Embroidery Threads

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Embroidery threads.

Rayon and polyester are the most popular embroidery threads available.

Not sure what type of thread to use? Find out more about the different threads available including speciality threads such as metallics. Always choose the right type of thread for your project as recommended by the designer. Balance your top and bottom thread tension to get best results. Choose a good quality bobbin thread. Breaking thread is a common and annoying problem. Some recommend spraying the thread with a silicon spray to help with this.

Needles.

There are many different types of sewing machine needles available. Find out more about how important the needle is to obtain the perfect finished result, and the different types of needles available, including wingneedles for special methods.

Thread measurements.

The most common embroidery weight thread is 40Wt and suitable for most embroidery designs. Sometimes when designs are too dense, you can try using a lighter 50wt thread. Bobbin threads are generally finer and are often 60wt.

There are three primary ways thread is measured.

Weight. The smaller the number, the heavier the thread. The higher the number, the lighter the thread. Common thread weights are 30 wt., 40 wt., and 50 wt.
Denier. Weight (in grams) of 9000 meters of thread. A larger number indicates heavier thread. A number such as 120/2 equals two strands of 120 denier thread for a total of 240 denier. Most embroidery thread has a denier measurement. However, this measurement traditionally applies only to synthetic threads. Comparative note: a 40 wt. thread approximately equals 240 denier.
Tex. Weight (in grams) of 1000 meters of thread. 40 wt. = 240 denier = tex 25.

Thread conversions and color charts.

There are many different brands of threads available and often you need to convert between these brands to work out the best thread for your project, using your stash of threads. You can find out more information on thread conversion charts, and ways to change the thread colors of your embroidery designs in our Converting Thread Colors area.

Common Problems With Threads and Needles

Thread breaks - Causes: incorrect needle, burrs in needle eye, hook or throat plate, machine threaded incorrectly, incorrect needle bar height, tension adjustment needed, bent needle, machine needs lubrication, lint buildup, incorrect digitizing causing design to be too dense in an area, need for a silicon spray due to friction caused by thick fabrics or fabrics with treatments, pooling of thread which causes portions of the spool to wind off improperly - use Incredible Tape to prevent this

Needle breakage - Causes: timing needs adjusting for needle and hook point, needle in machine incorrectly, bent or dull needle.

Thread pileups on back of fabric - Causes: tension adjustment needed, machine incorrectly threaded.

Stitching not following pattern outline - Causes: bent needles, loose hoop in frame.

Flat stitching - Causes: tension tightness, topping film necessary on fabrics with a pile.

Looping - Causes: tension adjustment needed for tight fabric weaves, digitized with too many stitches.

Pigtailing - Cause: Top tension too tight.

Skipped stitches - Causes: wrong bobbin timing, incorrect needle size.

Puckering - Causes: tension too tight, backing not hooped the same tension as fabric, fabric hooped too tightly, needles not sharp enough, density of design too thick and needs to be increased in size slightly.

Find What You're Looking For

Our Search Box appears at the top right of every page.

There are 3 ways to use it:

1. Search
Choose the type of product you are looking for: This is pre-set to Designs and will automatically search all embroidery designs on our site. You can choose from the drop down list to refine your search to one type of product, eg "Tutorials" or make it broader eg "All Products"

Enter a search word: Easy - just click in this box, type in your search word and click on the GO button. Type in lowercase and don't use plurals, Don't use words like "the" or "and". Use American spelling.

You will see pictures of the designs found that match your search. Click on the pictures you are interested in to see the designs in full and all the details you need to know (description, size, price, special offers, etc).

2. Choose a category
Instead of searching for a word, choose one of our quick category searches from this drop down list. Then choose a sub-category from the box on the right. By clicking between the category list that on the left and the sub-category list on the right, you can see pictures of all our items. This is a great way to find what you want at Secrets.

3. Choose a designer
Another alternative is to select one of our designers from the drop down list, and can visit their specific website.