One of the first things you’ll discover soon when embarking on the embroidery journey is the fact that for some projects you will have to split the embroidery thread.
Let’s have a look at when and how to split the embroidery floss the easy way.
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The stranded cotton embroidery thread is made up of 6 strands. There will be some projects when you’ll have to work with less than 6 strands.
How many strands should you use?
How do you know how many numbers of strands to use in a project? Well, that’s easy and it all depends on the look you are going for, or the embroidery technique you’ll be using.
A nice way to look at it is to think about the number of strands like paintbrushes size.
One strand would be a fine brush, 3-4 strands a medium brush, and 6 strands a large one.
NOTE: Most needle painting projects are usually stitched using just one strand of thread. This makes color blending much easier and creates outstanding results.
Step 1
In order to separate your thread use this simple method to separate the thread.
Pull out and cut about 30-40cm length of thread from the skein, more or less the distance between your fingers and your elbow.
Step 2
Separate one or how many strands you need for your project.
Step 3
Pull the separated strand while holding firmly the rest.
Step 4
Thread your needle.
This was all, my stitching friends! Super easy and you’re now ready to stitch your beautiful projects.
There is no right or wrong answer here. For example, in my Sakura Tree project, I had to use all 6 strands otherwise, I would have probably never finished.
On the other hand, for the Realistic Butterfly project, I use only one strand because of the technique used – the needle painting technique. It would have been very hard to create the perfect blend between the colors if used more strands.
It’s all a matter of your preferred tastes, style, or technique you’ll be using.
Download Free Embroidery Patterns
Looking for lovely free patterns to start stitching straight away? Enter the Free Pattern Library by filling out the form below and I will send you an email with your password. You can read more about my Free Pattern Library here.
More Hand Embroidery Tutorials
- How to Bind an Embroidery Hoop
- How to Make an Embroidery Hoop Cover
- How to Create a Stitch Color Palette from a Photo
- How to Thread a Needle for Embroidery
- How to Embroider Strawberries: Easy Straight Stitches
- Hand Embroidery Supplies Essential for Beginners
Let me know in the comments below how do you create your color palettes? Or even better, come and join our Facebook Group and share your magic tricks.
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