Capri Thread Review

Capri is a relatively new thread from Rainbow Gallery. I have hesitated testing it because my previous experience with matte polyester threads was not good. I found the threads tended to tangle and were not easy to use.

I was pleasantly surprised with the Capri 18 I tried. I stitched with it easily and smoothly. It didn’t tangle and the slightly rough matte texture made it stay nicely when run behind existing threads.

However this may not be the thread for you. It has a very matte texture, which is not a fault. But this is combined with a modern look that is a bit plastic in appearance. It will blend in nicely with other textures, especially in modern pieces, but it will jar in more traditional designs.

While I like it, the fact that it is polyester does concern me a bit. We don’t actually know how this man-made fiber will hold up in the long run. Nor do we know if it might have some harmful effects on the threads around it. For these reasons I would be cautious in using it in heirloom-quality needlepoint.

I used Capri 18 in two projects.On my Barbara Bergsten shift I used it for Tent Stitch on 13 mesh. I also used it on the Designing Women nativity figure pictured above in Offset Mosaic, also on 13 mesh. it covered nicely for the Tent and adequately for the textured stitch.

I suspect Capri 13 would have looked fuller. This thread would not work for straight stitches on 13-mesh because it has no loft. You might double the thread or use the larger size when making straight stitches.

This is a two-ply single-strand thread. Each ply appears to made from several sub-plies that I could not separate. As it comes off the card, the thread has a slight twist. When stitched the twist is not apparent.

The thread comes on 15-yard cards and is currently available in 35 colors, about evenly divided between neutrals and brights. With such a small selection of colors, you won’t find many color families and those that there are mostly have 2-3 shades in them.

Capri makes an excellent choice for a different texture in modern and charted needlepoint.