I always be beholden to Diane, the owner of Needlepoint, Inc. in San Francisco because she convinced me to try stitching with silk again. I had sworn off the fiber after a disastrous experience. She encouraged me to try again, with another brand (Au Ver a Soie) and said by the time I finished the canvas, I would love it.
She was right, and, like many other stitchers, I use silk more than any other fiber.
In a wonderful blog post, Mary Corbet sets out the case for using silk thread. I love it because she also points out the differences between cotton floss and stranded silk.
You’ll also find links to additional information about silk.
I can’t wait for the rest of the story.
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
If your first experience was with filament silk, I understand your reaction. Spun silk is a totally different experience. I’ve only worked with filament silk once, on a wedding sampler. Gorgeous shine, but my hands had to be perfectly smooth or the thread snagged. Other spun silks I’ve worked with are Caron Collection’s Waterlilies and Soie Cristale, Rainbow Gallery’s Splendor, and Classic Colorworks Belle Soie. They all work well on linen as well as canvas. For canvas, Vineyard Silks by Wiltex are luxurious!
That’s what was weird, it was a spun silk. It hasn’t been made for decades, but it legendary for being awful to use. I love every other stranded silk I’ve used. I agree about filament silk, not my favorite. And I love Vineyard and Planet Earth silks.
Keep stitching,
Janet
I am in search of black JL Walsh 223 silk. I will take any amount
An excellent place to ask about threads you need to track down is the ANG list, which is on Yahoo groups. Other places to look for threads include eBay, and the various Facebook needlepoint groups.
Good luck!
Keep stitching,
Janet