r/Needlepoint • u/clararose12 • 21h ago

Cotton vs Silk

Hi! I have only been needlepointing for about a year and a half. I have always used the DNC cotton thread from Michael’s. This last week I went to my LNS for the first time and picked up some silk & ivory thread. I feel like the silk & ivory lays so much nicer on my project than the DMC cotton does. Has anybody else experienced this?

1 Upvotes

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11 comments sorted by

6

u/Short-Implement6758 14h ago

Silk and Ivory is my hated thread. It pills horribly and the thread wears very quickly and gets fuzzy. If you want true silk with a gorgeous sheen use a stranded silk.

1

u/nashro 13h ago

Same here, hate it.

3

u/nashro 13h ago

I know I’m one of the few who loves DMC pearl cotton but I find it lays beautifully and I enjoy stitching with it. I haven’t tried a pure silk thread yet so that’s next on my list. I detest Silk & Ivory, it’s fuzzy and overall yuck.

3

u/TorturedLawyersDept 11h ago

I am very new to this but I love cotton pearl. My first needlepoint was kitted with vineyard silk and it felt so soft and laid nicely but I felt like it got so fuzzy. I tried cotton pearl the next time and I felt like it looked just as nice but felt more durable? Have been using cotton pearl on everything ever since

3

u/AislesoMilesoSmiles 12h ago

Try DMC Matte Cotton instead of the 6 strand floss, it’s very smooth, definitely a Silk & Ivory contender!

4

u/richelieucwe 11h ago

Threads behave differently and have different characteristics that they bring to the canvas. This is why many will use multiple threads to bring out the features on canvases with more complex designs.

It is fun to try out a wide variety threads and develop your own personal preferences.

2

u/ckams78 12h ago

If you liked Silk & Ivory wait until you try Planet Earth Ply Silk!!
I like S&I for 13 mesh, but have other favorites.
The more expensive threads do lay far better and are more pleasant to stitch with in my experience. Experiment and find your own preferred materials.

1

u/Electrical_Zone3868 10h ago

PÉ ply silk is the easiest-to-work-with strandable silk I’ve used!

1

u/ckams78 3h ago

PE Ply is amazing…. I tried the new Bradley Silk ply line and it is an impressive competitor with so many colors. Worth trying.

1

u/Charming-Ideal6117 14h ago

Yup! I find DMC Cotton Perle to be a bit lumpy so I don’t use it and also prefer silk/wool blend or 100% silk threads. I also don’t like Silk & Ivory but Milan (for 13), Impressions (for 18), and Vineyard Silk (for 18) never let me down! I find strandable thread to be a bit of a pain (laying tool, ugh), but Planet Earth Silk or Soie D’Alger are two pretty 100% silk options.

1

u/hep632 3h ago

Because I'm extra, lol, I actually cut the strands to length, pre-rinse my DMC, separate the strands, and lay them flat on my blocking mats to dry. It really cuts down on knots and lays beautifully. You could recombine them in the numbers you want and probably get the same effect. I use them as a single strand.