Choosing Machine-Embroidery Threads

comments (4) November 2nd, 2008 in tools & supplies, embroidery

Pin It

When buying cotton thread, choose sizes 30 wt. or 50 wt. for strength and sufficient coverage. Brands include Aurifil, Madeira Cotona, Madeira Tanne, and Mettler 100% Embroidery Cotton

	Silk thread.

Silk thread—Silk absorbs dyes more brilliantly than all other fibers, and is truly the aristocrat of specialty threads. It combines the strength (but not abrasiveness) of polyester and the stability of cotton, and sews smoothly without breaking. It has a distinct sheen unmatched by any other thread. Silk threads are available in a wide range of sizes, but the 30 to 50 wts. are the most appropriate for machine embroidery. They are more costly and not as readily available, but well worth considering, especially for embroidering on luxurious fabrics.

Silk thread is the top choice when embroidering on silk and other luxurious fabrics. It is made by Janome, Tire, and YLI Kanagawa.

Metallic and mylar embroidery threads—Metallic threads are manufactured with a center core that is wrapped with metal foil or thin slivers of metal foil. Color is then applied by adding a polyester film to the foil. The most durable and desirable metallic threads have a coating of rice paper pasted over the center core, which binds the core to the metal, preventing the metal from being stripped away. In some threads, the foil may be coated with a silver alloy for added strength, and sometimes the polyester film is applied as an undercoating rather than a topcoating, to keep the color from flaking off. Considering the complexities of manufacturing metallic threads, it's understandable that some might perform better than others. In fact, no words evoke as much emotion from machine embroiderers as metallic threads. Sewers either love the results these threads provide, or cringe at the thought of using them because they require a little kid-glove treatment, which I'll discuss in a moment. Experiment to find the metallics that are the most trouble-free in your machine, and you will find they’re well worth using.

Metallic thread requires more care in handling than rayon or cotton thread, but it's a popular choice for adding sparkling accents to embroidery designs. Available brands include Coats & Clark Metallic, FS/Jewel, Madeira Heavy Metal, Madeira SuperTwist, Mettler Metallic, Robison-Anton Metallic, SCS Madeira Soft Metallic, Sulky Metallic, Superior Threads Metallic, Signature Metallic, and YLI Fine Metallic.

posted in: tools & supplies, embroidery, embroidery, thread

SPONSORED LINKS