Quality 100% silk threads affordably priced
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Tips & TechniquesOur top questions answered here:A. Grasp one end of the
skein, and gently slide the label off to the side. Look for the knot which is
bound around all the plies of the silk; the knot may be hidden within the folds
of the skein. Once you’ve found the knot, grasp only the knot (be sure not to
catch any other plies) and gently shake out the skein. You’ll see that you now
have 5 loops of silk thread, each loop is 1 meter in length. At this point, you
can lay the skein down and cut lengths off at the knot, or proceed directly to
pre-rinsing or pre-washing.
Q. How should I pre-rinse or pre-wash the skeins? A. For best results on any
project which you will launder after completion, you are strongly urged to
pre-rinse or pre-wash all shades of red (including pinks, corals, oranges,
purples) and all deep jewel-like tones in order to remove any excess dyes which
may remain in the thread. If you have unwrapped the skein by grasping the knot
after sliding off the label, you will find this quite easy to do. Still holding
onto the knot of the skein, vigorously swish the unwrapped skein in a tub full
of clear cold water to wet the threads (3 to 5 gallons
suggested). Don’t let go of the knot, continue to hold onto it firmly. Add
approximately ½ TEASPOON of a pure soap or detergent (Orvus™ or Ivory Snow™
is recommended, or similar washing agent; do NOT use Woolite®) to the clear
water, and mix thoroughly. Still holding onto the knot of the skein, return the
unwrapped skein into the tub full of cold water, and vigorously
swish. Remove the skein, and run clear cold water into the tub
again, then rinse rinse rinse and rinse again. If you do not fully rinse all of
the detergent agent out of the thread, you will possibly experience running or
bleeding of excess dyes when you launder your project. After rinsing, just hang
the skein up by the knot, and it will dry naturally smooth and straight. Be sure
to cut your lengths for stitching from the portion of the skein which was
pre-washed—do not use any part of the knot, as it was more or less excluded
from the pre-wash process. Q. Which is better, the loop or cut length method? A. This is entirely up to
you. Many stitchers will find the loop method is easy to use with the MiniTwist
Eterna Silk™ and more difficult, or less pleasing results achieved, with the
Stranded Eterna Silk™. Purists will tend to prefer the cut length method, and
if your work will be submitted for any type of competitive stitching (county
fair, contest, etc.) then let the competition guidelines be your first
reference. In any case, shorter lengths of thread will achieve better results
for you. Q. What is the best stitching length to use? A. You are encouraged to keep
your cut lengths, or your loop length, short for best stitching and ease of
stitching. 12" to 14" is a good average for your lengths. After you’ve
achieved skill in silk stitching, and feel comfortable with the texture of the
silk, perhaps as long as 18" (or ½ meter). Keep in mind that longer
stitching lengths usually mean more likelihood of snagging, tangling, or uneven
stitches. Q. What can I do for the best stitching appearance? A. By far the best tool in
your silk stitching box would be a good "laying tool." This is simply
a very smooth tool, with a tapered tip (almost needle-like in appearance) which
you can use as you stitch to help your stitches lay down evenly and smoothly on
your ground fabric. Many are made of wood, a few are made of metal.
"Trolley needles" are an example of a laying tool which an adept
stitcher can "wear," much the same as a thimble. As with most new
techniques, practice makes perfect, and you’ll soon find yourself wondering
how you ever stitched without one. Please ask your local needlework shop, either
walk in or on line, for advice in the selection and use of your laying tool, if
you decide to use one for your best heirloom work. Q. Are there any other techniques? A. Other techniques which
will aid in your silk stitching include the tried and true tips, such as: drop
your needle from the back of your work, and let it untwist, from time to time;
slightly twirl your needle occasionally, to offset the natural twisting which
builds up on your laying thread, from time to time; keep your stitching lengths
short; some stitchers find Thread Heaven™ useful—gently glide your stitching
length of silk thread over the small cake of Thread Heaven™ before stitching,
to help the threads glide smoothly and prevent kinking or twisting. Thread
Heaven™ is available from your local needlework shop, either walk-in or
on-line. A. Don’t worry! The very
nature of pure 100% silk filament thread includes a tendency to snag—and also
by its very nature there is a simple, almost sure-fire way to remove the snag.
Firmly grasp the thread from below and above the snag, and then briskly snap the
thread—you will hear a "twang" or snapping sound if done properly.
Be sure to firmly grasp the thread so that you are not pulling on your work
while you do this. It may take a few tries, but you will see your snag blend
back down into the surrounding filaments of your thread, magically disappearing.
After you have stitched to the end of your length, go back over the stitched
area and look carefully to see if there has been any "fuzzing" of the
ruffled filaments. If necessary, you may carefully clip off the filaments which
are fuzzing on the top of your work—be extremely careful that you do not cut
any of the thread completely through. You may also find that by
"stroking" the filaments with the side of a needle you can coax them
back down into the rest of the laid thread. Q. What else can I do to lessen potential snagging of the silk? A. Keep your hands soft and
smooth—Udder Cream™ or similar products, which are sold at many needlecraft
or fabric shops, are useful for this, leaving little or no residue on your
stitching hands. Bag Balm™ and gloves are a special overnight treatment, but
be sure to wash all the excess lanolin off of your hands before you stitch, as
it will discolor your silk if you do not. Choose your ground fabric or material
carefully—the smoother the ground fabric, the less likely you will snag your
silk thread. Canvas or congress cloth can, of course, be used, but you’ll find
the use of a laying tool to be almost imperative to keep your silk thread from
snagging across the top of your project as you work. A. Have fun! Dare to experiment—mix and match colors, play with lusters and textures. With a total range of 545 colors and a growing collection of Overdyed Silks and Silk Twists, you’ll find you have plenty of room for your imagination to expand into the world of silk. Have a question we haven't
answered here? Please use our
online web form. We'll do our best to answer, and if your question and
answer may be included in our future updates to this page. If you've learned a
special technique which you'd like to share, we'd love to hear from you!
Please use our online web form, and we'll schedule it for
inclusion on this page.
Version 2.2 09/01/2000 |
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