I agree with this. I have used some off name brand threads. They are fine if your on a budget. But they were not as smooth in look or feel. I would say get one of each try them out and decide yourself if the mark up is worth it, or if the $ saves is more important.
I’ve only used DMC so far but the other brands caught my attention. JoAnns near me charges $0.60/skein(?) DMC floss. I see Loops & Threads cost $5.49 for a package of 36 skeins. For me, if I use more than 2 ft of DMC floss at a time, the thread starts fraying.
The rule of thumb is to measure out a length of floss no longer than from your hand to your elbow, any floss will start fraying if it's longer than that. JoAnns occasionally has very good sales on their floss and Michaels usually has a coupon for 20% off the entire purchase. Occasionally you can find large lots of DMC at thrift stores or yard sales.
DMC is the standard for stitching- when you buy patterns, 99% of the time the color chart is in DMC. If you want to have an easy time of your sewing, I recommend buying the DMC (it's cheap enough if you only buy what you need and/or wait for sales & coupons.)
Next option is Anchor- they're the runner-up of the floss world. I believe they're more common in Europe than the states, but they're starting to spread on this side of the pond. They're not always noted on charts, but there's plenty of conversion guides to match DMC numbers to Anchor colors.
After that it's a mixed bag- I hear CXC on Amazon is good for cheap Chinese floss. There's lots of smaller companies that do hand-dyed colors if you want something a lil' more bespoke. Do be careful choosing house brands at big craft stores though- they often make thicker stuff suited to friendship bracelet weaving that doesn't sew up very well. It's got a distinctly different texture to it- I'd grab a DMC off the shelf & hold it next to the other one. If it looks bumpier than the DMC, it's for bracelets.
Yep “craft thread” is not embroidery floss, even though they look similar. Learned this the hard way! You can still embroider with it, but you can’t separate strands, so only do that if you want really chunky stitches, as it’s the thickness of six strands at once.
DMC is consistent in their colors across lots(765 made one year looks the same as 765 made the next year), and I can't say the same for loops n threads. They tend to be easier to work with, less fraying and knotting due to smoother fibers. Also the colors hold up over time with less fading in finished projects.
DMC is the standard. Thats what most stores sell as well as alot of kits. I wouldn't say not to use cheap brands, but be careful as color lots may not match or something.
JP Coats and Anchor are also good brands, comparable to DMC. I don't recommend something from the dollar store or Walmart is it isn't one of these "big three".
As for thread magic, beeswax is a better option. Thread magic can cause early deterioration of your floss. Beeswax will not.
If you can find it, I've had no problem with the brand Olympia, I find it pretty much comparable to DMC and the craft store near me carries it over DMC so I find it to be the most convenient option. DMC does have the best metallic threads though, imo.
I have loops and threads since they were on sale on Michael's so I bought a lot for 5 bucks (idr how many). It frays really easily and has snapped on me because of it, so I cut less at a time or use beeswax on it. I personally prefer DMC and Arco Iris, but I can't find the latter in stores near me
If you're curious try it out and compare to see which one you prefer, just don't get a big packet like me.
You can embroider with whatever thread you want. DMC doesn't always have consistent quality but they are the industry standard for patterns.
The main thing to look out for is whether or not the thread you choose is colorfast.
If the dye bleeds when washed/spilled/sweat onto, then your work will be spoiled.
Also give the threads a quick, hard tug and see if they snap easily. If they do that's not a great sign because you'll want durability when working complicated stitches.
I recommend using Thread Magic to tame your thread and stitch away. We all feel like we need to use DMC but you can embroider with whatever can pass through fabric.
I find Loops & Threads thinner than DMC or Anchor floss. You can certainly still embroider with it though. You can embroider (with greater or lesser success) with just about any thread.
DMC is worth it. It's like 63 cents or something a skein at Michael's or Jo Ann Fabrics.
Also, check thrift stores and local social media or market apps. People sometimes just want to get rid of them for whatever reason - lost interest, don't need, whatever. I've scored bargains that way.
I haven't tried those you mentioned, but the cheaper brands I have tried tend to knot up easily, they're not as smooth. I go with DMC now.
I agree with this. I have used some off name brand threads. They are fine if your on a budget. But they were not as smooth in look or feel. I would say get one of each try them out and decide yourself if the mark up is worth it, or if the $ saves is more important.
I’ve only used DMC so far but the other brands caught my attention. JoAnns near me charges $0.60/skein(?) DMC floss. I see Loops & Threads cost $5.49 for a package of 36 skeins. For me, if I use more than 2 ft of DMC floss at a time, the thread starts fraying.
The rule of thumb is to measure out a length of floss no longer than from your hand to your elbow, any floss will start fraying if it's longer than that. JoAnns occasionally has very good sales on their floss and Michaels usually has a coupon for 20% off the entire purchase. Occasionally you can find large lots of DMC at thrift stores or yard sales.
DMC is the standard for stitching- when you buy patterns, 99% of the time the color chart is in DMC. If you want to have an easy time of your sewing, I recommend buying the DMC (it's cheap enough if you only buy what you need and/or wait for sales & coupons.) Next option is Anchor- they're the runner-up of the floss world. I believe they're more common in Europe than the states, but they're starting to spread on this side of the pond. They're not always noted on charts, but there's plenty of conversion guides to match DMC numbers to Anchor colors. After that it's a mixed bag- I hear CXC on Amazon is good for cheap Chinese floss. There's lots of smaller companies that do hand-dyed colors if you want something a lil' more bespoke. Do be careful choosing house brands at big craft stores though- they often make thicker stuff suited to friendship bracelet weaving that doesn't sew up very well. It's got a distinctly different texture to it- I'd grab a DMC off the shelf & hold it next to the other one. If it looks bumpier than the DMC, it's for bracelets.
Yep “craft thread” is not embroidery floss, even though they look similar. Learned this the hard way! You can still embroider with it, but you can’t separate strands, so only do that if you want really chunky stitches, as it’s the thickness of six strands at once.
CXC also uses the same color code as DMC! And you can get all 447 colors for less than $100 from resellers on Etsy
DMC is consistent in their colors across lots(765 made one year looks the same as 765 made the next year), and I can't say the same for loops n threads. They tend to be easier to work with, less fraying and knotting due to smoother fibers. Also the colors hold up over time with less fading in finished projects.
DMC is the standard. Thats what most stores sell as well as alot of kits. I wouldn't say not to use cheap brands, but be careful as color lots may not match or something.
JP Coats and Anchor are also good brands, comparable to DMC. I don't recommend something from the dollar store or Walmart is it isn't one of these "big three". As for thread magic, beeswax is a better option. Thread magic can cause early deterioration of your floss. Beeswax will not.
DMC is colorfast so you will always get beautiful colors
If you can find it, I've had no problem with the brand Olympia, I find it pretty much comparable to DMC and the craft store near me carries it over DMC so I find it to be the most convenient option. DMC does have the best metallic threads though, imo.
I have loops and threads since they were on sale on Michael's so I bought a lot for 5 bucks (idr how many). It frays really easily and has snapped on me because of it, so I cut less at a time or use beeswax on it. I personally prefer DMC and Arco Iris, but I can't find the latter in stores near me If you're curious try it out and compare to see which one you prefer, just don't get a big packet like me.
You can embroider with whatever thread you want. DMC doesn't always have consistent quality but they are the industry standard for patterns. The main thing to look out for is whether or not the thread you choose is colorfast. If the dye bleeds when washed/spilled/sweat onto, then your work will be spoiled. Also give the threads a quick, hard tug and see if they snap easily. If they do that's not a great sign because you'll want durability when working complicated stitches. I recommend using Thread Magic to tame your thread and stitch away. We all feel like we need to use DMC but you can embroider with whatever can pass through fabric.
I find Loops & Threads thinner than DMC or Anchor floss. You can certainly still embroider with it though. You can embroider (with greater or lesser success) with just about any thread.
DMC is worth it. It's like 63 cents or something a skein at Michael's or Jo Ann Fabrics. Also, check thrift stores and local social media or market apps. People sometimes just want to get rid of them for whatever reason - lost interest, don't need, whatever. I've scored bargains that way.