Just about any thread can be used to make lace including wire and garden string, but…..
With BL the thickness of the thread has to match the pricking, and generally a smooth, evenly spun thread is preferable to a hairy, slubby one although a lot of the thicker linen threads intended for lacemaking are somewhat slubby. I don’t think there is anything to really define a lace thread other than convention and historic tradition. Most linen threads that are available, apart from very thick ones that border on being twine, are ‘lace' threads and as such are usually S spun. Most people who have trouble with bobbins unwinding and/or the thread untwisting have less problems with S spun than they do with Z spun, and most (right handed) people tend to have more problems with Z twisted thread when hand sewing, which is why most hand embroidery threads are S spun. This is only a generalisation, not set in stone. The thing that really separates ‘sewing’ thread from lace/embroidery thread is the fact that anything designed for use on a sewing machine (domestic or industrial) will be Z spun to suit the mechanics of sewing machines, so general purpose threads, or those sold for machine quilting or machine embroidery etc will be Z spun. As far as making Honiton with coloured thread - unless you are prepared to dye your own there isn’t any cotton thread on the market that’s not white, ecru or black. For really fine thread in colours you have to look at the silk threads. Filament/reeled silk is shiny and slippery, spun silk is less shiny and behaves better on bobbins. Brenda On 30 Jun 2014, at 21:43, <hottl...@neo.rr.com> <hottl...@neo.rr.com> wrote: > Now that I know Brenda's estimated wpc factor, it looks like I won't be using > C&C S975 for Honiton! Just as a comparison though, Madeira Cotona is wimpy, > wimpy, wimpy & pastel, pastel, pastel--something that I'd like to overcome. > And maybe I don't fully understand why some threads are considered 'lace' > threads & others not. Coming at this from the CQ (Crazy Quilt/embroidery) > perspective, I don't consider any materials sacred to one technique or > another--they're all fair game. Brenda in Allhallows paternos...@appleshack.com www.brendapaternoster.co.uk - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachne.modera...@gmail.com. Photo site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lacemaker/sets/
