We who do regular embroidery, very often face thread breakage and many other hassles. For a low-quality embroidery floss, your final outcome may be seriously frustrating. This article is to help you to choose the best embroidery floss for the desired outcome in your fancy embroidery projects.
What is Embroidery Floss?
Embroidery floss is one of the most basic and popular thread for embroidery projects. Embroidery floss comes in a huge range of colours. You will get almost all the spectrum of the colours.
Another speciality of this floss is that each floss consists of 6 threads which can be easily separated and used for delicate and detailed work.
Can be made of different materials like pure cotton, polyester, polyester cotton mixed, silk, rayon, wool etc. Each material will give the floss different texture and sheen.
Our Recommended the Best Embroidery Floss
You have already come to know how you should buy a good embroidery floss. Here we have reviewed some of the best embroidery flosses of the market for your convenience to choose according to your need.
1. Caydo Embroidery Floss
Comes in 50 different vibrant colours. Contains all the colour you may need for your embroidering project. You will get more than the amount you pay. Very good for children crafts, Christmas gifts, friendship bracelets and so on.
Each skein consists of 6 threads which will give you the convenience of customizing the use of threads according to your projects’ need.
Made of polyester which is more silky, shiny and flexible, does not get tangled or intertwined, and hold up even it goes through regular washing. So you can also use them for the clothes which are frequently worn and washed.
Hold up well, doesn’t break which is a common problem you may face with the cheaper threads.
For some the project, one may run out of colour before you are done because there are not more than one skein of each colour.
You may also feel the lack of blacks and greys if your project demands more black and greys.
2. Premium Rainbow Colour Embroidery Floss
Comes in 105 skeins of colours among which there are 3 skeins of each colour. So you are getting about 35 different colours in enough amount for meeting the need for different projects.
If you are just starting out with embroidery or cross stitch or finding a supplementary thread collection it may be a very good choice for you.
The colours may be not as intense as pictured. It can have somewhat washed out looking in comparison to DMC. And you will find some dark colours absent there.
Great for crafts, art, friendship bracelets, but not very great for embroidery or cross stitching.
Made of pure cotton which gives it a soft touch. So, it will be very good for friendship bracelets. It is also, 6 string floss which will allow you to use up to 6 strings as per the needs of your projects.
The floss feels a bit scratchy compared to some more named brands. It has a glossy look.
They do not come with numbering so you may face a problem if you run out a colour before finishing a project.
Comes with a pack of needles which can be very useful for the beginners. Thus, it can be a very economical purchase for you.
3. Embroidery Floss 150 Skeins SOLEDI
150 vivid colours to provide you with any shade of colours you may need in your projects. There are no repeat colours. Each skein has a slightly different shade so you will not get another skein if you run out a colour. Colours range from vintage to vibrant.
The floss consists of 6 strands. The strands separate easily, doesn’t get tangled.
The material is polyester cotton which is better than pure cotton. It has a soft and smooth texture. Shiny and strong.
Good for embroidering and friendship bracelets, crafts etc.
Colourfast so you can use on clothes which are for frequent washing.
No codes or colours names so make sure to save a chunk when you are running low to take to the craft store.
Comes with a lot of accessories so it is a great choice for a beginner.
It has a great sheen to it. Not the same as DMC, but for the cost, it is fantastic.
4. LE PAON 240 Pcs the 1920M Embroidery Floss
Comes in 120 colours, 2 skeins of each colour. Comes with a lot of accessories. So, if you are learning embroidery, it is a good option for you to get all the colours and accessories at hand at such a low price.
Each skein has 6 individual threads thus, you can minimise the number of threads according to the thickness you want. It has been said as colourfast but you may notice minimal colour bleeding.
The colour ranges are more cohesive than DMC but don’t have the shine and smoothness as DMC. Don’t have the number on them. So it may be difficult for you to match a floss of the same colour in the store.
It has 2 metallic colours which will give your embroidery a special effect.
You can get some muddy colours but there are also many vibrant colours. The blacks and greys are not enough.
For hand embroidery, cross stitch, friendship bracelets, crafts, diy for children, tassels, string art etc.
The threads are thick and strong so no fear of breakage. Doesn’t fade.
Made of mercerized healthy cotton which is good for your skin. It has a nice sheen which enhance the colours.
Though not the best quality, it is pretty good for the price.
5. Embroidery Floss Cross Stitch Threads
Comes in about 100 different colours which will meet all the colours you may need for different projects.
Comes with a set of a starter kit for the beginner sewers. All are packed in an organizer box which is very handy to keep it tangle free, store and carry it wherever you want.
You are getting pre-wound durable bobbins so you don’t need to wind the flosses and manage thread knots and remaining threads.
For DIY projects, cross stitch, embroidery, sewing, string projects, craft for child’s, handcraft and so on.
You can easily separate the 6 strands individually for a thinner and more delicate embroidery.
You will get only one black so if your project demands more blacks, you may have to buy it separately.
Numbered with DMC colour code but the colours are not exactly as DMC. But, the overall quality is good and it is worth the price.
6. Paxcoo 124 Skeins Embroidery Floss
Great for friendship bracelets, string art, sewing, embroidering etc. The included needles are small and good for precise embroidery.
Strong and easy to pull apart the strands for detailed embroidery. Silky and nice texture, much like DMC. Silkier than basic cotton.
Colours range from bold to pastels and neatly ordered by tone. Not much varietyty in red. So if the amount of red is dominant in your project, you will make it up with the other shades.
There are some duplicates ( slightly different shades) of colours which you may use more. No bleeding of colour so it can go through regular washings.
They have no number to identify them, you should keep the backup threads (which are prominent colours in your project) so that you may not run out of thread in the middle of a project.
There is a claim that the threads get tangled easily. And thread consistency is not perfect. If you separate a floss into 3 thread strands, one strand will likely be slightly thicker than the others.
How to choose the Best Embroidery Floss
The success of your embroidery project depends on the right embroidery floss as much as it depends on choosing the right fabric and embroidery needle.
Here are some factors which you should consider before buying an embroidery floss.
Material
Cotton as a material, environment-friendly and is marked for its smoothness.
Polyester floss is stretchy but has a different sheen to itself which make the colour shinier. It is strong and durable but not environment-friendly like cotton.
There is also polyester-cotton mixed material which blends these two type of characteristics. Polyester-cotton mixed floss is better than floss that is made of pure cotton.
The rayon floss is sheeny, durable, does not fray easily and has a wide range of colours and shapes.
Silk floss is somewhat expensive and luxurious but has a beautiful shiny look and strong. Again, woollen floss is for heavier materials and tapestries and will give you a grassy or fuzzy touch. If you embroider a cat or horse, using woollen foods will give it a hairy touch.
To add a different touch you can buy metallic floss which is very durable.
Colours and amount
As embroidery is concerned with embellishment, colours ranges are a very important consideration. You should check if all the frequently used colours are present. A good floss should have all the common colours and their shades.
And thread length is normally seen between 8 metres or 8.75 yards. The commonly used colours should have at least 2 or 3 skeins so that you may not run out of it in the middle of a project.
Colourfastness
Most of the floss are said to be colourfast from the manufacturer. If floss is not colourfast, it will bleed if it comes in contact with water. So your fabric may be damaged. You will get many flosses which are bleach resistant.
So, choose a floss which will have minimal colour bleeding.
Smoothness
If you want a smooth embroidery on your fabric so that it feels good when you touch it, you can use a material like cotton. It is super soft. Polyester floss is somewhat stretchy.
Strand count
Embroidery flosses generally consist of 6 strands. The 6 strands can be separated so you can choose the thickness that is suitable for your project. The strand count is written on the label. Finer threads are for delicate fabric, thicker threads are for heavy-duty fabric.
Hand embroidery or machine embroidery
You have to buy different embroidery floss for hand embroidery and machine embroidery. For example, for an automatic embroidery machine, you can use cotton floss. Rayon and silk floss can be used in both hand and machine embroidery.
How to Use a Floss
To get started with your embroidery floss for your project you have to cut the required length of your floss. Now you have to separate the strands according to the thickness you want in your embroidery design.
Take the required strands and pull them away from the other strands. After that untwist them. Now you are ready with your required strands of floss for your embroidery project. Make a knot at the end of the tail of your floss and start embroidering!
People also ask
Q: What is the difference between embroidery floss and thread?
Answer: Embroidery floss consists of six strands which you can separate and minimise according to the thickness you want. Embroidery thread comes in a twisted form and can not be separated as individual strands.
Q: What is a thread conditioner?
Answer: A thread conditioner create a layer on a thread which protects it from moisture, soil, moulds, ultra violate ray etc. It also helps a thread to avoid getting tangled.
Q: What is a conversion chart?
Answer: A conversion chart is a chart that comes to your floss which helps you to select the corresponding flosses from other manufacturers.
Conclusion
Thus choosing the best embroidery project for your project won’t be very difficult if you can limit the vast choices according to what you want. Research which colour you need, which material will be best for your purpose and go for it!