The petite treasure braids look good and I've also looked at Krienik? I think - they stock it at spotlight but it looks very fine compared to the thick stupid tinsel stuff...I've already done a section of his neck in the stupid bronze metallic - when you guys have switched have you pulled out all other stitches and started again?
I LOVE that chart! It is gorgeous!
I've only used Kreinik metallics and blending filaments. I use smaller lengths as the metallics do fray after a bit. The blending filaments often have to be used with a strand or two of floss, or just to go over an area on top of full x's.
I've heard a lot of good things about Rainbow Gallery Petite Treasure braids, but have not used it yet nor have I used DMC metallics.
I have found that for me thread heaven helps a lot!
Well, I think I may have mentioned this before as well (I'm getting as bad as TB with her TB ) but I really like the Madeira and DMC blending filament that's sold on spools. Available in lots of colours, reasonably priced, reasonably well-behaved , and you can use it both on its own (in a double thickness if necessary) or blended with other threads. I loved the effect of the white blending thread (DMC no.40, shade 3300) when combined with B5200 in the needlecase I did recently, it gave it a lovely subtle shimmer.
I use it as it comes. It is a single strand.
I have used it as a single strand to stitch with and also with one strand of plain colour as well to make it double stranded. It's very well behaved, I love these!!!
There's nothing better than a good friend, except a good friend with CHOCOLATE! Forget love! I'd rather fall in CHOCOLATE!
Current With Faith
Dogs
Snow Leopard (Haed)
Big Cats
The only one I've used is Anchor Reflecta gold. I've written quite a lot about it in my "12 days of Christmas sampler" WIP, but a quick recap......
At first I found it difficult to use - it was hard to thread the needle with it, it frayed, split and popped free of the needle as I was stitching. I found I had to work with short 8 inch lengths of it.
Then I discovered that if you threead only one end of it through the needle, pull both ends level and attach the two ends to the material, leaving your needle in the loop, it prevents fraying and coming out of the needle.
I am working with two strangs of it, which gives good coverage and mostly it slides through the material fairly easily. Occasionally one of the strands will get caught up and you have to pull it level to make the stitch neat, but I'm getting along ok with it on the whole. It's very nice and sparkly - you can see a number of pics with it on in my Xmas Sampler SAL.
CURRENT WIPs
HAEDs - Bubble Telescope, Floatilla, Rainbow Embrace, Ray of Light, Iron Dragon, Newport Lighthouse
Fractal 239 Aero Chocolate
I have posted this in one of the SAL threads, but I think it deserves a place here, too. This was actually Sarah's post, I am just quoting her. She speaks about Anchor, I have tried this method with DMC light effect, and it works perfectly!
This is what Sarah wrote about the Anchor metallics, but it workes with DMC as well.
The only one I've used is Anchor Reflecta gold. I've written quite a lot about it in my "12 days of Christmas sampler" WIP, but a quick recap......
At first I found it difficult to use - it was hard to thread the needle with it, it frayed, split and popped free of the needle as I was stitching. I found I had to work with short 8 inch lengths of it.
Then I discovered that if you threead only one end of it through the needle, pull both ends level and attach the two ends to the material, leaving your needle in the loop, it prevents fraying and coming out of the needle.
I am working with two strangs of it, which gives good coverage and mostly it slides through the material fairly easily. Occasionally one of the strands will get caught up and you have to pull it level to make the stitch neat, but I'm getting along ok with it on the whole. It's very nice and sparkly - you can see a number of pics with it on in my Xmas Sampler SAL.
Agi
"The world, as a colourful knot of threads, has turned into a memory, and now you cannot be sure whether it was real." (Géza Ottlik, Hungarian writer)
I hate the DMC Light Effects, but having purchased several skeins, I'll eventually have to use it again. Even TH didn't really help with it but the result it gives is nice. Madeira metallics are better behaved and look lovely. I found DMC gold and silver on reels very hard to use and determined to do their own thing regardless of what I need them to do.
My dragon uses lots of blending filament and I'm enjoying using that. The ends do fray, but it isn't a problem for me. TH works if I'm struggling. Another tip is that I sometimes dampen my fingers and run them along the thread. For some reason that seems to help.
For the dragon and blending filament, keeping the threads about 8 inches long works best for me even though it makes for lots of threading needles.
A bit of bling makes a lot of difference to almost anything in life, don't you think.
I have a project going with DMC Light Effects in the pattern.
I hated it.......but all the stitiches are done now that it called for, so I'm finished with it.
It split, frayed, difficult to get thru the material.....doesn't lie flat like regular floss, I just generally did not like working with it, but I'll try it again in the future to see if I can do better with it and use some of the suggestions posted here to see if I have better luck with it.
I have 2 skeins of it, so I need to use it up.
the best trick I ever learned when working with metallic threads of any sort is to tie the thread to the needle. You can do this by pulling a loop of the thread through the eye of the needle and then feeding the tail ends through the loop and pulling tight (like finger knitting). I use a needle threader that is like a hook that slips through the eye and this makes pulling a loop through easy.
If you are using double threads (which I almost always do when using metallics cause I like sparklies) you just need to fold your thread in half and put the folded end through the eye of the needle and feed the tails through and it's done.
If you want to use 1 thread you need to fold about an inch of thread over and thread the folded section through the needle without pulling the tails through and then feed both tails through the loop. if you are doing this pull it reasonable tight on the needle.
This makes metallics MUCH more manageable and tensioning much easier with them.
Hey - I am excited!!! I just found a new metallic that is wonderful!
Melther (I think thats it - the printing is cursive and small) nr. 40.
art. 7633. This is a high-gloss gold that really shines and does not eat up the other threads! As it is a bit thin, I need to use 3 threads for every 2 required.
Ironically, the woman at the store I bought it at thought that it would not do well as it is a different thread than the anchor that I should be using
I have heard many people saying threadheaven stops the metallic thread from fraying etc but putting your thread in the fridge for a while has the same effect. I know it sounds silly but it works.
The other bonus is you can make yourself a cup of tea/coffee when you go to fetch your thread
Finished:
Massive Disney design
Freddie mercury (for my mum)
Ocras at play.
Dolphins.
My favorite tip for working with Kreinik Blending Filaments:
Pull out and discard the black core.
I am working on Teresa Wentzler's Peacock Tapestry. For the bits with the blending filament, it takes much longer, but I am much happier with the results.
What I do is use two needles. One has the regular floss, one has only the sparkle thread from the blending filament. I will do the / in the floss, pull it through, park the needle, then take the BF needle, and go over the /. Then I cross my X with the regular floss \ and then go over it with the BF \.
So essentially I'm stitching it twice.
Again, the results take much longer, but it is so beautiful!
I am using 032 dmc metallic thread and using just one strand which is giving me good coverage ont he HAED project I am doing. Its not too bad.... the project I am doing has a full background full of this metallic thread so may take some time as its slower to stitch with. First ever metallics I used was 15 years ago on a xmas tree design and it was irritating using two threads, getting it knotted up and so forth. But these more delicate metallics seem better.... have fun
Jayne xx
Sarah
current projects
- Haed Whats this
- Haed kathleen
- Haed Dream of Dahlia
- Regret (gothic)
Esber wrote:If your doing metallics don't forget the Thread Heaven. I recently put a post on here about how I hate metalic thread. Thanks to a lot of fine people on here I'm now using Thread Heaven and it sure makes life a lot easier.
I have never used this thread heaven and working with metallics so will give it a go now - great
Jayne
Sarah
current projects
- Haed Whats this
- Haed kathleen
- Haed Dream of Dahlia
- Regret (gothic)
I'm really happy to see this thread as the only metallics I've used are DMC. I'm going to try the Rainbow Gallery Petite Treasure Braid since it's so highly recommended. I always thought I hated metallics.
I used lots of Kreinik blending filaments, braids, and ribbons in various projects and I love them. The blending filaments add just the right touch of sparkle.
I typically stitch with pretty long strands, including with metallics. I just have to stitch a little slower with the metallics. I've used metallics both with and without Thread Heaven. Actually perfer to work without it.
I like to knot my blending filament to the needle, then thread my regular floss. It helps keep the filament from slipping out.
) but I really like the Madeira and DMC blending filament that's sold on spools. Available in lots of colours, reasonably priced, reasonably well-behaved 
There's nothing better than a good friend, except a good friend with CHOCOLATE! 
I just found a new metallic that is wonderful!
As it is a bit thin, I need to use 3 threads for every 2 required.
I'm going to try the Rainbow Gallery Petite Treasure Braid since it's so highly recommended. I always thought I hated metallics. 