Start by inserting the needle at point A. It never occurred to me to separate strands until I began doing more complex designs and they became very crowded, and most tutorials don’t bother to explain this. Are you sure the required fabric will handle 3 strands? But that’s just my opinion! Even within the same thread line, some colors may be thicker or thinner. Thanks for replying. The dark blue did not cover sufficiently and I had to use 9 strands for full coverage. To achieve the smoothest finish on both of these stitches, one strand of floss works best. If I may take the liberty of answering, based on how I do the stem stitch : Dear Mary. Embroidery hoop, 15cm (6″) (Bigger if you are working on a larger design) ( You can purchase a set of, Embroidery thread (You can buy this pack of. Step 2. Last Updated: September 7, 2019 By Fareeha Leave a Comment. The length of thread is also important. If you want a finer line that’s still easily visible, try two strands. How many strands (for me) also depends on what I am embroidering. I do a lot of needle painting. Your email address will not be published. I’ve stitched with various strands of thread from a single strand for finer detail to all six strands for a chunky look when I want a thick boarder. Am using two strands of DMC thread. If that doesn’t do it for you, a #1 is larger and would work, but I think a #3 is probably sufficient. Pull the thread down to make a straight stitch. Thanks DD. How much more do I have to buy to complete in 3 strands. Then I remembered, this is embroidery, not cross stitch. I would like to try some small steps first since I am new to embroidery. I don’t have any #10 crochet thread to compare. © 2015-2019 Fa's Kitchen. Can you help? Thank you so much for explaining this! How many strands of embroidery thread equal size 10 crochet thread, please? That’s ok. Silk thread or wool can be used for this stitch. Advice I’ve seen from you and others is, if you aren’t sure, try the stitch *with the thread and color you intend to use, on the fabric you intend to use*, and go from there. ..thanks! This was exactly what I needed to know today! Continue working in a similar fashion. 1. If I’m not happy with the test, I probably won’t be happy unless I make changes. If you want to refine your embroidery and manage more detail with finer stitches, you can decrease the number of strands until you find the weight that looks right with whatever you’re planning to stitch. I especially enjoy the picture that shows the difference between the number of strands used. Thank you .. Hi, Judy – I’m afraid I’m at a loss, too. Favorite Kaleidoscopes: Patterns for Embroidery. Another thing – if you’re not using magnification, or at least a really good light, consider it. Your work is beautiful, vivid and so bright with color that make my heart sings. Newbie here again with more questions. What’s the best practice on that? Required fields are marked *. It seems to help prevent the spikey look. Cutting Linen Along the Thread, separated into six much smaller strands of floss, Beginner Embroidery Tip: How to Separate Floss, https://www.facebook.com/ElzazEmbroidery/photos/pb.576114682414651.-2207520000.1417016977./959059580786824/?type=3&theater, https://www.needlenthread.com/2014/11/hand-embroidery-needles-how-to-choose-them-use-them.html, https://www.needlenthread.com/2013/08/embroidery-tip-how-to-separate-floss.html. No I don’t sell threads retail. The split back stitch is flatter on the fabric than the split stitch. OUR FULL DISCLOSURE POLICY IS REALLY BORING, BUT YOU CAN FIND IT HERE), Tagged With: embroidery stitches originally posted on: September 7, 2019 Last Updated: September 7, 2019 categoriesFiled Under: Back Stitches, Basic Stitches, Embroidery, Your email address will not be published. Any hints or advise would be wonderful. how many strands of floss should i use for making the split back stitch? Thanks again Mary – your instructions, suggestions, advice and knowledge are a great help to me. Needle in a Haystack (California) is the one I’d recommend, because they do have images of all the thread. Not the easiest lesson to learn. I was just trying to slightly wet the strands to unkink….I did find during stitching that the thread tangled or twisted and…..tried to knot coming through fabric….will try your suggestions soon. It creates a very neat and even line, with the sts in kind of a spiral, like you see in the pic. You can use all 6 strands of the floss. Mary Corbet says: April 27, 2015 at 5:34 am . Do you concur, Mary? The more single strands you put back together to stitch with, the heavier your stitches will be. Thanks for your wonderful blog. Get the kink out so to speak? Any fabric. Howdy…I’m new to this…my mom wants me to embroider a lazy daisy/back stitch design in felt…should I go ahead and use all 6 strands or maybe 3? In split stitch stitching, one end of the stitch splits the thread of the stitch before it. Thanks . I could do the background with two or three strands, but the eye, would need just one, and if I used more it would not even work. Without actually seeing the instructions, I’m not sure what they want you to do. (THIS POST PROBABLY CONTAINS AFFILIATE LINKS. would that make a difference/smoother line? It is preferable to use a single strand of floss and tie the knot together at the end of both the threads. I was surprised when you said it’s quite common to embroider, especially backstitch, with 6 strands. They’re usually about .40 a pop. Separating embroidery floss can leave you in knots. But maybe you have in another way…..is it important to not only separate the threads, but to allow them to “straighten” out or “unwind”???? My Question I have been using three strands for my cross-stitch on one side of the pattern a few of them were color from the two strand .now the middle calls for and some one strand ( which I haven’t done yet.) I don’t know if there’s a particular formula. Thanks, Diana. I have a color conversion chart but I am not sure of how many strands of floss are equal to flower thread. It depends on two points: what you’re embroidering, and what you want it to look like. xxx. Here is an example where the complete image was stitch in just sewing machine embroidery thread. Your best bet is to contact the designer, if you can! Either a larger needle as noted from your article last week &/or too small stitches are causing this problem in my current project. If your thread is quite heavy (say, six strands of floss in the needle at once) and your stitches are very small, your fabric may very well pucker, regardless of whether or not your tension on your stitches is correct. Barb, Muskann. Reply. It might help if you put a little tension on the stitch from behind – maybe pull a little bit on the working thread with one hand, while you’re bringing the needle up from below with the other hand. The stitches are approximately 3/16″ long. You can also fill in any design with this split back stitch. I see it in my mind but can’t remember where I saw it. and larger for 6 strands. The recipes that I share are traditional, authentic and that are often made in my kitchen. I have just bought a pattern for Christmas stockings and I notice it says use 14 count aida and use three strands. hope that helps more then confuses. Thanks for the brief informative answers. Pull the thread up and insert the needle again at point B right in between the strands. Thanks If you’re using all six strands of floss at once, your stitches should be slightly longer than they would be if you were using only three strands, to give the thread plenty of room so that it doesn’t pinch the fabric. Just a thought? Required fields are marked *. Also, I prefer shorter needles when embroidering with single strand, because it provides greater manoeuvrability & grip. That’s not floss twisted back together – it’s floss that’s been stitched along a line using a hand embroidery stitch that makes the line look like a rope. It’s best to use a single strand of thread and tie both the ends of the thread together. Chain stitch can be replaced with this stitch. Even if you don’t have any vision difficulties, it does make a huge difference to have a really good stitching light (or a very sunny window!) In CS and blackwork I typically use 2 strands for crosses and one for backstitch and blackwork. Once you have the right sized needle, any thread will work. Work like the back stitch. I prefer the flat threaders that are hook shaped – they hold up better than the little wire things. I get questions about stranded embroidery floss a lot – and especially the first question above: How many strands should I use on my project?. I use these threads for really delicate stitching. and sometimes ( only if i have to) i will make a very tiny couch stitch on the curve that isnt looking unified. It is preferable to use a single strand of floss and tie the knot together at the end of both … There is a very minute difference between the two stitches. For even & neat stitches, when making the next st, bring the needle back up through the exact point where the previous st ends. Two Beaks are Better than One & Color List, Hand Embroidery Lessons & Step-by-Step Projects, Church / Ecclesiastical Embroidery Patterns, Yellow to White: Whitening Yellowed Linen, Part II, Get it Straight! Happy Holidays to all and thanks for any suggestions. But you will be forgiven if you call both the stitches as same. I think I’ll just get some #10 crochet thread, lol. Mary, no one has addressed my question about how you achieved such a smooth line with your stem stitch….so far. Most of my purchases are on line. I want to try some silk embroidery thread, do you sell it? I’m not a beginner but haven’t put needle and thread to fabric for quite a while. The twisted-looking lines there are achieved by the stitch I worked along the line on the fabric, called stem stitch. I have been instrcuted to do a split stitch using ONE strand of DMC floss which seems almost impossible. You can also subscribe without commenting. If you want a bold line that can still manage decent detail, start with three strands. by the way i love love love the colors you picked for the beak. What needle would work the best for me thank you. Here’s a visual guide to the difference in stitch weight with different numbers of strands: Starting at the top of the photo above, we have a line of stem stitch worked with one tiny, single strand of embroidery floss. Hope that helps! About thread strands : you are right about the ‘untwisting’ while embroidering. You can definitely split stitch with perle cotton #5 – it’s a non-divisible thread, and you should be using a crewel needle with a sharp point to split it. mary- what a delightful topic, i get asked that all the time when i teach my embroidery classes at the extention office. https://www.facebook.com/ElzazEmbroidery/photos/pb.576114682414651.-2207520000.1417016977./959059580786824/?type=3&theater In other words why did you use the 6 strands as it came off the skein? Have been trying to learn how to “write” words using the stem stitch. Hi, Martha – well, I have to admit, I like split stitch best with just one strand of floss (or any single strand of embroidery thread). I’m guessing a pearl cotton #5 might be a similar thickness, but not certain!