Tips for Using Metallic ThreadsWritten by Katrina Renouf
Metallic threads can add beautiful accents to any piece, but many people avoid using them because of difficulties they can cause. This article will share with you some tips on how to make using metallic threads a lot easier. 1. Make sure that fabric is taut on your frame at all times. 2. Purls (a fragile corkscrew of soft pliable wire that can’t be restored to original shape after it’s been distorted) are especially fragile and must be treated with utmost care. 3. Any metal thread wrapped around a core should be handled with extra care since when outer layer has started to unwind there is no way to fix it. 4. Most handmade metal threads can be hand washed. 5. Two layers of fabric aren’t necessary unless you need second layer for support, such as using a very fine ground fabric and are using real gold since it’s heavy. 6. Silver threads will tarnish, but gold ones won’t 7. Use a special pair of scissors to cut metal threads and don’t use them for anything else. The metal chews up scissors blades.
| | Types of Fabrics for NeedleworkWritten by Katrina Renouf
There are many different types of fabrics available. The most commonly used one is Aida, which is what most kits use, but there is also evenweave, silk, and several others. Most stitchers tend to use Aida fabric because it is very obvious where to put needle. There is a problem when you need to make partial stitches, like half or quarter, though. They are a lot easier to do when using evenweave or linen, since with these fabrics you tend to stitch over two, meaning that every stitch goes over two horizontal and vertical threads. An evenweave fabric is any cotton or synthetic fabric woven so there is a hole for stitching between each single thread. Some people prefer to stitch on evenweaves rather than on Aida since few specialty stitches or other counted thread techniques (like hardanger embroidery) can be done on Aida. Silk is another popular fabric to use, but it is
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