Australian Homespun – August 2019

Silk threads are available in brilliant
shades and are mostly used in fi ne
embroidery. However, silk threads
can fade very easily and they may
bleed if washed. After you have done
the silk thread embroidery, lightly
press the back of the work using
slight steam on the iron – this will
give the silk thread a beautiful sheen.
Silk thread can also be used to couch
thicker threads, such as perle or
metallic threads or cords, onto fabric.

Perle/Pearl Cotton
Perle thread is a single strand that is
made of two fi bres twisted together

• do not try to separate them. The
  perle/pearl cotton thread is available
  in various weights; the higher the
  number, the fi ner the thread. The
  texture of this thread makes it good
  to use in hardanger embroidery, cross

stitchandredwork,aswellasfor

texturedhandquilting.

Metallic thread

Metallicthreadis usuallyusedto

givehighlightstootherembroidery

techniques.It tarnisheseasily,tangles,

snagsandfrays,butitsbeautyand

brillianceis somethingelse.It maybe

diffi culttowasha fabricembroidered

withsomemetallicthreadsoit can

be limiting,althoughmetallicthread

doesnottarnish.

Crewelyarn

Thisisa fine,wooloracrylictwo-ply

strandthatcanbeusedforwool

embroidery,needlepoint,crossstitch

or tapestrywork.

Onestrandofthisyarnisasthick

as twostrandsofembroideryfloss

thread.

Therearebasicallyfourneedlesthat

youwillusetomakeembroidery

stitches:embroidery/crewel,chenille,

tapestryandmilliner/straw.

Embroideryneedlesarethefinest

ofthefour,witha sharptipanda

medium-longeyeslightlylargerthan

theshaftoftheneedlethatcan

accommodatemultiplestrandsof

thread.It'sthebasiconeusedfor

handembroideryasit easilymoves

throughthetypesoffabricmost

commoninembroideryprojects,

suchascotton,linenorOsnaburg.

Chenilleneedlesalsohavesharp

points,buttheyhavea largereye

andthickershaftthanembroidery

Metallicthread

EMBROIDERYNEEDLES

Perle/Pearl Cotton

Homespun 57