embroidery thread

A good embroidery thread (e.g., DMC) is colorfast. Try a small area.

I'm jealous -- that sounds beautiful and I'm an embroidery nut.

ep

I've had DMC run. Especially reds.

Martha, I don't know how long you've been here at rctq so at risk of boring everyone to tears, I'll repeat my sad story. I kept an embroidery piece at work for more than a decade and stitched on it when were were in 'waiting' mode. When it was finished, I gently washed it in cold water and Woolite. The blacks faded to a pitiful pale brown. It is possible that I will be able to restore it with fine-tipped fabric pens but the chore doesn't call to me. Yick! The thread used was DMC. Who knows if Woolite has a gentler formula now? Do keep this in mind for your inherited treasure. Polly

Heavens! I've never had this happen! I will be duly cautious from now on.

ep

A better choice might be something like Ivory liquid dishwashing "soap" in cool water. That is my first choice for hand washing. I've been told that Woolite is not the thing to use for cotton sweaters, either. Woolite is formulated for wool, which is an animal fiber, and cotton is a plant fiber. They should be treated differently. Of course, the person that told me that sold cotton sweaters and something called "cotton wash". I bought it, but seldom use it because I usually wash cotton sweaters with the regular laundry in my regular detergent.

Julia > Heavens! I've never had this happen! I will be duly cautious from now on. >

I swear by Ivory Snow for fine washables and "technical" clothes that "breathe." It's the only thing that will clean Gore-Tex properly without ruining the "pores" in the fabric. Woolite has lanolin in it, which wool loves, but which "clogs" other fabrics.

ep

I agree with the other poster regarding dish detergent for washing embroidery floss. I read that somewhere decades ago and that's all I use when cleaning those type projects. Gentle hand washing with any dish detergent. I use any old brand of dish soap so I never know what's on hand when I (anymore) rarely do these type projects. But I've never had an issue with anything running or fading when washing w/ dish soap. And I usually use warmer than cold water. Roll up in a towel to soak up excess water and than lie on a rack to dry.

You'll have to decide if that's how you want to treat your quilt if you elect to use these panels in one. I don't know that I'd risk machine washing w/other detergent once it was completed.

Just my 2 cents.

Kim in NJ

...And embroidery floss is usually silk (animal protein, but not the same as wool), rayon, or poly (man-made chemicals). I have no idea what the best choice for those would be; They're (as you say) just different and should perhaps(?) be treated differently. I'm following this (pun intended) *thread* 'cuz it's part of what I was asking in the other one.

I'm also wondering, if it's the colors that are running (vs. fabric shrinking, disintegrating, etc.) should we be concerned with the fabric fiber or the type/composition of the dyes used in the flosses?

Doc

IME the most common brands of hand embroidery floss (DMC & Anchor) are actually cotton, even tough we still call them embroidery "silks" for historical reasons. Machine embroidery thread is more likely to be rayon or polyester.

Lizzy

And..... you could always skip the embroidery machine and do free motion embroidery and use any ol' thread that suits your fancy! (That's what I do.)

Leslie & The Furbabies >> ...And embroidery floss is usually silk (animal protein, but not the

Who, me? I figured I'd be doing different amounts of different things. I have some machine patterns I purchased, more I'd like to get, some DW collected, some that are built-in to the machine, and the decorative stitching that's built-in. I think that's what you mean by free motion(?) I'm going to have to use the latter just for attaching pieces together and to the foundation, so I figured it was a given. As far as using them for pictures/designs on the patches, I hadn't gotten that far in my thinking/planning, but thanks for bringing it up; it's something else I can "obsess" about... >8^D BWAHAHAHAHA!

Doc

Forgot to mention... Since I'll be using the machine different ways, I can't see any point in using different kinds of embroidery floss; I'll just use the same for everything, and I'm still leaning strongly toward what we already have the most of - the polyester...

Doc, watch that video in my link. ANYTHING you can draw you can free motion machine embroider! You just drop the feeddogs and fill in the shape with free motion stitching. Save your money and don't buy all those machine patterns- all you need is a $3 embroidery hoop. And it's MUCH more fun and satisfying to 'do it yourself'! (And if you run out of thread or bobbin in the middle of the process it's no big deal!)

BWHAHAHAHAHA back atcha! LOL

Leslie & The Furbabies in 'bracing for a wild storm today' MO.

Doc

Great video, thanks Leslie!

Thank you all!

I'll do the dishwasher soap and drying in towels.

Martha

ummmm.... Martha, that's not dish*washer* soap that was recommended. It's dishWASHING soap. And be sure to not get the kind with bleach or other 'rough on fabrics and threads' additives. I'm of the opinion that a bar of Ivory hand soap (nothing with added moisturizers, for sure!) is the gentlest and safest. YMMV

Leslie & The Furbabies in MO.

Oops! Got it!

Martha

Last cross-stitch I did, (or, started) a year or so ago I noticed an odd warning on the instructions. It said that because of environmental issues, they have changed what they use to dye the thread, and it is not as colorfast as the old thread was. Especially the red. Have no idea about the validity of this warning, as I have not actually

*finished* a cross stitch since 1999, let alone washed one. Just thought I'd throw this info. out there. :0-)

Sherry