Oriental Linen makes an effective unbleached canvas bag.Oriental Linen is an unusual thread from The Thread Gatherer. A blend of 52% silk and 48% linen, this thread gives a great nubby look when stitched.
The thread is two-ply and is hard to separate. This makes the thread as packaged a bit thick to use on 18-mesh canvas, but it was perfect on 13-mesh. I stitched the bag in Four-way Continental and think the result looks more like unbleached canvas than any other thread I have used.
There are two secrets to this rustic look. First linen is a fiber that can be very uneven in width. This is reflected in the thread itself, which has some variation in width. That will make your stitching look nubby.
The second secret is the blend of fibers in the yarn. Linen and silk absorb dye very differently. Although it isn’t obvious in this off-white color, many of the shades of this thread look almost as if they were two colors twisted together. Using any of theses colors will make your stitching look particularly rustic.
The silk in Oriental Linen has an effect on more than the color. Typically linen is a hard thread, making very precise stitches. The silk softens this effect just a bit adding some loft to the thread and allowing it to fill the canvas nicely.
I’m a big fan of linen threads. If you are as well, try this, it will give you a different kind of linen look. If you have never used linen before, try this threw=ad, you’ll love the results.
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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