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Today’s needleworkers are fortunate to have a wide range of threads readily available. Many different fibers, textures, and colors provide unlimited creative possibilities.
The main classifications of threads to be considered are natural fibers and man-made fibers
Natural fibers come from two groups – plant and animal. The most common plant fibers (cellulose) used in needlework includes cotton and linen. The most common animal fibers (protein) used in needlework include silk, wool and animal hair.
Man-made fibers and blends are used to make many of the specialty threads available today.
Cotton is spun from the cotton plant fiber. It often gives a soft luster of sheen to needlework. Stranded floss, pearl cotton, matte cotton (dull sheen) are a few types of cotton).
Linen is made from flax. It is available in different weights and depending on the manufacturer, may have a limited color range.
Plant Fibers -- shown from left to right:
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Silk comes from silk worms and is available in two main types, filament and spun. Filament silk has the deepest luster of the two types of silk and is the most difficult to control. Spun silk is similar to stranded cotton in the way it handles and has a beautiful luster and feel.
Wool is made of long, stapled sheep fiber. It is durable and especially good for upholstery items. Fine and coarse types are both suitable for needlework. Persian, crewel and tapestry are a few types of wool used for canvaswork.
Animal Hair is a spun yarn make from animals such as goats, rabbits and Alpacas. Examples of this type of yarn include angora, mohair and cashmere.
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Animal Fibers -- shown from left to right:
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Man-made Fibers fall into two groups, depending on the original substance used in the manufacturing process. Those in the first group, which includes rayon and acetate, are produced by modifying natural materials such as cellulose (a by-product of a plant material such as wood or cotton). The second group includes fibers such as nylons and polyesters. They are often referred to as synthetics because they are produced from synthetic chemicals.
Man-Made Threads -- shown from left to right
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Blends are a combination of two or more fibers, giving the properties of each.
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Blends -- shown from left to right:
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Real Metal Threads have been used in embroidery for centuries, but cost, practicality and availability have limited their use in modern day needlework. Most real metal threads are meant to be attached to the surface of the embroidery, but there are a few which can be used for stitching in and out of the fabric or canvas.
Real Metals -- shown from left to right:
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Metallics are made of synthetics and include a wide range of threads both stitchable and non-stitchable. These synthetic metallic threads come in a variety of types including single-strand cords, cables, twists, braids, ribbons, and chainette-type threads.
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Metallic Threads -- shown from left to right:
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Not all needlework threads are suitable for washing; threads may shrink or deteriorate and colors may bleed with moisture. If blocking is necessary, use only those threads that are washable. Some washable threads such as stranded cotton may also bleed. It may be necessary to rinse threads in water to release excess dye and dry before using.
When a manufacturer dyes threads, the dying process is never precisely duplicated from one time to another. Dye lots are marked on some threads so that an exact match can be duplicated. Buy enough at one time to complete a project, especially when considering backgrounds.
Canvas embroidery threads can be either stitchable or non-stitchable. A stitchable thread is one that can pass through the canvas holes without damaging either the thread or canvas. A non-stitchable thread must be attached to the canvas surface. Examples are larger sizes of some metal threads, cord, twine and bulky knitting yarns.
Non-Stitchable Threads -- shown from left to right:
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Embroidery threads can be textured or smooth, shiny or matte. Textured threads create depth while smooth threads produce the most light reflective surface. Texture can also be created by using twisted threads, such as pearl cotton, and by choosing textured stitches, such as crossed stitches. Texture creates shadows on the embroidery surface, which can give the illusion of movement. Stranded silks and cottons are examples of ‘smooth’ threads which, when used in flat stitches like satin and Gobelin, reflect the most light. Remember that everything is ‘relative.’ For instance, cotton floss placed next to filament silk will be relatively matte. However, the same cotton floss placed next to a matte cotton or wool will appear shiny in comparison.
Use enough different threads, textures and colors to make your embroidery interesting without overloading the project. If too many elements are included, the piece will loose focus and become an unrelated jumble.
Choose threads which are appropriate to the intended use of the project. Wool, cotton, some silks, and linen make durable surfaces for upholstered pieces. If pillows are to receive a lot of wear, choose threads as you would for an upholstered piece. Pictures and other decorative objects which do not receive much wear can contain specialty and novelty threads. Wearable embroidery should be planned with care so that laundering is not a major concern. If possible, plan for wearable needlework to be detachable so it can be laundered separately from the garment. Table linens should be planned with care since they tend to need the most laundering, and the threads used should be pretreated so color discharge is not a problem. Follow manufacturer’s instructions for pretreating threads.
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| Photography by Jennifer Ashley Taylor |
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Last Updated November 24, 2004