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Chit Chat: Links

Above is the same planter that I got from Costco. If you have a Costco near you, it will be at a better price point.

SEWING: FABRICS

Below are the fabrics I mention in this episode. The first on the left is the solid knit fabric by Kaufman Fabrics in color Cornflower. The middle picture is Kaufman lawn in Painterly Petal - Periwinkle. The plum print on the right (or last photo) is the Liberty Tana Lawn fabric I a got and am planning to make an outfit for my brother’s wedding in October. The Kaufman lawn will be my “muslin'“ to work out the fitting and sewing kinks, and then I should be good to sew the real deal Tana Lawn next. You can find these fabrics here: Fabric.com

Here is the link to Cashmerette Patterns Club.

Follow my #makeanddecorate on instagram, where I will post my block of the month I am currently participating in. It is the Quilt Folk BOM 2022, Patchwork and Prose. You can also follow #quiltfolkbom to see other blocks from this BOM.

WATCH AND LISTEN

EMBROIDERY THREAD REVIEWS

Brands and types of embroidery threads I tested

• DMC perle cotton size 8

• Wonderfil Perle Egyptian cotton size 8; 2 ply - double gassed and mercerized

• Sajou Floss - cotton made in France

• Valdani hand dyed perle cotton size 12 - made in Romania

• Appletons Wool crewel thread

• DMC 6 strand floss skeins - cotton

• Sullivans 6 strand floss skeins - cotton

• DMC: considered a leader in the embroidery thread industry. It has been around since the 1800s, and today is easily found in big box stores and online. DMC is manufactured in Mulhouse France.

  • Perle cotton ball size 8 - 3 ply single thread; size 12- 2 ply; approx. 87 yds

  • Wonderfil Perle Egyptian cotton size 8u; 2 ply

  • Sajou Floss - 4 strand cotton floss; not color fast; made in France

  • Valdani - size 12 perle cotton, 2 ply thread; made in Romania: Valdani North American, a Canadian owned company in Edmonton Canada, is a partner with Valdani in Romania. They have size 5, 8 and 12 thread. It is hand dyed, mercerized and color fast.

  • Sullivans floss: 6 strand Egyptian cotton floss; Australian company that owns Sullivans USA, the distributor for North America and exports…based right near me in Downers Grove, IL. Manufactured in Brisbane, Queensland Australia. Double mercerized that adds tensile strength and has a soft sheen and is color fast. (Matte) Main competitor seems to be DMC…so a 200 yr old co, vs 1992 co.

    • This is one thing clever that Sullivans has done to compete with DMC. “Sullivans offers the same 489 solid shades as DMC® Embroidery Floss. The comparable DMC color number is on every Sullivans skein. This dual color numbering allows you to convert existing needlework designs and stitch with superior quality Sullivans Floss.”

• Appleton Wool Crewel Thread; UK based wool thread. Crewel is wool thread vs embroidery is usually cotton. Crewel wool is thicker, fluffy and heavier than embroidery thread and has been around for centuries.

  • “All our wool is British from sheep to needle – it comes from the Yorkshire wool markets and is also dyed and spun in Yorkshire. The furthest it travels is from Yorkshire to Buckinghamshire before being shipped to you.”

• MY REVIEWS:

  • DMC:

    • Floss: 6 strand; I like stitching with this floss, however the skeins become messy unless I wind them around floss bobbins, cardboard designed for floss. I like the sheen, color range, price point and stitching with it.

    • Perle Cotton ball size 8: Is also great: has a nice high sheen and doesn’t tangle easily, and 87 yds is a good amount. It is very strong thread. (It is also avail in skeins 27 yds, but I prefer the cotton balls)

  • WONDERFIL: size 8 perle cotton ball: is nice to stitch with. It has a softer feel than DMC, and a little stretch, but still strong. The sheen is nice - more matte than DMC. A downside is not very much yards to the cotton ball - half the amount of DMC cotton balls, and ends up pricier per yard.

  • SAJOU: 4 strand cotton floss. This is one of those luxurious silky threads in painterly colors that is so nice to stitch with. The sheen is beautiful , like a silk luster. It glides through fabrics well and looks amazing. The downsides are price and not colorfast. It’s one of those notions that are not practical but are beautiful and makes me happy to stitch with it. Kind of the special thread in my stash. Ie. Using the good china vs every day target dishes. The china is more delicate and breakable, but is more beautiful and gives joy to use it.

  • VALDANI: This is my favorite embroidery thread. I have the size 12, a smaller thickness than size 8. It can be double stranded through the needle eye, but I usually use it single. This thread is so soft, strong and has a gorgeous delicate sheen. Each cotton ball has 109 yards! The size 12 produces the finest detailed stitches. I have a set of variegated cotton balls. The hand dying is subtle transitions and again, amazingly beautiful. The price is the most expensive aside from Sajou, but the amount of yardage has to be considered with the price. I love this thread!

  • SULLIVANS

    • This is a great workhorse thread. It is quality. The sheen is ok. Strength is good. I use the size 8 skeins. The price point is excellent. This is great for filler stitches and everyday projects that need a lot of thread. I like how they compete with DMC by providing the DMC color number with their color number.

  • APPLETON

    • The only wool crewel thread I have used, and I love love love it. I always use this wool crewel in my embroidery projects. It gives a soft texture and matte color to the project. Great for filler, and added dimension to the project. I using it for flower designs. I love the story of Appleton wool, and how the wool goes from sheep to needle. I love wool anything like yarn, fabric and crewel thread.