Question on Metallics

On Oct 26, 10:23*am, Karen C in Calif wrote:

Thank You!! I didn't know you could do that.
The knowledge base of this group is fantastic.

Stripping the carrier thread works for Kreinik BF,

You're right, of course, Karen! I guess I just assumed he was using
BF, since that description fits what happens when I'm using BF. (Yes,
I know what they say about assuming! lol)

but it sounds to me,
Freddo, like you're using gold-wrapped, which is not the same thing and
can't be treated the same. *The gold wrapping will snap almost without
touching it without the carrier that it's wound around. *Then you have
little gold "whiskers" all over your piece, rather than gold stitches.


Okay, so Fred, what type of "metallic" stuff *are* you using?????

Joan

Fred wrote:
"Joan E." wrote in message
...
On Oct 24, 9:34 pm, "Fred" wrote:
It appears to be some sort of gold metallic material wrapped around a tiny
white thread.

When I'm stitching with the metallic alone (over the top of the
floss), I usually strip this white thread out first, then I don't have
to deal with it. The metallic will stretch a bit (which is what the
carrier thread is supposed to prevent), so you just need to be wary of
how tightly you're pulling on it.

Good luck!

Joan

Thank You!! I didn't know you could do that.
The knowledge base of this group is fantastic.

Fred
http://www.stitchaway.com
If nothing changes, nothing changes.
Don't back stitch to email, just stitchit.



I remember many years ago there was a long thread ( no pun intended)
whether to strip the metallic first, or not.

When I did the U.S. Navy Crest for my son, there was a lot of DMC
metallic on it...no stripping of that stuff, but Thread Heaven was a
gift from God!

GIllian

"Joan E." wrote in message
...
On Oct 26, 10:23 am, Karen C in Calif wrote:

Thank You!! I didn't know you could do that.
The knowledge base of this group is fantastic.

Stripping the carrier thread works for Kreinik BF,

You're right, of course, Karen! I guess I just assumed he was using
BF, since that description fits what happens when I'm using BF. (Yes,
I know what they say about assuming! lol)

but it sounds to me,
Freddo, like you're using gold-wrapped, which is not the same thing and
can't be treated the same. The gold wrapping will snap almost without
touching it without the carrier that it's wound around. Then you have
little gold "whiskers" all over your piece, rather than gold stitches.


Okay, so Fred, what type of "metallic" stuff *are* you using?????

Joan
I have no idea, it came with a kit. However I striped out the carrier thread
on a short length after some difficulty finding the darn thing. After I was
done the metallic appears to be flat versus round and on one side is some
white colored material that won't scrap off. As a result when the metallic
twists one see gold, white, gold, white, etc, etc. I is quite strong and
doesn't break easily. I doubt if I will use it.

What is everyone's favourite?? I saw some DMC that might do. The carrier
could be stripped if required - not easy but it can be done. Having said all
that it seems to me that the metallic gets considerably thinner after the
carrier is removed. What does one do? strip the carrier and then use two
strands versus one??

While I'm trying to figure out what to use I'm still stitching the basic
floss and I will over cross stitch the metallic later - HOWEVER I have this
nagging suspicion that I will be reaming out hundreds of holes in my fabric
in order to get the needle and metallic through the holes already filled
with floss. Finding the holes on the back side ought to be a hoot and I
suspect my cuss jar is going to fill up pretty fast.

Fred
http://www.stitchaway.com
If nothing changes, nothing changes.
Don't back stitch to email, just stitchit.

On Sat, 30 Oct 2010 02:39:07 -0500, "Fred" wrote:

What is everyone's favourite?? I


Petite Treasure Braid from Rainbow Gallery is very easy to use. IME
the BF found in kits is appalling and not worth the trouble.
Personally, I hate DMC metallics and won't use them either.

Sara

On 10/30/2010 12:10 PM, Karen C in Calif wrote:
Fred wrote:
What is everyone's favourite?? I saw some DMC that might do.

Oh, gawd, no. Not what MLI called "barbed wire on a spool". The new
skeined DMC metallics are almost as bad as the crap on a spool. Suitable
for making cording, but don't stitch with them.

My ex-LNS stocked Kreinik. My current INS leans more toward RG. Both
work fine.

I used the DMC Light Effects, and was very happy with the way it
stitched, and with the finished product. I did use Thread Heaven to make
it more manageable.

I do NOT like the DMC on the spool, though.

I guess opinions vary on everything.

Gillian

"Gillian Murray" wrote in message
...
On 10/30/2010 12:10 PM, Karen C in Calif wrote:
Fred wrote:
What is everyone's favourite?? I saw some DMC that might do.

Oh, gawd, no. Not what MLI called "barbed wire on a spool". The new
skeined DMC metallics are almost as bad as the crap on a spool. Suitable
for making cording, but don't stitch with them.

My ex-LNS stocked Kreinik. My current INS leans more toward RG. Both
work fine.

I used the DMC Light Effects, and was very happy with the way it stitched,
and with the finished product. I did use Thread Heaven to make it more
manageable.

I do NOT like the DMC on the spool, though.

I guess opinions vary on everything.

Gillian

I too used the DMC Light Effects and the metallic. I can't say I loved
them, but I can't say I hated them either.

Some other, more expensive things are a little easier to work with and some
I found even harder. I've decided that unless you use very short lengths of
floss, they are all a nuisance, but they look so nice that most of us are
willing to struggle a little for the look.

Lucille

On 10/26/10 11:23 AM, in article , "Karen C
in Calif" wrote:

Fred wrote:

"Joan E." wrote in message
...
On Oct 24, 9:34 pm, "Fred" wrote:

It appears to be some sort of gold metallic material wrapped around a tiny
white thread.


When I'm stitching with the metallic alone (over the top of the
floss), I usually strip this white thread out first, then I don't have
to deal with it. The metallic will stretch a bit (which is what the
carrier thread is supposed to prevent), so you just need to be wary of
how tightly you're pulling on it.

Good luck!

Joan

Thank You!! I didn't know you could do that.
The knowledge base of this group is fantastic.


Stripping the carrier thread works for Kreinik BF, but it sounds to me,
Freddo, like you're using gold-wrapped, which is not the same thing and
can't be treated the same. The gold wrapping will snap almost without
touching it without the carrier that it's wound around. Then you have
little gold "whiskers" all over your piece, rather than gold stitches.

Get a better brand.
If it needs to be quite fine, instead of BF, you could use the Rainbow
Gallery Petite Treasure Braid - it's a bit finer than Kreinik 4, and can sub
in for BF. Much nicer to work with.
http://www.rainbowgallery.com/detail.cfm?ID=1198

I'm kind of agreeing with Karen - sometimes if you pull out the carrier
thread the stuff will full apart. Just depends. On the whole, with the
fine metallics, I just go with short lengths - like 12-13", and the thread
heaven. For BF, I do the loop it thru the needle thing to lock it into the
needle, and you can always cut one of the legs short so it's still only 1
strand that you're stitching with. Anyhow - I've switched to using the RG
Petite Treasure Braid instead of BF - it's much nicer, IMHO.

Good luck - whatever you're doing.

Ellice

On 10/30/10 6:43 AM, in article ,
"Sara" wrote:

On Sat, 30 Oct 2010 02:39:07 -0500, "Fred" wrote:

What is everyone's favourite?? I


Petite Treasure Braid from Rainbow Gallery is very easy to use. IME
the BF found in kits is appalling and not worth the trouble.
Personally, I hate DMC metallics and won't use them either.

Sara


I move around a lot for what I prefer. Used in about 12" lengths, the DMC
spools and skeins can work and give decent coverage. I use them only when
I'm only doing a little bit of metallic (for the size of the piece).

I just worked on some fabric that I couldn't use the PTB - it just wasn't
working - but the DMC stranded worked beautifully - I stripped it down and
down again for two skinny plys and it was just right. Would have begged for
alternatives if I had needed to do that more than twice though.



Cheryl

Fred wrote:
I'm not too sure where to jump back into this thread but here goes.
I bought some Kreinik BF - Japanese Gold - not too thick and not too thin.
My question is what it the MAIN purpose of stripping the carrier?
From the posts I read here I get the impression that stripping the carrier
just makes the BF bend or conform to the shape of the floss underneath -
NO?????
The other reason might be to make the BF a bit thinner which will happen
when the carrier is stripped.

Fred
http://www.stitchaway.com
If nothing changes, nothing changes.
Don't back stitch to email, just stitchit.



I used a lot of BF when doing the Marbek Nativity. I found that the
carrier often began fuzzing after a few stitches, so I then cut it off
and continued without it. I did use short threads, and Thread Heaven
was a boon.

The blending filament was being used alone, not with other threads, but
the results were great either way. Mostly the carrier thread was there,
but cutting it didn't make any obvious difference. I can't check on it
now, as it's in Australia, and I'm in South Africa.

Joyce in RSA.

On 11/2/10 1:29 PM, in article , "Karen C in
Calif" wrote:

Fred wrote:

I'm not too sure where to jump back into this thread but here goes.
I bought some Kreinik BF - Japanese Gold - not too thick and not too thin.
My question is what it the MAIN purpose of stripping the carrier?
From the posts I read here I get the impression that stripping the carrier
just makes the BF bend or conform to the shape of the floss underneath -
NO?????
The other reason might be to make the BF a bit thinner which will happen
when the carrier is stripped.

Fred

Japanese Gold is not BF. It is Japanese Gold. You can't strip the
carrier thread because the thin sheet of gold is too fragile to stitch
with. That's why it's wrapped around the carrier thread.
Don't they also have (or had) a color called Japanese Gold - or was that
some one else. (had it, gave it away)

Cheryl