Many people have trouble when working with pearl cotton thread. It easily becomes tangled and it is very easy to have the thread break. This leads to having to continually rethread the needle and a fuzzy appearance to the finished product.
There is an easy four step process that will eliminate both problems. Step one is to slide the label of the pearl thread to the middle. Next, carefully examine both ends of the skein. One end will be looped in all places. On the other end, will be two loose ends. Now cut the rest of the loops on the end with the two loose ends. The sewer will discover that each piece is just the right length to do quilting and needlepoint. After the sewer has taken one strand from the bunch, hold it in the air. It will naturally start untwisting by itself. Hold the thread in the air until it finishes untwisting. Then take the required number of strands and thread the needle. When the strands are completely separated first, they lie flatter in the finished product and give a better looking finished product.
Many people find that a one step needle is easier to use than a regular needle. With this needle one simply lays the thread near the eye of the needle and pulls. The thread then goes into the needle. Many users find that threading the needle causes the thread to split and shred. When trying a regular needle, try this great tip. Go to the area of a store that sells dental supplies and buy a floss threader, which is intended for teeth. Push the looped end of the threader through the eye of the needle. Then place the ends of the floss through the loop on the threader and pull. The needle will be threaded and the sewer will experience no split ends.
Another secret, when working with pearl thread, is that it has a nap. When sewing, it is important to have both naps going in the same direction. If you can not see the nap, simply run the thread through the sewer’s fingers. One way will feel smoother, than the other way. The smoother way is the nap of the thread. Put it through the needle first. As the sewer gains more experience, when looking at the nap, the thread will look shinier one way than it does the other. The shinier way is the nap.
These tips will help the sewer experience success when using pearl cotton thread. First, use the method described to cut the thread to the correct length. Secondly, use a snap through needle or use a floss threader. Thirdly, sew with the nap of the pearl cotton thread.