How do you use stranded floss?

[Judy Luschen]

Hi, I'm new to stitchin fingers and have a question, probably a dumb question but here goes.  When I learned to do simple embroidery as a kid, the only thing available in our area was DMC stranded floss.  I was told if I needed to use two strands, that I should separate those two strands as a unit...if that makes sense.  In other words, I did not remove each strand separately.  In doing some recent reading on the 'net, I stumbled across a recommendation to "strip" stranded floss, remove single strands then thread them up together to use two or more strands.  Of course, now that I want to look at that website again, I can't find it back.

After 20+ years, I recently got back into hand embroidery when a local quilt shop offered some wonderful classes.  That teacher highly recommends Presencia Finca pearl cotton which I love working with but it's a bit pricey and sometimes the color I really need/want is more available in DMC stranded floss.  But I hate working with stranded floss!  I hate the way it untwists and individual strands actually end up different lengths as I'm stitching.  I hate trying to separate the strands.  I don't like the look of the thread if I strip it and then use 2 or 3 strands. 

So, I'm thinking I just don't know what I'm doing!  Any words of advice, or perhaps websites that might be useful?  Thanks!

Judy in OKC

[sharonb]

For what it is worth Judy - I strip stranded floss as it means is lays straighter however I use perle threads most of the time it comes in different sizes and like the way many of the surface stitches behave when I use it. It's a personal preference to stranded. DMC produce a range of perle threads
I also like silk - but that is another and more expensive story.

[Christine McKenna]

Judy,
I teach kids embroidery so I'll share some of our methods. We strip the stranded floss and then combine it again. I show them my "magic" method this way. Measure from your middle finger tip to your elbow and cut a length. Hold the length loosely in your left hand if right handed with the ends pointing up. Identify one strand and pluck it straight up and out of the loosely held bundle, then shake the bundle in your left hand to settle it again. This way you don't get tangles and knots as when the thread naps "fight" against each other if you understand me. If 5 year olds can do this and re-combine successfully anyone can, LOL. Lay the threads one at a time on the table the same way they come out of the bundle so that the nap is all the same direction when threading into the needle. If the needle doesn't thread easily, try the opposite end as the "nap" may be going the wrong way. If your threads keep ending up different lengths when you're stitching you may need to look at your method of stitching, do you let the needle drop occassionally to untwist and re-adjust the position of the needle along the thread at intervals to keep all the strands taut while working. We also teach the kids these little hints for better stitching.
Hope this is helpful,
Hooroo from Christine in Sydney Australia

[Judy Luschen]

Thank you both, Sharon and Christine, for your input. I had never heard of stripping floss until I happened to run across it somewhere on the internet. I'll give it another try.

Judy in OKC

[Linda B]

Hi Judy,

I'm with Sharon, in that I mainly use perles rather than stranded - unless I reallly, really, really want a particular colour - and there are some lovely hand-dyed floss threads around. I think I have the full set of Needle Necessities floss somewhere. I also use the floss for waste-canvas work, where I am putting cross stitch on CQ. One phrase I have heard cross-stitchers use is "railroading" it - in other words laying it side by side - but this may just be a local term.

What you can also do is get a metallic machine thread, my favourites are the Madiera Metallics golds, and add the same or slightly longer length to the two strands of floss. You then get a metallic glint in the thread.

The other thread you might have overlooked is crochet cotton. I use a lot of Presecia Finca #12 in seams - there are some lovely clear colours in that, and it comes out of the needle beautifully.

[Linda B]

Hey Judy - I have been playing, and have also decided that stranded floss is my new favourite for doing French Knots - two strands, and three wraps of the needle rather than two. So many colours that I now have available in French Knots.

Thank you for making me think!

Linda

[Sarah J]

Hi Judy,

I use a lot of stranded cottons and thought I would share with you a few things I have learnt about it on the way! Stranding the threads ('stripping' them sounds rather distructive to me!) is great if you want to mix your own colours. I have taught techniques were we have used up to 12 strands in the needle at once, imagine the beautiful and unique colours you can create with that many strands! And don't forget, you can mix other things with them to as Linda has already suggested.

I'm not keen on spending a long time stranding all the individual strands, I find it is hard to keep the tension even on all of them and I want to get on with some stitching! I do strand every strand if I'm mixing as above, otherwise if I just need 2 strands of the same colour for example, I pull out 2 together and use them as they are. It's good to strand if you need your stitches to fill out a little more (if you are stitching a horizontal or vertical stitch on canvas for example, and you need the stitch to cover the threads).

Other things in favour of stranded cottons are they are readily available, and come in a very wide variety of colours. Hope this is helpful!

Sarah

[Virginia's Virtues]

How long are the pieces that you are stripping? I've found that if I am trying to separate really long pieces, I get all sorts of frustrating tangles. If I work with bits that are about as long as my forearm, the picking out one or two strands isn't too bad.

[Barbara Elmore]

I use floss a lot but I rarely strip it, even if I use 6 or more strands. What works for me (and I didn't invent this, BTW, but learned it from Sandy Jenkins, a wonderful designer/teacher here in the US) is to bring up the threads for the stitch you are about to take. Before plunging the needle down to complete the stitch, use the needle as a tool to gently separate the threads at the base of the stitch where you just came up. When you do finish pulling the needle to the back of the fabric or canvas, they will quite likely lay evenly and straight, each thread next to each other, not bunched up, especially if you use a laying tool. Do you know what a laying tool is? Love them! They do all the work of keeping the strands separate. Maybe Sharon should have us post photos of our laying tools! Oh, an important point to mention..they are used when your work is in a frame or hoop, and both hands are free.

A laying tool can be another large blunt needle that you hold in the opposite hand, or something made for this purpose. I have many beautiful ones made out of wood. They are tapered to a nice point, smooth and beautiful to hold. I also have one made out of pyrex glass that is a work of art! Lay the front end of the laying tool horizontally right in front of the stitch, and plunge the threads into your fabric over the top of it. Then you remove the laying tool and snug the stitch down. This method of using a laying tool, and/or your needle to separate the threads saves much time and the frustration that stripping can cause.

If I am not using the full strand, I pull out the un-needed number, straight up from the bunch, as previously described by Christine, and set them aside, making sure I lay them in the same direction. Then, I will use the needle as above for the remaining unstripped (unstranded, for Sarah!) threads when making a stitch, with no more stripping involved. Have I thoroughly confused you? Hope you can understand what I'm trying to describe. I could show you in a minute if you were here beside me!

[Cindy Chapman]

Hi, Judy, I'm also new to stitchin fingers, so hope you don't mind me chiming in late to the party. Have you found something yet that's working for you? I use a lot of stranded fibers in both needlepoint & cross-stitch. Generally, I cut about an 18" length (unless rayon, which I cut 12"-15"). I do strip floss. One way to help separate the floss is to grasp it a half-inch r so from the cut end & tap it gently - this fans the plies a little & allows you to grasp one at a time. I draw out however many I need, one at a time, and park them on my shoulder, where they stay correctly oriented until it's time to recombine in the needle.

I use a laying tool; mine is beautifully hand-turned of African blackwood (the wood that clarinets are made of). I love it! In a pinch, I've used a knitting needle or even the tip of a clean ballpoint pen. I had no luck maneuvering a trolley needle (basically a thmble with a tapestry needle mounted on it), but many people prefer them. Normally, 2 or 3 plies will settle quite nicly onto the tool on their own. If not, or with more than 3 plies, stroke the fibers gently with the tool until they do. If you have to loosen the stitch & pull if partway out, fine.

With cross-stitch, I try to remember to "railroad" at least the top leg. I understand from stitching buddies who enter their work in fairs & other competitions, that judges look for both legs to be railroaded &/or laid.

[Judy Luschen]

Thanks, again, everyone for all the input. You all have some great advice! Cindy, I'm glad you chimed in, late or not! I had never heard of "railroading" the strands of floss, learn something new every day! Barbara, I'd also never heard of separating the strands while stitching! It sounds like it would be awfully time consuming?

Sorry to say, I haven't gotten back to working with stranded floss to determine what will work for me. I have a half-way decent collection of the Presencia perle cotton and was able to get " close enough" with colors for my current little project. But the local shop that carries Presencia does not carry all the colors so I'm sure the day will come when I once again decide I just HAVE to use a color that I can only get in stranded floss so I'll give it another try then. Many thanks again!

[Sibille Kreideweiss]

It depends on the type of embroidery, Judy. When I use stranded, I definitely part the strands first, and then put the required amount back together. I learned it just like you as a child, pull out the required amount and then start stitching.

Finca Presencia Perle is wonderful, I only use Finca in perle and stranded cotton. Much better quality and very good to work with. Opposite to DMC it doesn't twist out that easily and doesn't fuzz or knot that much either.

You can use stranded cotton in Hardanger, but I would not recommend it for the whole piece. If I use stranded for needlepoint, it is either silk or art silk. I still find it difficult to lay properly.

It also depends on the length. Never cut it too long.

Happy stitching
Sibille

[Barbara Elmore]

Hi Judy,
Just a quick comment to your observation that separating the strands as you stitch might be time consuming. Actually not! The whole reason for doing it is to save the time it takes to separate the strands ahead of time. It only takes a second, if that!, to give the strands a little push to help them lay straight, especially if you use the laying tool. I encourage you to give this method a try. Perhaps it is one of those things you need to watch someone else doing it before you 'get the picture'.
Barbara


Judy Luschen said:

Thanks, again, everyone for all the input. You all have some great advice! Cindy, I'm glad you chimed in, late or not! I had never heard of "railroading" the strands of floss, learn something new every day! Barbara, I'd also never heard of separating the strands while stitching! It sounds like it would be awfully time consuming?

Sorry to say, I haven't gotten back to working with stranded floss to determine what will work for me. I have a half-way decent collection of the Presencia perle cotton and was able to get " close enough" with colors for my current little project. But the local shop that carries Presencia does not carry all the colors so I'm sure the day will come when I once again decide I just HAVE to use a color that I can only get in stranded floss so I'll give it another try then. Many thanks again!