Hand stitching

detail of Venice ~ by Jane LaFazio

 detail of Pomegranate Jam ~ by Jane LaFazio

detail of Recycled Circles ~ by Jane LaFazio

detail of Orange Sherbet ~ by Jane LaFazio

Since I clearly love to hand stitch, and do it nearly every evening...AND have done needlework since I was 16 years old, you'd think I'd know more about needles. I do not. My needle case is full of every different size, and most of the time, I can't find the right needle for the thread I'm using...And since I love thread, and frequently buy it here,  I asked my friend, Laura Wasilowski to inform us all on the whole thread/needle number thing.

Matching needles and threads for hand embroidery
by Laura Wasilowski

One of my favorite pastimes is adding hand embroidery to my fused art quilts. If you need a means to escape from your everyday woes, try hand stitchery. Your woes will fade away like a nasty rash after ointment is applied.

But like any treatment for woes you must begin with the right tools.

Matching the correct embroidery needle with your embroidery thread makes stiching a pleasure. Here's a handy chart to help you pair your long eyed embroidery needle with pearl cotton thread.

Pearl cotton thread is my choice for hand dyeing as well as for hand embroidery. With a slight sheen, this thread has the strength to hold up well when repeatedly drawn through fabric as a single strand. It also comes in a variety of sizes. Sizes 3, 5, 8, and 12 being my favorites.

couching size 2 thread (by Laura Wasilowski)

Size 3 pearl thread is very thick  making it difficult to stitch through your typical quilting fabric. But lay it on the surface of that same fabric, couching it into place, and it yields bold line and texture. Or use a Size 1 embroidery needle with the Size 3 thread to stitch through wool or felt with ease.

size 3 thread (by Laura Wasilowski) 

A size 3 embroidery needle works best for your Size 5 pearl cotton thread.

Size 5 thread is traditionally used as embellishment for crazy quilts. For fusers, stitching through 1 or 2 layers of fused fabric is about the max with this thread. Couching is always an option with size 5 thread.

My go-to thread for fused art quilts is a Size 8 pearl cotton. It shows up well, stitches easily, and lends it's self readily to all those details you can't make with fabric. A size 4 embroidery needle is the perfect size for Size 8 thread although you can use a Size 3 needle as well.

size 9 thread  (by Laura Wasilowski)

For a delicate touch, use a Size 12 pearl cotton thread with a Size 5 embroidery needle. This thin thread works great on small fused elements and quickly stitches through layers of fused fabric. When I really want to escape my woes, I load up Size 12 thread.

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thanks Laura! I'm ordering a bunch of needles from you today, and I'm going to mark them by number.

For more tips, visit Laura's Thread-u-cation Page on Laura's blog.

HOT summer blog hop giveaway continues over at Lyric Kinard's blog!