springy silks

I was fortunate to get my hands on some gorgeous single ply silks from Stitches and Spice at the craft show. Naomi from Stitches and Spice is a good friend of Kirsten‘s and therefore my friend too by default. 🙂 She has a lovely new range of single ply silks out, and I was quite taken with them. Naomi took pity on me and allowed me to have some to try out seeing I am a “Professional Designer”. 😉 (How nice is that?!)

You can see that they have a divine shine to them. I love the colours, though a few more reds would be to my liking!

I have a problem though… You can see a bit of mess in the middle. While they come nicely twisted into skeins on their cards, they won’t stay like that for long. They are so springy which makes them a bit hard to keep neat!

I was talking yesterday with a lady who does Japanese embroidery, and she said that their silks come on cylinders, which keeps them neat, but doesn’t give kinks like regular thread winders would.

I haven’t got any inside tubes from fax rolls at the moment (though it doesn’t take long – I get so much fax spam!) but I’m thinking that they’d be good to wind the thread onto.

I did also purchase some Thread Heaven (thread conditioner for springy threads) from Stitches and Spice which will help when I use the threads to stitch with. I’ve never tried it before and am looking forward to trying it. But that’s for stitching and not for storing.

How do others store springy threads that don’t want kinks? Can you share any good tips with me?

yvette

June 24, 2010 at 6:54 am

Me responding to my own post: I wonder if I can get my hands on some empty cotton reels and put them on there?

michelle

June 24, 2010 at 10:20 am

When I use rayon thread for Brazilian embroidery, the recommended way to keep the thread under control is to open up the skein, lay it out and lightly steam it with an iron (not touching the actual thread but passed over it from above a few times). The steam gets out the kinks, and then I put it in this special thread holder, from which I then pull out one thread at a time as I need it. I don’t know anything about the differences btw silk and rayon really, but maybe something similar would work. You can see the thread holders here (and they’re great for travelling cos they lay flat in a suitcase!)
http://www.blackberrylane.com.au/plastic-thread-holders-p-1656.html?osCsid=6cbccadeccc6620ae8ddbced61cbf7b1

June 24, 2010 at 10:25 am

Thanks Michelle! How do you get the threads into the holder? I have steamed threads before, so I know about that, but its *keeping* them neat that I also want to be able to do!

Rachel

June 24, 2010 at 7:18 pm

You could try opening out the skeins and then sponging them with a very weak solution of hair conditioner and allowing them to air dry. I have some threads I’ve not dared use because I’ve not had a chance to try to calm them down yet, so I will be watching to see what other responses you get!

Sharon

June 25, 2010 at 6:38 am

Yvette,

You can buy gadgets to put the threads into the thread holders that Michelle mentioned. Delma at Blackberry Lane would be sure to have them. I’ve got them there before. I’m afraid I’m in a rush to leave for work right now but I’ll try to give you more information about them over the weekend.

June 25, 2010 at 10:34 am

When you buy the thread holder, it comes with a long white piece of plastic, that bends on the end. You cut one end of the skein so your threads are now pre-cut, then loop the other (still folded) end of the skein over the folded bit of plastic, and insert it into the thread holder – gently pulling it til the thread is all inside the holder with just the looped bit sticking out one end. Hard to explain but its actually very easy. Then when you want to use the threads you just take the loop of one individual strand and gently pull it it. Because the thread is so soft and springy it comes out on its own without bringing the rest of the skein with it, like say DMC cotton would.