I am not one to shy away from adding a little sparkle to my work.  Lately it has been making it’s way into my prints by using Chinese papers, printing on dupioni silks and embellishing with beads and sequins.  It has been making it’s way into my plush via a lavish amounts of beads and sequins (e.g. my recently completed fish).

So when Jenny Hart over at Sublime Stitching announced new metallic threads I was keenly interested. 

I’d tried metallic embroidery threads a few times – always the DMC variety.  I love DMC perle cotton and use it almost exclusively in my work.  I grew up using DMC six-strand embroidery cotton.  It’s in my veins.  And my carpet. And my couch. But I digress.  Each time I tried to use it I ended up really unhappy with it, and in the end throwing the entire hank out.  It seems I’m not the only one this has happened to.

So I ordered the primary palette of metallic thread.  Along with a few other essentials like this, and this and oh yeah, this.*

I tried it out right away on some mushrooms that I am stitching for the shop.  It’s really hard to see the difference in the stitching from a flat red perle cotton but in real life (haha, like my life is based on any kind of reality) the difference is lovely. 

The thread is really nice to work with, really no different than regular thread.  The first bit I used some Thread Heaven on it – which kind of peeled off, probably because of the “catchiness” of the thread.  The next bit I just wet, as per the instructions that came with it.  This seemed to work a wee bit better.  In the end I found “loving” the thread (I"’m referring here to the Alabama Stitch Book instructions for working your thread prior to use to prevent tangles) worked the best.  I am so excited because I’ve got a few projects up my sleeve that are in serious need of some glamor and this thread is perfect.

Again, I bought the primary palette but there are 3 other palettes available; pastels, gray scale and special effects.  Yeah, I can see placing another order fairly soon. Definitely my go to thread when I need even more glitter.

* for the record, I am neither a paid spokesperson for, nor an employee of Sublime Stitching.  I have not been paid in either cash or materials for this blog entry. And even if I was, my entire salary would go towards buying patterns, textiles and supplies.  sigh.  Yes, I’m a big fan.