The Sewing Place
The Emporia => Embroidery and Embellishment => Topic started by: Syrinx on July 31, 2020, 08:52:12 AM
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Thought you clever hand sewists might be the ones to check in with.
Pretty hand sewing threads!
Any recommendations on the best brands/places to buy?
I've decided to get going on my wholecloth and practicing with placemats and table runners. I've revisited an old old class and I'm jumping in with bobbin loaded fancy threads - those beautiful metallic and twisty fancy hand sewing and embroidery threads.
But, as someone who avoids hand sewing I don't have much of a stash, and what I do have is quite boring compared to some I've seen. So I'd love your advice on the best brands for those simply beautiful threads!
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I use regular thread and coat it in beeswax (I get it from a local bee keeper who thinks it's cute, but you can buy it). If it gets too choppy, I hit it with an iron.
Silk is also good, so I'm told. All I ever used was things like Coats and Clark.
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It depends how you define pretty! Pretty colours? pretty textures? pretty stitching.
The 'good' brands are Coats/Mez/Anchor (brand depends on where in the world you are!), DMC and Madeira. Valdani and Finca are good too, just avoid the cheapies from China if you want quality thread.
Stranded cotton is pretty standard across most brands as is cotton perle size 5 (thick), 8 (med) and 12 (fine). Other threads vary.
Metallics are more difficult to sew with but add a bit of glitz.
For hand dyed threads have a look at Stef Francis (https://www.stef-francis.co.uk/shop/) in Devon, Oliver Twists (https://www.olivertwists.co.uk/) in Co Durham and for all sorts of threads Bart & Francis (https://www.bart-francis.be/index.php?action=home&lang=EN) in Belgium. The written English on their website and in emails tends to follow Flemish spelling rules, but I can assure you that Francis Busschaert speaks excellent English.
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I like a nice perle cotton. There is a company that makes a lovely metallic quilting thread in the mini king cones that doesn't cause problems but for the life of me I can't recall the name. It's not Madeira.
Valdani thread is really nice.
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Any of the thicker stuff really. Class notes reminded me I can hand wind them onto bobbin and sew the quilt upside down for accent areas with zero problems (I do love a wholecloth plan!) so it doesn't have to go through a needle or machine or anything. So highlights around stars or echos or as flowers etc, all different threads all over. I really need to get some dissolvable thread as mine needs chucking. Can't remember where I got it from though
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If you put these threads onto a bobbin do you have to loosen it, eg turn a screw on the mechanical ones? Check the manual.
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No, I have a blue tick bobbin case for FMQ. It has 30% less tension that the standard (red tick). Just have to wind the threads on by hand, not using the machine