You may know of Aurora as a maker of lovely hand-dyed yarns for knitting, but did you know they make wonderful threads for needlepoint as well? I recently had an opportunity to try these threads in some projects and I’m really pleased with them.
Yu can see two of them in the photo above. The white is Zephyr, their crewel wool. The burgundy is their lovely 4mm silk ribbon.
Zephyr is a lovely soft crewel wool. There are several lovely hand-dyed shades of this thread. I tried them in this project but they aren’t pictured. The color I tried had several shades of soft blue. The runs of color were shorter than in many other hand-dyes and the contrast in value was greater. In stitching this has the effect of adding more variation. When using this thread be sure that it contrasts in color with other parts of the piece, otherwise the strong variation in value will make other elements disappear. This is why I didn’t end up using it for the kimono, it just didn’t contrast enough with the mask (the focal point).
The mustache is stitched using the silk ribbon.The color was Kalidescope and it is a delightful riot of colors. Instead of just being varied across the width of the ribbon, the colors are dripped and dropped on, making it look painted. Although you can’t be seen here, this makes for wonderfully unusual effects. These ribbons would work wonderfully for realistic leaves and flowers, or for a focal point on a geometric piece.
I haven’t yet tried Tuxedo, another silk ribbon. Unlike more familiar silk ribbons, this is woven in a tube and is thicker. It is also ribbed (think grosgrain ribbon). It is also more matte. I think it would be best used on larger mesh canvas or for couching.
Aurora makes lovely hand-dyed threads, they are worth seeking out.
Please note: These threads were provided to me free of charge for testing purposes.
About Janet M Perry
Janet Perry is the Internet's leading authority on needlepoint. She designs, teaches and writes, getting raves from her fans for her innovative techniques, extensive knowledge and generous teaching style. A leading writer of stitch guides, she blogs here and lives on an island in the northeast corner of the SF Bay with her family
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