Embroidery is an opportunity to take items, gifts and plush toys and bring a magical splash of personalization to them. With charms selected or created by you, all you need to bring these projects to life is your ingenuity, your machine and thread. Don’t take that thread for granted, though.
Embroiderers know that a great craft deserves great materials. Thread may seem like a simple and commonplace resource, but they vary greatly in quality and even personality. Some thought is required when deciding on which thread to work with and we at Embroider Buddy would be delighted to help unspool that question with you!
Softness, sheen and reliability are the three most important elements to consider when selecting your thread. Every brand and material can vary in this regard, and can make a huge difference in the outcome of your embroidery. Cotton, for example, is soft and traditional, but may not withstand machine embroidery without snapping or fraying. Cotton thread may also lose its color after use and wash.
Polyester and rayon thread are often much tougher and versatile, and while they may not be cotton soft they are far from stiff. Polyester and rayon also have their own texture and consistency, color and sheen-wise, which should be considered with what will work most appropriately for your charm in mind. A strong sheen is hardly a bad thing either. A metallic glow in your thread could make for a romantic or glittering charm. Madeira Incredible Threadable Embroidery Boxes offer metallic threads that can still go through the wash. And speaking of glow, there are even glow-in-the-dark threads available from Sinbel to make projects truly cosmic or Halloween spooky!
Likewise, the weight of your thread can determine the look of your design like the width of a pen tip in a drawing. 40 wt is a good default thread weight, but 60 wt should be considered for charms that go heavy on details.
Many threads and kits are created with a specific embroidery machine in mine. It is worthwhile to do a quick search to see if there’s a kit with your rig in mind. Brother, a very popular brand, offers in-house kits that not only have optimized thread for their machines available in a wide variety of colors.
We’re all about embroidery projects at Embroider Buddy. Our product line is designed with embroidery in mind. Our signature Embroider Buddy collection offers delightful plush toys with removable stuffing pods, making embroidery more easy and convenient than ever! We’ll supply your canvas, but your paints and brush are just as important. Consider what sort of charms and moods you’re looking to convey and ensure you have the best possible thread to accomplish them!