The World of Cross Stitching - UK (2020-02)

http://www.cross-stitching.com The World of Cross Stitching 81

Fiona’s focus

METALLIC THREADS

Metallics add decorative sparkle to your projects, but can be tricky.

Follow my tips to make your stitching shine, without the stress

THREAD THICKNESS

Always take note of the thread

thickness with regard to needle size

and weave of your fabric. Don’t try

to split your metallic strands if they’re

non-divisible either. Kreinik threads

come in a range of thicknesses, so you

don’t need to use multiple strands.

CONDITION YOUR METALLICS

Thread conditioners, such as Thread

Magic*, can really help to get your

metallic threads under control. Follow

the manufacturer instructions for

instant taming and strengthening.

LET’S TWIST AGAIN

As you stitch, let your needle hang

and untwist every so often. This

is good practise when stitching

generally, but is especially important

for metallic threads as you’ll twist the

needle unconsciously whilst stitching,

which can cause the thread to kink.

BLENDING

Another option for using metallics is

to blend it with a strand of regular

stranded cotton. The colour numbers

of DMC threads are close matches to

those in its Light Effects range,

making for easy matching.

You could also use Kreinik

Blending Filament to add

a subtle shimmer to your

stranded cottons. This ultra-

thin thread allows you

to use multiple strands

depending on the level of

sparkle you want.

OTHER OPTIONS

Give DMC’s Étoile threads a try – these

six-stranded skeins blend a metallic

fibre in with the cotton for a sparkly

finish in 35 shimmering shades. They

do tend to fray more than stranded-

cottons however, so I’d recommend

still using a thread conditioner and

following the same tips.

Even if a project doesn’t include

any metallic threads, there’s no reason

why you can’t swap some in yourself

and create magical effects. Try

experimenting with these tips and

techniques so that metallics no longer

put you off, and instead open up a

whole new array of possibilities for

including them in your work.

GET TO KNOW YOUR METALLICS

There are many different types of

metallic threads on the market but

they all have something in common

• they tangle, fray and are often

frustrating to stitch with! The thread

you’re using will vary depending on

your project. DMC* Light Effects are

widely available, divisible by six strands

and presented as a skein, just like

their stranded cotton counterparts, so

you can separate the strands to use

in the same way. DMC also produce

a Diamant range, which is a smooth,

single-strand thread on a spool, where

one strand is equivalent to two strands

of DMC stranded cotton. Kreinik* also

have a range of spooled metallics in

a variety of colours and thicknesses,

which are also single-stranded. The

most commonly used in cross stitching

is Kreinik #4 braid – with one strand

equivalent to two strands of cotton.

THREAD LENGTH

Get into the habit of cutting shorter

lengths, ideally approx. 30cm (12in). If

you’re using two strands (such as with

DMC Light Effects) cut a 60cm (24in)

length, separating just one strand

and folding it in half before threading

the looped end through your needle.

Bring the two ends up through the

loop to knot it in place. You’ll then

secure the tail end under the first few

stitches, preventing them from fraying

as they will no longer

be passing back and

forth through the

fabric.

Shine bright: The use of metallic thread really

brings this blushing bride to life. Designed by

Maria Diaz, you can head on over to page 72 to

see this beauty’s golden glow for yourself

Twinkle, twinkle: Kreinik offer

spools of single-stranded metallics

which are soft and easy to use

Shine like a diamond: Use DMC’s

Diamant, pictured here, to add a

luminous effect to your stitchy projects

*For stockists see page 90