOUR PROJECT.  of course there are always exceptions to the rules, and you don’t want any nasty surprises.

an addict and her needles

choosing the right needle for your project  

most home sewing and embroidery machines use flat shank needles (the shank is rounded with one flat side), and commercial machines use round shank needles.

it is always a good idea to start with a new needle for every new embroidery project, or about every eight hours. a dull or burred needle can cause snags and puckering and otherwise mess up your fabric, so if you experience stitching problems, replace the needle.

using the wrong needle size may cause tension problems, and don’t believe what you hear about using a larger universal needle to avoid thread fraying and breakage. the larger needle may produce shitty holes in the fabric, or even cut the fabric causing gaps between the embroidery areas. nobody wants that.

to test whether your needle creates too much tension on the thread or not, cut a piece of thread about 12 inches long and thread it through the needle. hold the thread vertically and fairly taut. then, from the top, spin the needle. it should slip down the thread. if it doesn’t, you need a needle with larger eye.

selecting a suitable machine needle for your project should be based on the weight and type of fabric and the weight and type of thread you are going to use on your project. the heavier the fabric and denser the weave, the larger the needle will need to be, and the opposite.

the most commonly used needle sizes in machine embroidery (in both european & american numbering systems) are 65/9, 70/10, 75/11, 80/12, 90/14. machine embroidery needles have a slightly larger eye and groove in the shank, protecting embroidery threads from shredding or breaking (for use with rayon & polyester embroidery threads).

i’ll wax poetic about needle types another day.

10K scisssor run

 

what’s up with fancy embroidery scissors always being in the shape of a stork? sure they’re cute and all  and i’ve even got two pairs from gingher, but why not a swordfish or an alligator or some other animal with a well endowed snout?  probably the same person who came up with the tomato came up with the stork. 

while i’m on the topic of scissors, it pisses me off that i’ve never seen any fancy appliqué scissors festooned into a golden ornithological masterpiece. 

what happened?  manufacturers just give up? my vote for the perfect fancy appliqué scissor?  a pelican—makes complete sense, what with the top beak being straight and the bottom being curved. someone better get to work on that, because i can never have too many pairs of scissors. and i like birds.

these are the things i think about.  if i wasn’t so god damned depressed, i’d pursue these ideas and make a mint in the process. 

on pincushions

as an avid stitcher, i’ve never understood why standard pincushions are always a simple red tomato with a strawberry dangling from it.  what’s the origin of this?  is it just because a tomato is such an easy shape to make and so the inventor just ran with it? why the strawberry pin sharpener? 

in a perfect world, i’d like to go to a stitchery store and see a whole aisle devoted to pincushions…a farmer’s market of sorts with bins and bins of pin cushions that look like fruits and vegetables.  that would be awesome.  what’s wrong with variety?  i’m sick of seeing the lowly solitary red tomato stuck on the bottom shelves of sewing aisles, just sitting there looking all pathetic and lonely.  i like options.

i’d buy a slice of watermelon and stick my pins in it.  or maybe a big round cantaloupe that you can stick pins in on the outside, then unzip it longitudinally to reveal a place to hold thread or bobbins or other secret sewing treasures.  i’d be all over that cantaloupe. 

as an homage to the time-honored tradition, i made my own tomato pincushion but rather than a typical red beefsteak tomato, i fashioned it into a green heirloom, and it has served me well over the years.  maybe one day i’ll attempt the cantaloupe.  or an eggplant.