Impressions - August 2014 - 58

talking SHOP

Rough, textured, wool-blend
embroidery thread will deliver an appealing,
hand-embroidered look, as in this "Snowboard"
design. (Design by Bonnie Nielsen, Madeira)

general-purpose, 40-weight thread can fall
short. It is available in a variety of colors,
often Pantone-matched, and matched to
its 40-weight equivalents.
A thread to turn to for problem solving, it is good to make your digitizer aware
of it at the beginning of a project. Since a
smaller needle will give best results, some
embroiderers will "assign" a single needle
to 60-weight thread in black or white for
stitching the lettering in a logo.
Matte Finish. The addition of matteﬁnish embroidery thread enables you to
create depth, or shading, in your embroidery. You can combine it with lustrous or
shiny thread to achieve a sense of "layering." Matte-ﬁnish embroidery thread is
ideal for use as "skin" when people or faces
are involved in a design.
And when subtlety or a more masculine
look is desired, as in tone-on-tone or when
designing for a customer who shies away
from shine, matte-ﬁnish thread will work
well. One leading matte-ﬁnish embroidery thread on the market is particularly
colorfast and designed to hold up to large
amounts of ultraviolet (UV) rays from the
sun, making it a good choice for patio cushions, boat covers, etc. Mixing a matte-ﬁnish
embroidery thread with a lustrous or shiny
one for unique shading effects, or substituting the matte ﬁnish entirely for a crisp,
subtle look will deliver a unique design,
putting you ahead of your competition.
Wool-Blend. The rough, textured woolblend embroidery thread will deliver an appealing, hand-embroidered look. Blending
58

Impressions | August 2014

Embroidery Production

it into a stock design, or simply deciding
how and when to use it, requires careful
consideration. The wide satin stitch, longer
running stitch and a variation of the blanket
stitch all are ideal choices for this unique
thread. When working with these thicker
threads, other considerations include needle size, tension and machine speed.
The thick wool-blend thread, with
naturally muted colors, requires that you
use a #100/16 needle. For tension settings
on your embroidery machine, only tighten
the top tension. If you change the bobbin
tension, you will have problems running
the other threads in the design. And just
to be on the safe side, considering the
naturally "hairy" texture of the wool-blend
thread, clean the bobbin cases and rotary
area more often than with other threads.
Fire-Resistant. This is considered a specialty thread, but not necessarily one you
would choose unless the production required it. It was developed for use on uniforms, logos or any apparel where safety
is a concern. Industries such as petroleum,
aeronautical and ﬁre control, and sports
such as car racing or ﬂying, all present
prime opportunities for using this thread.
The best quality ﬁre-resistant threads
are made from 100% Aramid, a DuPont
product. Again, while not a go-to thread
for anything other than safety needs, it is a
good thread type to be comfortable with,
for whenever the need arises. You will see

This "On the Edge" badge demonstrates the mixing of shiny polyester and matteﬁnish embroidery threads. Depth is created in
the design by combining the two. (Design by
Bonnie Nielsen, Madeira)

it used most often in logos or for personalizing safety uniforms.
Variegated and Multicolor. While fashion, or your customer, may dictate whether
you stick with a solid color or put a multicolor appearance into the mix, your
choices are seemingly endless. With multicolor threads, as you stitch, the thread will
go from one color to another and another.
With ombrés, one thread will produce multiple shades of a single color. You have a wide
range of choices if you decide to try a multicolored or shaded look, since rayon, polyester, wool blends and metallics all come in
variations of these random-looking colors.
Working with these threads takes some
experimentation so that you can learn the
amount of control you have - if any -
over how the colors or shades will fall. If
mixing in multicolors, or ombrés, it may
be best to use them in large areas, as the
ombrés that are popular with fashion
designers - in designs that are natural in
appearance - allow the random changes
of the thread to enhance the design.
Glow-in-the-Dark. For pure novelty
- and Halloween is the prime motivator - this specialty thread is popular for
childrenswear or tote bags. It is a thread
that needs to be "charged" by being held
under direct light, and then will hold its
glow-in-the-dark properties for a length of
time that is in proportion with how long
it was charged.

Glow-in-the-dark embroidery thread
will appear to "glow" in the darkness, after
being exposed to direct light. It should be
considered for novelty and fun, as opposed
to instances where regulated safety applies.
(Design by Bonnie Nielsen, Madeira)
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Impressions - August 2014

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