Push the needle through the fabric from the back, leaving the loop hanging loose. Thread these ends through your needle, leaving a loop at the other end. I find around 28-30' is a suitable length.īring both ends together, folding the length of thread in half. Cut it twice the length you would normally stitch with. Start by stripping one strand from the six stranded cotton. If they make a mistake, and the error is near the beginning of the piece of floss (as my mistakes usually are), it may be easier to unpick a few stitches from the start rather than taking the yarn all the way back from the current position. I always suggest new students leave the loose ends free for a while until they are sure they have placed their stitches in the correct position. There is an easy, neat way of starting a piece of floss if you need to use 2 strands, called the loop method.īe sure you can count accurately before you use it! It makes a secure starting point, but one that is difficult to undo. The following table will help when cross stitching on Aida or evenweave fabrics. This will depend on what fabric count you are stitching on, or the effect you are trying to achieve. If you need to use two strands, just repeat! How many strands of embroidery floss to use The following video shows a simple way that can save time and frustration. This one technique can save you loads of frustration.Īt my classes I have seen people use their hands, teeth, elbows and other body parts to do this, and they can't believe how easy it can be when you know how. So let's start with a simple technique for taking one strand out of the skein without getting in a tangle. It is rare to use all 6 strands together in the needle at once. Six stranded cotton embroidery floss needs to be separated before use. You can use an embroidery thread conversion chart to find the nearest equivalent in another manufacturer's shade card, but it is best not to mix different brands in one project, unless the designer stipulates this.

Each company will use its own numbering system and most counted cross stitch patterns will list the colors needed using one, or perhaps more, of these. There are many reputable floss manufacturers such as DMC, Anchor, Madeira and Susan Bates. When you consider the hours you will spend on a needlework project, then you will see why it is important to use excellent quality hand embroidery thread. But let's start with the most important facts about using these threads. Either myself, or other visitors to the site, will try to answer them for you. At the end of this page is a form you can use to ask those questions. You likely have many more questions about embroidery floss and other fibres. how to keep your floss tidy and organized.

how to separate each strand (see video below).

how many strands of floss to use on different count fabrics,.

Embroidery thread