Silk Road Needle Arts
St. Petersburg, Florida
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Instructions on selected
Rainbow Gallery Threads, excerpted from Jay’s Stitching Hints from
Rainbow Gallery.
FLAIR®
Flair has a nice glimmer that will not overpower the other fibers in your work. Its very subtle shine will add interest to your work. On painted canvasses it reinforces the color underneath. Flair is a tubular nylon netting that will unravel. There are several ways to control this. As with the other chainettes, the same hints work. Use a larger than normal needle coming straight up and straight down through the canvas, being careful not to drag the Flair. A small amount of Fray Check or clear nail polish on the end after you thread your needle is another way to solve this problem. Cutting Flair on a severe diagonal can help. Also piercing the Flair with the needle has been suggested. After you thread the needle, pass the needle through the Flair near the end. This makes a small knot that tends to hold the yarn together. Practice will help you control the yarn, as your own personal stitching technique is as important as any trick. Remember to lay Flair, as you do not want it to twist. The effect will be well worth the effort. Other yarns may be inserted inside Flair that will change its look. A strand of floss can change the color just enough to give unlimited shading. Use a rug needle turned upside down to slip a fiber inside the Flair. (14-18 count canvas with long stitches on 16-24 count)
FROSTY RAYS®
You may use it on 14-18 count canvas. (Long stitches are better on 18 count). It
starts to get a bit tight on 18 count (consider Petite Frosty Rays on 18 count;
we carry the full line, recently introduced by the company.) The Frosty Rays
with the white pearl metallic inside is slightly heavier than the others. A
little trick that gives interesting effects is to bring the thread up through
the canvas, remove the needle, then slide the Frosty Rays down the Tiara to form
a clump. Rethread you needle, go back through the canvas at a point of your
choosing and couch down the bunched up Frosty Rays. This gives the effect of a
crinkly bullion knot or chenille and makes three dimensional fur, hair or
ruffles.
(10-18 Count Canvas with long stitches on 12-22 Count)
We have the full line of Petite Frosty Rays, recently introduced as an excellent fit for 18 Count.
FYRE WERKS®
Fyre Werks is a beautiful shiny metallic ribbon that will add glitter and glitz to your work. While not a delicate yarn, it does tend to fray at the ends and anything past the eye of the needle will be lost. Do not use overly long pieces and be careful to lay Fyre Werks. A laying tool usually is not needed; I use my finger to give it the right direction and prevent twists. I also watch how it is laying when doing tent stitches. Twisted Fyre Werks will not work, so keep it flat. Fyre Werks is pronounced "Fire Works"
PEARL COLORS: There are now 4 pearl colors
that give a nice shiny, glossy texture when stitched.
(13-18 count canvas with long stitches on 18-22 count)
GRANDEUR™
Grandeur is dye matched to many of the Splendor colors. It also matches all colors of the thinner weight Elegance and the #12 pearl silk, Subtlety. It is a twisted silk that is about the size of a #5 pearl. It is a very strong fiber that will loose its shine if you use too long of a piece. It is soft and will spread a little on the canvas to give excellent coverage. Maintain the twist as you stitch so that the Grandeur does not untwist and give a flat appearance.
MATTE 18
Finally, a matte cotton that fits 18 count. Use as you would any other yarn. Do
not use long lengths (12" or so will do) as the first stitches will look very
different from the last ones.
(13-18 count canvas)
NEON RAYS®
When doing any stitch other than a tent stitch, the kinks in the ribbon must be removed. There are several ways to do this, one of which should be right for you. The easiest way is to wet the working length of the ribbon. Use a damp sponge, white paper towel, cloth or whatever, running the Neon Rays through. It is best to use water, as opposed to any other liquid, to remove the kinks. Let the Neon Rays dry before stitching. Another method is to pop Neon Rays as you would Rozashi Silk. Wrap it around a finger on each hand and snap it. The problem with this is that it will thin your length of fiber. If this is not a concern, go ahead. If it is, use a different method. Two other methods are steaming or ironing. That seems to be too much effort for most people. A clean, hot light bulb is a handy substitute. You must lay Neon Rays or you will lose the beauty of this yarn.
A laying tool is needed and there are several
different ones on the market, all of which work well. Also, note that stitching
tension will have an effect on the coverage of Neon Rays. A tighter tension will
thin this yarn out and a looser tension will allow it to expand on the canvas.
Also, try stabbing Neon Rays with the needle after it is threaded. By piercing
the ribbon with the needle, you will avoid it slipping out of the needle. This
will help you control your tension. Bury the Neon Rays well when you begin and
end, as it will slip out easily. A Bargello tuck is recommended.
(14-18 count canvas, long stitches on 18-22 count)
NORDIC GOLD®
Nordic Gold is a very fine metallic that is excellent for needlepoint and
hardanger. It also works well on 18 count aida fabric. It is a chainette, so the
cautions listed above apply. If you hate to ply-up blending filament this will
work well and you will not have the trouble with it curling and fighting you
while you stitch. It is about the size of 2-3 plies of filament.
(1 strand 18-24 count)
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RAINBOW LINEN
This linen comes in a wide color range and is very strong. It is great for all
kinds of needlepoint, including pulled work. It can be used as you would any
other yarn. Some stitchers run this yarn over their fingernail to smooth it, but
be careful you do not dull the fiber.
(18-24 count canvas)
SPLENDOR®
This is a 12-ply silk floss with an unusual construction. It has three bundles
of four strands each. It is easiest if you pull the bundles out first and then
take out each strand. The twist of each individual strand is tighter than most
silks. This makes Splendor easier to use. It will not snag on all but the
roughest hands. Be careful to ply and lay the silk to keep the nice shine. I
have also stitched with each bundle as it comes. This silk is perfect for people
who have been afraid of silks. Many of the usual problems experienced with silk
will not occur with Splendor. Anyone that stitches with cotton floss will have
no problem with it. Dyed to match many of the Splendor colors are Grandeur, a
silk pearl #5, Elegance, a silk pearl #8 and Subtlety, a silk pearl #12.
(6 strands on 14 count, 4 strands on 18 count, 2 strands on Congress Cloth)
SPLENDOR SILK RIBBON®
If you have used silk ribbon before you will love Splendor Silk Ribbon. If you have never stitched with ribbon a whole new world of texture awaits. This silk ribbon is dye matched to the colors of Splendor Silk (as well as Grandeur, Elegance, and Subtlety.) It is 4mm wide and is generally used for embellishments on the top of the canvas. One advantage to the Splendor Silk Ribbon is that it is color fast (always test first.) Solid colors are great for flowers and gardens and there are overdyed colors which shade themselves. It is best to use a needle with a long eye so as not to bunch the ribbon up in the eye of the needle. You may also set the ribbon in the needle by first threading it through the eye and then piercing the ribbon with the needle and pulling tight. This will prevent the ribbon from slipping out of the eye of the needle as you stitch. Use short lengths as ribbon will fray easily. Splendor Silk Floss can also be used to attach the ribbon and create the effect you want. Since the ribbon is dye matched to Splendor there will be no trouble matching colors.
TIARA®
This is a metallic that is twisted, not braided. This makes it softer and somewhat easier to use. It will fray at the ends so anything past the eye of your needle will be lost. Do not use very long lengths and be careful not to drag Tiara on the top of the canvas.
BLENDED COLORS: Several colors have been
twisted together for unusually gorgeous combinations.
(2 strands on 14 count canvas, 1 strand on 18 count canvas, long stitches on
Congress Cloth)
VERY VELVET
This is a fuzzy, beautiful velour yarn. It maintains its shape and thickness
throughout its length. Use a rather large needle and a short tail. It does not
come apart while stitching, but it may shred behind the eye of the needle. If
this happens move the needle forward a half inch or so and it will not unthread.
Very Velvet is colorfast and should not bleed, however, always test first. If
your test produces some color it is likely some of the fine hairs pulled out.
These can be flicked away leaving no dye behind. The color should remain
consistent with very little dye lot variations. The unique size of this yarn
will let it needlepoint 13 to 18 count canvases. When preparing this fiber to be
stitched, take a length off the card and run your fingernail over it a couple of
times. This should remove any kinks and any excess flakes. Come straight up and
down through the canvas and guide the Very Velvet with your free hand.
(Needlepoint 13-18 count)
(Cross Stitch 7-9 count, half cross on smaller count fabrics)
VERY VELVET PETITE
The Petite size of Very Velvet comes in the same color range as the regular Very
Velvet. This size is better for doing basket weave or tent stitches on 18 count
canvas. The regular size Very Velvet was a bit hard to manage on 18 count when
doing tent stitches and they looked a bit packed. You may also use this size for
longer stitches or use the regular size for satin stitches. The colors march.
The hints for the Very Velvet apply here also.
(Needlepoint 18 count, Cross Stitch 9&10 Count and over two on 18 Count)
WISPER
A very fine fuzzy single yarn. It is usually necessary to ply up to a thickness
that will cover your canvas. It is OK to double this yarn over in your needle.
It may also be brushed to give a fuller effect. Combine it with another,
stronger yarn to give it even more strength.
(4 strands on 13-14 count canvas, 2 strands on 18 count and 1 strand on 22
count)