| My Thread Basket |
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| Here are some of the types of thread I use for tatting. Click on a thread to learn more about it. Back to Main Thread page |
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 ManuelaThis is a really nice 6 strand cotton thread from Germany. It can be obtained by mail order from most of the suppliers that you probably know of. It comes in sizes 10 and 20. The colors are bright and bold and very pretty. I have a navy and a pumpkin orange, because I would not have been able to find these colors elsewhere! And I also have a nice "dirty linen", and the variegated pink-yellow. Click the variegated to see a close up! It tats up nice and smoothly! And the price is not bad, you get a large ball for about $6.00. The variegated ball is smaller, and is $4.00. Back to Top of Page |
 AnchorThis is a 6 ply cordonnet thread. I have a few colors in the size 40, it also comes in sizes 20 and 80. It is a really nice, smooth thread, and the colors are vibrant, yet soft. It is almost like a matte color, without being flat, since there still is a sheen to the thread. It is nice and tight, and tats nicely. Back to Top of Page |
 LianaLiana is another thread by Anchor, it comes in larger sizes in a few colors. This is a nice ecru in size 20. It is also a 6 ply thread. I haven't used it yet, but it looks really nice. Back to Top of Page |
 DMC CordonnetI love DMC cordonnet, which is a 6 ply thread. I may be biased, because the first time I did any needlecraft, all I could find was DMC, and their products have never disappointed me. I think of them as the household name in threads, only because it is what is most readily available in my area. I think Anchor is just as available in other markets. What I love about tatting with DMC cordonnet is that it is so strong and stiff, that it has a funny almost dental-floss consistency, without the waxiness. It comes in many sizes, 10-100 in colors white and ecru. Some colors are available, at Handy Hands, see suppliers. Back to Top of Page |
 DMC CebeliaCebelia is a 3 ply crochet cotton. I think it comes in sizes 5, 10, 15, 20, 30, and 40, I have only found 10, 20,and 30. This was the first thread of its type that I tried after using perle coton, and it was a joy! It is not as tight as Cordonnet, so it tends to get a little hairy as the stitches slide along the carrier thread, but it it still pretty nice. The smaller gauge threads don't do this as much. It comes in a bunch of nice colors, and I think it is especially nice to use to tat an edging for a cotton dishtowel! Back to Top of Page |
 DMC Tatting ThreadThis is what I think most people use for tatting, just because it is called tatting thread. It is also called "Brilliant Tatting Thread". It is a size 80 6 ply cordonnet, probably just like the DMC cordonnet in that size, except that it comes in many many colors, solid and variegated. Anchor makes a line of size 80 tatting thread in many colors also, I do not have any, but it can be obtained through mail order. Back to Top of Page |
 OperaBy Coats and Clark, this is a 3 ply crochet cotton. It is similar to DMC Cebelia in that respect. I believe it comes in sizes 5, 10, 15, and 20, maybe more. It comes in a variety of colors, some of which tend to be more frosty, almost like baby colors as you can see in the picture. There are also jewel tones though. It is a nice thread, more of a matte luster that the Cebelia. Back to Top of Page |
 Perle Coton 3Perle Coton, or Pearl Cotton, is a needlepoint yarn. It is a little fuzzy, but it is soft, so I find it quite nice to tat with. It comes in many many MANY colors, which are breathtaking in the display case! It is hard to decide sometimes! They come in a skein or ball, depending on the size. A ball of size 8 or 12 is proabbly enough to do a doily, but you'd need 2 or 3 skeins to finsih one. Back to Top of Page |
 Perle Coton 5Perle Coton, or Pearl Cotton, is a needlepoint yarn. It is a little fuzzy, but it is soft, so I find it quite nice to tat with. It comes in many many MANY colors, which are breathtaking in the display case! It is hard to decide sometimes! They come in a skein or ball, depending on the size. A ball of size 8 or 12 is proabbly enough to do a doily, but you'd need 2 or 3 skeins to finsih one. Back to Top of Page |
 Perle Coton Perle Coton, or Pearl Cotton, is a needlepoint yarn. It is a little fuzzy, but it is soft, so I find it quite nice to tat with. It comes in many many MANY colors, which are breathtaking in the display case! It is hard to decide sometimes! They come in a skein or ball, depending on the size. A ball of size 8 or 12 is proabbly enough to do a doily, but you'd need 2 or 3 skeins to finsih one. Back to Top of Page |
 Embroidery FlossEmbroidery floss is a 6 strand bundle of fine thread used for cross stitch and other embroidery. DMC and Anchor are readily available. There are other specialty brands, such as Caron Wildfloweres, DMC flower thread, and Floche that are a similar product, with interesting colors or finishes. You can find those easily in the Nordic Needle catalog, but I don't have them and won't get into them here much. I will say that I have tried a Brazilian Embroidery Rayon floss, that is so shiny and pretty! it is worth a try, but since it is rayon, the stiches slip around until you have closed the ring. It is also available through Nordic Needle. It is different from Perle Coton, in that the strands (as opposed to plys) separate easily, because they are meant to be. A common size is to use 2 strands to tat things. To separate correctly, don't just pull 2 strands away from the 6, you should separate all the strands and then put together the number that you wish to use. I have tried it with all 6 strands also, and it is a little too much - the strands fan out at the picots, not looking very nice. It comes in a lot of colors, and is inexpensive, so it is an option. I prefer to use perle coton if I am going to use a product of this sort. Back to Top of Page |