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Rebecca

SGF, Supreme Grumble Framer
Joined
Feb 28, 2002
Posts
3,338
Loc
Vancouver, B.C., Canada
Some of you may be familiar with "hair silk", which is a very fine silk thread - off white - that comes in skeins, and is available through Talas in NYC.

This summer I was introduced to another very nice, thin polyester thread, at the Royal School of Needlework, at Hampton Court. It's made by Gutermann. There are a number of types: the T 162 series is a bit shiney, and the U151, U121 and U 81 series are more mat. The lower the number, the thinner the thread.

They come in various colors (a sample card is available) and spool lengths (5 - 20 thousand meters) and cost about $11.00 Canadian.

I ordered a number them, and they are GREAT for invisible sewing. I don't know the American contact, but in Canada it's Aaron Frost, info@gutermanncanada.com, and he's very nice.

Rebecca
 
Hi Rebecca. This thread must be really fine. Is it ok to use this thread on pieces that have natural fiber content, or is it still advisable to match the thread to the fiber?
 
Hi Jana -

Personally I don't worry too much about matching thread/textile fibers. New silk, for example, is stronger than steel (if one were comparing steel of a similar diameter), while old silk can be totally without strength. So a strict dogma of matching silk to silk wouldn't work in that case.

If something is strong enough to stitch to a backing fabric, I think it's ok to use what works. The backing fabric should prevent things from pulling through the original. This Gutermann thread isn't for everything, but when it's appropriate, it's great!

Rebecca
 
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