OT: Hand embroidery thread substitutions?

I am doing a pattern that calls for hand embroidering some letters with

3-strands of black hand embroidery thread. Well I don't have any black or other very dark colors of hand embroidery thread. I do have some 12wt and 30 wt Sulky dark blue & dark purple cotton threads. I also have some very dark brown Mettler 60wt silk finish cotton machine embroidery thread. As I detest the idea of a hour & half drive to pick up some rather inexpensive thread, I'm wondering whether any of those can be used (individually or in combination) instead of the 3-strands of black hand embroidery thread?

Or is this a bad idea?

Thanks,

Reply to
Bev in TX
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I have no idea whether that would work, but I suggest that you give it a try on a wee sample of the fabric! I switch things around quite a bit, and find that testing out my "what if"s is always worthwhile.

Reply to
Mary

Thanks. If no one responds, then that's what I'll end up doing. I was hoping that someone might have done all of that and could help me.

Bev > I have no idea whether that would work, but I suggest that you give it

Reply to
Bev in TX

Reply to
Tia Mary

The way my brain is working right now I'd prolly use a Sharpie permanent pen and make some white floss become black floss.

(Do not listen to me! Overloaded, exhausted blonde here! LOL)

Leslie & The Furbabies in MO.

Reply to
Leslie & The Furbabies in MO.

I'm with you, Bev. I would rather do just about anything than drive a long way for such a wee bit of thread. Ignore Leslie. She will be just fine after a rest. To test what you hope will be a good substitute: Cut about

18" of the threads. Lay them on a towel and spray starch them. Let them dry. Doesn't take long. Pick them up so that you lay the coming and going threads in opposite directions and smooth them out. Use a needle big enough that the needle makes a hole big enough that the fabric doesn't cause wear on the in/out of the thread coming through. Try a test sample and see if you are happy with the results. Be very careful if you decide to launder your creation. I once killed years of stitching by using Woolite. It faded my clean black stitching to a dreary dull brown . . . and yes, Leslie. Sharpie does make a pen that hides all sins. Polly

Reply to
Polly Esther

Reply to
Roberta

Believe it or not, Sharpie pen ink can bleed in the laundry. I recommend being very careful about using one on a quilt. Also, I often use rubbing alcohol to remove it from various items. Of course the longer the ink sets, the more difficult it is to remove, but a good portion will still come off. So, it may be "permanent" when exposed to water, but various chemicals make it less so.

Bev > The way my brain is working right now I'd prolly use a Sharpie permanent

Reply to
Bev in TX

Thanks for everyone's suggestions and Tia Mary's kind offer :-).

I dug around some more and found a bit of a very dark gray floss, which I had wound on a small card. I'm going to try using that; hopefully there will be enough.

I'll be sure to use Polly's suggestion about starching the floss.

Bev in TX

Reply to
Bev in TX

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