Embroidery thread is
yarn
Yarn is a long continuous length of interlocked fibres, used in sewing, crocheting, knitting, weaving, embroidery, ropemaking, and the production of textiles. Thread is a type of yarn intended for sewing by hand or machine. Modern manu ...
that is manufactured or hand-
spun
''Spun'' is a 2002 American black comedy crime drama film directed by Jonas Ă…kerlund from an original screenplay by William De Los Santos and Creighton Vero, based on three days of De Los Santos's life in the Eugene, Oregon, drug subculture. The ...
specifically for
embroidery
Embroidery is the craft of decorating fabric or other materials using a needle to apply thread or yarn. Embroidery may also incorporate other materials such as pearls, beads, quills, and sequins. In modern days, embroidery is usually seen ...
and other forms of
needlework. Embroidery thread often differs widely, coming in many different
fiber
Fiber or fibre (from la, fibra, links=no) is a natural or artificial substance that is significantly longer than it is wide. Fibers are often used in the manufacture of other materials. The strongest engineering materials often incorpora ...
types, colors and weights.
Threads for hand embroidery include:
*Crewel yarn is a fine 2-ply yarn of
wool
Wool is the textile fibre obtained from sheep and other mammals, especially goats, rabbits, and camelids. The term may also refer to inorganic materials, such as mineral wool and glass wool, that have properties similar to animal wool. ...
or, less often, a wool-like
acrylic
Acrylic may refer to:
Chemicals and materials
* Acrylic acid, the simplest acrylic compound
* Acrylate polymer, a group of polymers (plastics) noted for transparency and elasticity
* Acrylic resin, a group of related thermoplastic or thermosett ...
.
*Embroidery floss or stranded cotton is a loosely twisted, slightly
glossy
Gloss is an optical property which indicates how well a surface reflects light in a specular (mirror-like) direction. It is one of the important parameters that are used to describe the visual appearance of an object. The factors that affect glo ...
6-strand thread, usually of
cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus '' Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure cellulose, and can contain minor pe ...
but also manufactured in
silk
Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoons. The best-known silk is obtained from the ...
,
linen, and
rayon. Cotton floss is the standard thread for
cross-stitch
Cross-stitch is a form of sewing and a popular form of counted-thread embroidery in which X-shaped stitches in a tiled, raster-like pattern are used to form a picture. The stitcher counts the threads on a piece of evenweave fabric (such as lin ...
. Extremely shiny rayon floss is characteristic of
Brazilian embroidery
Brazilian embroidery is a type of surface embroidery that uses rayon thread instead of cotton or wool. It is called "Brazilian" embroidery because the use of high-sheen rayon thread in embroidery was first popularized in Brazil, where rayon was w ...
. Historically, stranded silk embroidery threads were described as sleaved or sleided in the sixteenth century.
*Filoselle is a historical term for embroidery floss made using the leftover waste from reeled silk.
*Matte embroidery cotton (or its French name, ) is a matte-finish (not glossy) twisted 5-ply thread.
*Medici or ''broder medici'' is a fine, light-weight wool thread formerly manufactured by
DMC Group.
*Perle cotton, pearl cotton, or
French ''coton perlé'' is an S-twisted, 2-ply thread with high sheen, sold in five sizes or weights (No. 3, 5, 8, 12 and 16 (Finca), with 3 being the heaviest and 16 the finest).
*Persian yarn is a loosely twisted 3-strand yarn of wool or acrylic, often used for
needlepoint
Needlepoint is a type of canvas work, a form of embroidery in which yarn is stitched through a stiff open weave canvas. Traditionally needlepoint designs completely cover the canvas. Although needlepoint may be worked in a variety of stitches, m ...
.
*Silk floss is available in two different types: flat, which has no twist, or only the slightest amount, and twisted.
*Tapestry yarn or tapestry wool is a tightly twisted 4-ply yarn.
Threads for
machine embroidery
Machine embroidery is an embroidery process whereby a sewing machine or embroidery machine is used to create patterns on textiles. It is used commercially in product branding, corporate advertising, and uniform adornment. It is also used in th ...
are usually of
polyester or rayon (less often cotton or silk).
Threads, like
textiles, can contain compounds that may be harmful to humans. Many
dyes have been shown to be
allergen
An allergen is a type of antigen that produces an abnormally vigorous immune response in which the immune system fights off a perceived threat that would otherwise be harmless to the body. Such reactions are called allergies.
In technical terms ...
ic and in some cases
carcinogen
A carcinogen is any substance, radionuclide, or radiation that promotes carcinogenesis (the formation of cancer). This may be due to the ability to damage the genome or to the disruption of cellular metabolic processes. Several radioactive subs ...
ic.
www.cen.eu
/ref> Testing for the presence of these dyes, and other residual substances, can be done at many commercial laboratories.
Certification to the Oeko-tex standard may also be applied for. This tests the component for over 100 different chemicals and certifies the component according to human ecological safety.
References
Citations
Bibliography
*Reader's Digest ''Complete Guide to Needlework''. The Reader's Digest Association, Inc. (March 1992).
Embroidery
Yarn
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