Add Appeal to Embroidery with Specialty Threads

Today's embroidery thread types run the gamut, from rayon to polyester and everything in between, giving embroiderers opportunities to create truly one-of-a-kind sewouts. October 10, 2011
By Deborah Jones, Contributing Writer

While appearing white in indoor lighting, solar color change thread colors spring to life when viewed in sunlight.

In the 1960s, Art Gruber of Robison-Anton Textile Corp. began developing a line of rayon thread specifically for multihead embroidery machines. This new thread was a spin-off of the company’s popular yarn for large Schiffli loom machines that produced lace, emblems and allover fabric embroidery. Designated as 00/2 rayon, it was engineered to be stronger than the softer, lightly twisted yarns used by the Schiffli embroidery looms. After many versions, the thread was perfected and became the mainstay in the automated embroidery world for several years.

As embroidery machine speeds got faster, further refinements were needed. The 00/2 thread variety was thicker, yet weaker than the 40 weight thread commonly used in computerized embroidery today (see “Thread Size Basics” on p. 55). Polyester thread also was developed as a stronger alternative to the natural cellulose fiber-based rayon. The earliest polyester threads lacked the high sheen of rayon and looping during stitching was an issue for this stretchy thread type.

Today, high-quality thread is available in both rayon and polyester fiber types, and both are popular among computerized embroiderers. In addition to these basic thread varieties, manufacturers have developed other specialty threads that create special embroidery effects. Among these are threads that have metallic appearance, fire-resistant properties and even glow-in-the-dark or color-changing characteristics. These innovations give embroiderers a broad range of decorating options. Here are some ways specialty threads are being used by clever embroiderers.

Glow-in-the-Dark
Embroidery on pajamas for children is one of the most fun ideas for this thread type, which stores artificial and natural light, causing it to glow in the dark. The glowing quality also makes it ideal for clothing that will be worn after dark for outdoor activities, such as walking or biking. It also can be useful for those who work outside after dark, such as parking valets. It’s important that the embroidered garment be allowed to store light before wearing it in the dark.

This thread type can be stitched using the same methods as standard 40 weight polyester embroidery thread. You also can use regular embroidery needles, such as 75/11 and standard bobbin thread. It can be dried using a dryer and dry-cleaned using specific methods. According to Gunold USA, official tests on the company’s glow-in-the-dark thread showed no detectable loss of luminosity after 50 washings. Check with your manufacturer for specific care instructions for their product.

Solar Color-Change & Fire-Resistant
This thread has a white appearance when not exposed to sunlight or other ultraviolet (UV) rays. Solar thread has a lot of potential for creating embroidery that surprises people. For example, I know of one customer who had her tennis whites embroidered with this thread type and met her friends for lunch at the tennis club. When they went out to the tennis court, her outfit exploded with colorful embroidery. The thread also is commonly used on formal wear and resort wear.

Thread of this type is made with specially treated polyester and can be handled in the same manner as any 40 weight polyester thread. It should not be bleached, dry-cleaned or placed in a dryer. When properly handled, the color-changing properties can be expected to last for about 2,000 sunlight exposures.

The value of fire-resistant thread is obvious, but be sure that you also use it for the bottom thread to preserve the fireproof qualities of the embroidery. Embroider it like normal thread, but check with the manufacturer for care instructions to ensure it maintains its fire-resistant properties.

Traditional & Non-Traditional Metallics
Metallic thread probably is the most complex thread type because it is made up of several layers of components. The core is nylon or polyester, with layers of metallic, color and other components added. The reliability of stitching with metallic thread varies widely because of the specific materials used in these layers and their quality. Your best bet here is to talk to other embroiderers about which metallic thread products perform best for them.

One tip is to always buy the best metallic thread possible on the largest cone your budget allows. The larger diameter of the cone reduces the number of times the metallic thread must be wrapped around it. This allows it to come off of the cone with fewer twists, feeding more smoothly through the thread path. Embroiderers use many tactics to remove the twists that are associated with this thread type. Some embroiderers place the spool on a horizontal holder so that it feeds off more like line from a fishing reel. Others run the metallic thread through plastic foam to remove twists. Regardless of the methods you employ, the ideal solution is to buy the best metallic thread available to reduce stitching problems.

Metallic thread comes in various weights, with some being thinner and some thicker than the standard 40 weight embroidery thread. Make sure you know the size of the metallic thread for which you are programming and remember that it is stiffer than standard embroidery thread, so slower stitching speeds generally will improve stitch quality.

A needle type has been designed especially for embroidering with metallic thread types. Designated as system DB x 7 for commercial machines, this needle type has a larger, specially shaped eye and a wider groove to reduce friction on this delicate thread type. If you cannot find this needle type, use a size 90/14 embroidery needle to get the similar benefits of a large eye and wide groove.

Check with your metallic thread supplier for its recommendations for care of garments embroidered with metallic thread.

Traditional metallic thread with the construction described above has been joined by other thread types that sparkle and shine. One type of non-traditional metallic thread has a flat, ribbon-like appearance that gives it a larger reflective surface than traditional metallic thread. Its ability to refract light make this a very “showy” thread type, but you most likely will need to spend some time tweaking your tensions to find the sweet spot where it will run in a trouble-free manner. It can stretch and break easily when run at normal tension settings.

Like a standard metallic, this thread will run best in a needle designed for metallics, and you should check with your supplier for garment care instructions.

Yarn
This is one of my favorite — and most commonly overlooked — specialty thread types. That it is overlooked is interesting, considering that there are several benefits to using yarn.

First, it grabs people’s attention. You just don’t see this thread type every day, and it has an element of nostalgic, hand-stitched embroidery. Next, it saves a tremendous number of stitches. The full-chest embroidery shown in Figure 1 has only 4,093 stitches. In this version, the stitches are close together on the lettering. Alternatively, the stitches could have been spaced farther apart, giving a distinctly hand-stitched appearance and, of course, requiring fewer stitches.

This thread type can be stitched using a regular embroidery needle in a size 14 or 16, to give a large enough eye through which the thread can be fed. There also is a special needle system made for commercial embroidery machines — system DB x 9 — that has a very large eye and groove.

When stitching this yarn thread type, I don’t have to make many special adjustments to my machine. In certain cases, the hook timing may need to be adjusted slightly to “retard” it, making the point of the hook reach the thread loop slightly later. It’s simple to test this thread type on your machine, and if the thread doesn’t split and shred, there is no need to retard your hook timing.

I have found that yarn runs best when the automatic trimming function turned off. With the trimmers activated, I get some thread breaks following a trim. This could be corrected with an adjustment if I were to run primarily this thread type. However, for occasional use, I find it easier to just deactivate the trimming function.

Cotton & Silk
Cotton embroidery thread is available in a variety of sizes, from thin to very thick — for those who want a matte finish to their embroidery rather than the high sheen achieved with rayon or polyester. This natural fiber creates more lint during the embroidery process. Therefore, you should regularly clean your bobbin assembly area with a soft brush, just as when you are embroidering on fabrics that produce lint, such as terry cloth.

Gunold USA recently introduced silk thread for computerized embroidery machines. This unique thread type will appeal to those who lean toward rayon thread for its supple hand and soft appearance.  

Multicolored
Multicolored, or variegated, thread changes color — or shades of the same color — at regular intervals throughout the length of thread. This thread type is most effective in a regular or uniform stitching 
pattern.

A variation on multicolored thread has two layers of different-colored yarn twisted together. This thread type is effective for creating fill stitched areas that don’t look flat. Many people use them for stitching designs of animals, which is a suitable use. However I particularly like using them for stitching objects 
like buildings to make them look more realistic and not so one-dimensional.

Deborah Jones is a commercial and home embroiderer with more than 30 years experience in the computerized embroidery field. She runs MyEmbroideryMentor.com and regularly speaks at Imprinted Sportswear Shows (ISS). For more information or to comment on this article, e-mail Deborah at djones@myembroiderymentor.com.

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Thread Size Basics
Different thread sizes give embroiderers a larger range of options. The most popular weight, or size, of embroidery thread is designated by the Gunze weight system as 40 weight. This system specifies the length in kilometers that it takes a particular thread type to weigh one kilogram. A higher number indicates a longer length of thread needed to weigh one kilogram, so a higher number indicates a thinner thread. Therefore, 30 weight thread is thicker in diameter than 40 weight thread.

Threads that are 50 weight and 60 weight are excellent for clarity on fine details and small lettering. Some manufacturers have recently introduced 60 weight polyester thread to meet this requirement. Remember to use a smaller diameter needle with a smaller eye to get the maximum benefit from thread that is smaller in diameter. You don’t get the intended result when this fine thread is swimming around in a large groove and eye. These parts of the needle guide the thread and should be matched to the thread size, whether fine or thick.



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