How many of us (I use the word us, because I have personally done this) have ever walked into a craft store, picked out a cute cross stitch picture, along with the colors you wanted to use, paid for it, and then when you got home and opened it up, realized that there were actual colors and specific types of thread you were suppose to buy for it to look the way they said it would? Frustrating to say the least! Yes it’s true; there are different types of threads to use when cross stitching. How to find the right thread to cross stitch with can be tricky, so let me first have you ask yourself, what kind of project are you doing? After you have an idea, reading these next tips will help you in finding the right thread for your project.
1. Most thread types can be used for cross-stitch and embroidery projects. One brand is DMC Stranded Cotton. This is a six-ply long fiber cotton, and is one of the finest quality threads. DMC colors will not fade, yet are machine washable. If you’re looking to cross stitch and embroider this is the right thread to us. (Stitching hint: try using different plies of thread on a scrap piece of fabric before you begin your project. A large number of plies will give heavy embroidered look, while a small number of plies give you a lighter texture.)
2. Rayon and Silk thread are very similar to your traditional six-ply embroidery floss. The difference with these is that they have a bit of a shine and slippery feel to them, thus making them a little more difficult to work with. Anchor stranded cotton is one of the highest quality mercerized cotton.
3. Flower thread (on the other hand) is 100% cotton, and gives a matte like finish. Along with cotton floss, pearl-cotton threads, and silk floss, flower thread can be found with a variegated "one of a kind" appearance. Flower thread will usually result in a gentle, shady appearance, but will not change the look of the thread colors.
4. Specialty threads can give your project a unique look. Specialty threads are those such as metallic looking threads, threads that are rich in color, textured threads, and glow-in-the-dark threads. DMC also offers a collection of these specialty
5. If you are tackling a needlepoint or crewel embroidery project the right kind of thread to us is wool yarn, more specifically Persian yarn, or Anchor multicolor stranded cotton. It will produce subtle color changes when stitched, so each project you complete ends up being quite unique. This type of wool is great for working on canvas projects because it has very minimal fraying.
I hope this helps in getting you on your way to finding the right kind of thread for your cross stitching project. Not that you know a little bit more about the different kinds of threads, you won’t have to run back and forth to the craft store trying to figure out what it is you need.