This tutorial covers stitchable specialty threads that can be used for cross stitch, looking at the essential characteristics of different silks, and practical information for working with them: relative thicknesses, spun vs. filament silks, amount of twist, choice of needle, count, and working length, and the color range and numbering system, so you can navigate the available choices.
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Thread thickness - 3:16
Spun vs. filament silks - 6:50
High twist vs. low twist threads - 10:20
Choice of needles - 13:12
Use of Trebizond/Perlee for lower count stitchers - 13:37
Using spun silks with Accentuate - 16:16
Working length - 19:45
Choice of count/coverage - 21:25
Perlee/Trebizond - 25:44
Soie 100/3 - 26:32
Soie Surfine - 32:36
Soie 100/3 and Surfine with Accentuate - 34:15
Soie d'Alger (which is a spun silk, not a filament, I misspoke!) - 37:03
Soie Gobelins - 39:54
Soie de Paris - 43:05
Soie Ovale - 50:55
Colorfastness - 54:54
The AVAS color ranges and numbering system - 57:19
Thickness, finest to thickest: Soie Surfine, 100/3, Gobelins, Paris, DMC, d'Alger, Ovale, Perlee, Trebizond
Spun vs. filament: Filament silks are made with longer fibers, which is what gives them exceptional smoothness and shine, but also makes them stitch differently, see my tutorial on cross stitching with Gobelins: • Simple Harmony tutoria...
Soie d'Alger, 100/3, and Surfine are spun silks, Soie de Paris, Gobelins, Perlee, Ovale, and Trebizond are filament silks
High vs. low twist: Gobelins, 100/3, Surfine, and Perlee are higher twist silks, and d'Alger & Paris are low twist.
Needles: Trebizond #24 tapestry; Perlee #26 tapestry; D'Alger, Gobelins, Paris, and 100/3 all use a #28 tapestry or #10 short beading; Surfine #12 short beading
100/3 with Accentuate: #26 tapestry, Surfine with Accentuate, #28 tapestry
Working length: thumb to elbow, 18 inches, or whatever works best for you
Choice of count/coverage: Entirely personal preference. Sharp, defined crosses are created both by use of a high twist silk, and by the threads having room for the crosses to sit neatly next to each other in the weave of the fabric. This section looks at the range of possibilities in using a single strand of each silk discussed on counts between 36-56. I strongly recommend always evaluating coverage at middle distance, and not close up while stitching - it may be better than you think.
NB: For lower count stitchers, you can use two strands of Paris, Gobelins, 100/3, or d'Alger on the lower counts exactly as you would with DMC.
-Perlee/Trebizond: can be used one stranded on lower counts, no bigger than 32
-100/3: High twist spun silk, finer than DMC. Used by me on 36-40 count, used by many others on 45+
Has an extensive color range compared to the filament silks, highly useful in filling out a conversion
-Surfine: High twist spun silk, finer than 100/3, recommended 45+, although many prefer it for 50+
100/3 with Accentuate: Cannot block stitch on high 30 counts, useful for more open elements with less dense stitching, like snowflakes
-Surfine with Accentuate: Excellent for denser motifs on high 30 counts, and for anything 40+
-D'Alger: Low twist spun silk with a wide color range, produces dense coverage on the high 30 counts
-Gobelins: High twist filament silk, more limited color range than 100/3, always my first choice for cross stitching. I use it on 35-40 count, I wouldn't go higher - the Gobelins on 45 looks crammed to me.
-Paris: 6 stranded silk floss, low twist filament silk, more colors than Gobelins but fewer than 100/3. Same thickness as Gobelins and useful on the same counts.
-Ovale: flat, untwisted filament silk that must be used with a laying tool. Mary Corbet's excellent tutorial here: www.needlenthr...
Colorfastness: AVAS threads are fiber dyed and mordanted, which is critically important. Dye that hasn't been fixed can leech out with the passage of time even if it never comes into contact with water. But being able to survive contact with water is critically important for blocking your finishes.
My blocking tutorial can be found here: • Simple Harmony tutoria...
Numbering system and color range: AVAS uses two numbering systems - 100/3 (covering 100/3, Surfine & Perlee) and d'Alger (covering d'Alger, Paris, Gobelins, & Ovale)
Soie d'Alger currently has 640 shades in the line, not 1800 - I misspoke, 1800 was the original range that has since contracted to 640 colors.
Current colors can be found on Access' order forms, which are public downloads: www.accesscomm...
30 сен 2024
