c 1994 Rainbow Gallery JAY'S STITCHING TIPS FOR RAINBOW GALLERY FIBERS The number of strands to use on any size canvas is a suggestion. You may ply up or down to get these yarns to fit most size canvas. Tension and personal preference, as well as the construction of the stitches, will determine how you use each yarn. For cross stitch usage please see Rainbow Gallery's Cross Stitch Usage Chart. All of Rainbow Gallery's fibers are made to be color fast. However, if you are going to wet block or wash a piece I would recommend testing the individual yarns first. Even though a manufacturer states that the fiber is color fast, changes in the dying process and the way the dyed yarn is washed leave an area of doubt. With time spent on a piece, a little extra assurance is wise. Chainettes: Some metallics from Rainbow Gallery are chainettes. This construction makes them difficult to work with at first. However, practice solves the problem of the chainette unraveling. There are several things to do to gain control of these yarns. You can use a larger than normal needle and come straight up and down through the canvas, being careful not to drag the yarn on the canvas. The larger than normal needle makes a bigger hole for the yarn to pass through and there will be less friction on it. You might also try a smaller than normal needle as this tends to set the yarn in the needle and it will not run beyond the small eye of the needle. The yarn that is the tail will be lost. See which method works best for your stitching technique. Make sure that small pieces of any unraveling yarn do not get buried in your work. It will be very difficult to get these out and your stitches will look fuzzy. Some people say to break the end of the yarn rather than to cut it. If that works for you, do it. Also a very small amount of Fray Check or clear fingernail polish applied to the end of the thread after it is in the needle will help. Let dry thoroughly before stitching. It is not the end of the world when the yarn unravels. Cut ahead of the raveled part and rethread your needle. Chainettes are softer and less expensive than braids. they plump, so to speak, and cover the canvas better. I believe these advantages far outweigh the initial difficulty. Alpaca 18: Use this as you would any other normal yarn. It is strong and will not fray easily. If desired, you may brush it with a Bunka Brush or toothbrush to fluff it up to maximize the furry effect. (1 strand/13-18 count) Backgrounds: There are 5 different fibers that make up the Background line. Only two require any special consideration. BG1 is a Noppee silk and should be stitched using shorter than normal lengths. It will fray rather easily, so come straight up and straight down through the canvas. It will also help to use a needle that is slightly larger than you would normally use. Do not drag the silk across the canvas as this will tear it apart. It's nice shine and glorious texture will make the extra effort worthwhile. BG4, Natural Linen, will tend to untwist. Turn your needle as you stitch to maintain the twist of the fiber. It will also twist back on itself as you stitch and knots easily. Turning your needle also helps to control this problem. (BG1&2 - 1 strand/13-18 count, long stitches on 18 count) (BG3 - 1 strand 12-14 count, long stitches on 18 count) (BG4 - 1 strand on 18 count) (BG5&6 - 1 strand on 18 count) Bravo!tm This yarn is a floss with each of its four strands slightly larger than a strand of DMC floss. It should be stripped and put back together when stitching so that it will lie smoothly. As with space dyed or overdyed yarns, you need to match up the ends in the same order that you stripped the yarn. Also, when you stitch with the second length you remove from the card, thread the needle on the end opposite the cut (or the end left on the card, not the end that you cut). Always thread the end that is opposite the cut as you continue with additional lengths of yarn. This will ensure the run of colors remains the same. It is also a good idea to stitch leaving as much thread as possible on the back of the canvas as this will help you go through the color runs much more quickly. Do not leave long ends when beginning or ending off the thread as this would interrupt the color run. Bravo!, Encore! and Overture are dyed to match. However, not all colors are made in all lines. Make sure that you buy enough at one time to complete your project as the dye lots do vary somewhat. The dye lots change because these yarns are hand dyed and variations do occur. They are three different weights that give options when stitching. Hardanger lovers will especially love the versatility of having the different weights from which to choose. Another advantage of these yarns is that they are four ply. This is especially helpful when doing geometric designs where you need to do the same color runs in four different directions. (2 strands on congress cloth, 3 strands on 18 count, 4 strands on 16 count, 5 strands on 14 count) Cresta d' Orotm: See Chainettes above. (1 strand on 18 count, 2 strands on 12-14 count) Crystal Rays: Stroke the yarn as you stitch with it. The fiber inside the Rhapsody will tend to meander. If you pull the whole bundle, Rhapsody and metallic together, it will straighten out and lie much better. Be careful not to pull the metallic all the way out as it is difficult to get back in. Also the use of a laying tool will help. If you are having trouble check the size of the canvas. Crystal Rays works best on 12-14 count. For any canvas smaller use long stitches or couching. Also see Flair for hints on working with a tubular netting. Purchase enough yarn at one time to complete your project. The dye lots on Rhapsody change as it is a hand dyed yarn. (tent stitch on 12-14 count, long stitch on 14-18 count) Encore! Each of the four strands of Encore! is about the size of Pearl Cotton #8. Work with it as you would Pearl Cotton. See Bravo! for hints regarding the handling of this type of yarn. (1 strand on Congress Cloth, 4 strands on 12-13 count, 3 strands on 13 count, 2 strands on 18 count) Faux Furtm: This is a very furry yarn that requires shorter than usual stitching lengths . Use on 10 to 13 or 14 count canvas. Care must be used so that it does not pull apart. Most yarns are made of twisted plies which give them strength. What makes Faux Fur "furry" is the lack of plies. Thus, it is somewhat delicate. Use a larger than normal needle and come straight up and down through the canvas. Do not drag the Faux Fur on top of the canvas. This yarn can be fluffed up with a Bunka Brush or a toothbrush. However, I would recommend using an accompanying yarn, such as Designer's Dream, to help maintain its strength. ( 10 to 14 count canvas) Fiesta! If you have used rayons before and found them very hard to deal with because of the popping nature of the yarn you should give a try to Fiesta! It is a six-ply floss and is not as stiff as the other rayons on the market. Fiesta! should be separated and the strands put back together. It is simple to separate using the same techniques as you would for cotton floss. I would not wet Fiesta! before plying. Because each ply is thinner than what you might be used to, it is much easier to control and will not pop up as readily. You will need to maintain the tension as you stitch, holding each stitch in place with your finger or laying tool until the next stitch is completed. This keeps your work from becoming loose and messy looking. It is fine to double this yarn over in your needle as it has no grain, being man-made. This will also help with tension. I find that wetting the yarn (after plying) helps. Let it dry thoroughly and it will be a breeze to stitch. Make sure that it is buried well when you begin and end so that it will not slip out later. A Bargello tuck is recommended. (Bury it first one way under stitches on the back and then again in the opposite direction). (6 strands on 13-14 count canvas, 5 strands on 16 count, 4 strands on 18 count and 1 strand on Congress Cloth) Flairtm: Flair has a nice glimmer that will not overpower the other fibers in your work. Its very subtle shine will add interest to your work. Flair is a tubular nylon netting that will unravel. There are several ways to control this. As with the other chainettes, the same hints work. Use a larger than normal needle coming straight up and straight down through the canvas, being careful not to drag the Flair. Small amounts of Fray Check or clear nail polish on the end after you thread your needle is another way to solve this problem. Cutting Flair on a severe diagonal can help. Practice will help you control the yarn as your own personal sewing touch is as important as any trick. Just remember to lay Flair as you do not want it to twist. The effect will be well worth the effort. Other yarns may be inserted which will change the look of the Flair. A strand of floss can change the color just enough to give unlimited shading. Use a rug needle turned upside down to slip a fiber inside the Flair. (14-18 count canvas with long stitches on 16-24 count) Frosty Raystm: See Crystal Rays. One difference is that Frosty Rays is a bit smaller so you may use it on 14-18 count canvas. (Long stitches are better on 18 count). It starts to get a bit tight on 18 count so be careful that small pieces of the nylon do not get stuck in your work. The Frosty Rays with the white pearl metallic inside is slightly heavier. (10-18 count canvas with long stitches on 12-22 count) Fyre Werkstm: Fyre Werks is a beautiful shiny metallic ribbon that will add glitter and glitz to your work. While not a delicate yarn, it does tend to fray at the ends and anything past the eye of the needle will be lost. Do not use overly long pieces and be careful to lay Fyre Werks. A laying tool usually is not needed; I just use my finger just to give it the right direction and prevent twists. I also watch how it is laying when doing tent stitches. Twisted Fyre Werks will not work, so keep it flat. (13-18 count canvas with long stitches on 18-22 count) The Gold Rush Family: The four sizes of Gold Rush are all chainettes. See the earlier discussion on chainettes. A word about Gold Rush XS. Try this on both 11 count Aida and 18 count canvas. It is a very versatile yarn. This metallic can be used to replace 4-5 strands of blending filament for those that do not like to ply up. The problem of filament curling up on itself will be absent when you use Gold Rush XS. (Gold Rush 12 -10-13 count canvas) (Gold Rush 14 and Variegated Gold Rush 14 - 13-18 count canvas) (Gold Rush 18 - 18-22 count canvas) (Gold Rush XS - 18-22 count canvas) Matte 18: Finally, a matte cotton that fits 18 count. Use as you would any other yarn. Do not use long lengths as the first stitches will look very different from the last ones. (13-18 count canvas) Neon Raystm: When doing any stitch other than a tent stitch, the kinks in the ribbon need to be removed. There are several ways to do this, one of which should be right for you. The easiest way is to wet the working length of the ribbon. Just use a damp sponge, paper towel, cloth or whatever, running the Neon Rays through. Let it dry and then stitch with it. It must be laid or you will lose the beauty of this yarn. A laying tool is needed and there are several different ones on the market, all of which work well. It is best to use water, as opposed to any other liquid, to remove the kinks. Another method is to pop Neon Rays as you would Rozashi Silk. Rap it around a finger on each hand and snap it. The problem with this is that it will thin your length of fiber. If this is not a concern, go ahead. If it is, use a different method. Two other methods are steaming or ironing. That seems to be too much effort for most people. Also note that stitching tension will have an effect on the coverage of Neon Rays. A tighter tension will thin this yarn out and a looser tension will allow it to expand on the canvas. Bury the Neon Rays well when you begin and end as it will slip out easily. A Bargello tuck is recommended. (14-18 count canvas, long stitches on 18-22 count) Overturetm: Each strand of Overture is about the size of Pearl Cotton #5. See Bravo! and Encore!. (2 strands on 12-14 count canvas, 1 strand on 18 count) Patent Leather: The most important thing about working with Patent Leather is to make sure that you lay it front and back. Keeping it laid on the back will make it much easier to work with and make the front lay perfectly flat. Patent Leather may be tent stitched on 18 count with difficulty, but is easier to use long stitches. (12-14 count canvas and long stitches on 14-18 count) Patinatm: Patina may be used as it is or plied. If you use Patina as it comes off the card make sure you maintain the twist as you are stitching. Wetting Patina helps, using the same method as with Fiesta! (also see Neon Rays for other suggestions.) Patina is somewhat more difficult to separate. It is a three ply yarn and you need to untwist it slightly, about an inch from the end and pull out one of the plies very carefully. What you have will look almost like Japanese flat silk. Wetting it will remove all the uneven kinks and makes it easier to lay. Double Patina over in your needle once it is plied and this will help you control it and get it to lay flat. Begin and end your stitches carefully so that the Patina will not pull out. A Bargello tuck is recommended. (14-18 count canvas as is, or stranded, 2 strands on 22 count) Pebbly Perletm: This yarn can be used as it comes or may be plied. It is a four ply yarn that has a cabled appearance. Try to maintain its twist as you stitch. Your work will look uneven if you let Pebbly Perle unwind as you stitch. If you strip it you may double the plies over in your needle for more control even though this is a natural fiber and we have been taught not to do this. Wetting this yarn also helps to get the kinks out after plying. (As is on 14-18 count canvas, 2 strands on 22 count Congress Cloth) Precious Metals: This is a mini-garland metallic chenille. It is surprisingly strong. Very little of the metallic will flake as you are stitching. It may be passed through canvas and works on almost any size canvas including 18 count. On fine canvas it is hard to find the right hole as it is so fuzzy it hides the adjacent holes. It might help to outline the area that you are going to stitch and then fill in. If you miss a stitch here and there it will not show. (1 strand on 16-18 count, 2 strands on 12-14 count) Rainbow Linen: This linen comes in a wide color range and is very strong. It is great for all kinds of needlepoint, including pulled work. There are no special hints for this fiber. It can be used as you would any other yarn. (18-24 count canvas) Razzle-Dazzle 6: Use this on 13-14 count canvas. For 18 count it is best used couched. Its rough texture is what gives wonderful shine and sparkle. It shows up best when used in long lengths couched with other fibers. It will pass through the canvas if you are careful but tends to walk up on itself. It can be plied; however, this takes an experienced hand. When passing Razzle-Dazzle 6 through the canvas, stitch straight up and down. (13-18 count, long stitches on 18 count) Reflecta Metallic: Double this over in your needle and use the same as you would a blending filament. (4 strands on 18 count canvas ) Ribbon Rays: See Chainettes above for working with Ribbon Rays. This is a very versatile, high luster metallic. I have used it on 10 to 18 count canvas and it covers well. It makes an excellent trim to cover seams. (10-18 count, long stitches on 18 count) Rhapsody: See Flair for hints. Make sure to buy enough Rhapsody at one time because of dye lot variations. (12-14 count canvas and long stitches on 14-18 count) Santa's Beard and Suittm: See Faux Fur. This is the same type of yarn. Splendor: This is a 12-ply silk with an unusual construction. It has three bundles of four strands each. It is easiest if you pull the bundles out first and then take out each strand. The twist of each individual strand is tighter than most silks. This makes Splendor easier to use. It will not snag on all but the roughest hands. Be careful to ply and lay the silk to keep the nice shine. I have also stitched with each bundle as it comes. This silk is perfect for people who have been afraid of silks. Many of the usual problems experienced with silk will not occur with Splendor. (6 strands on 14 count, 4 strands on 18 count, 2 strands on Congress Cloth) Tiaratm: This is a metallic that is twisted, not braided. This makes it softer and somewhat easier to use. It will fray at the ends so anything past the eye of your needle will be lost. Do not use very long lengths and be careful not to drag Tiara on the top of the canvas. (2 strands on 14 count canvas, 1 strand on 18 count canvas, long stitches on Congress Cloth) Twedie 18: A strong yarn with no special hints. Use as you would any other stitchable yarn. Try brushing Twedie to enhance its furry effect. (2 strands on 18 count canvas, 1 strand on 18 count) Ultra Suedetm: Use short lengths! This fiber will tear easily if you are not careful. Use a larger than normal needle and come straight up and straight down, being careful not to drag the Ultra Suede across the canvas. When you start a length, bury it in stitching already done and then change your needle to the other end. Do not pull the whole length through the threads on the back of the canvas. You can also use an away knot, without the knot. Just come up from the bottom and then change your needle to the other side of the length of fiber. Stitch over it later in your work. It is best to keep the Ultra Suede at room temperature and away from moisture. Make sure that you lay Ultra Suede as it tends to twist. Laying it on the back of the canvas will also help to keep the front looking good. Ultra Suede can be tent stitched on 18 count canvas with great difficulty; however, long stitches are best. When you purchase Ultra Suede make sure you get enough to finish your project. Many colors are fashion colors which are available only for a limited time. The basic colors will always be available. They are: U01, U02, U16, U22, U25, U29, U31, U84, U85. (12-14 count canvas, long stitches on 14-18 count) Wisper: A very fuzzy single yarn. It is usually necessary to ply up to a thickness that will cover your canvas. It is OK to double this yarn over in your needle. It may also be brushed to give a fuller effect. Combine it with another, stronger yarn such as Designer's Dream to give it even more strength. (4 strands on 13-14 count canvas, 2 strands on 18 count and 1 strand on 22 count) 24 Karats: This is chainette with a high luster effect. See Chainettes above. (12-18 count canvas) Additional hints are always welcome for later editions of this guide. Write to: Rainbow Gallery 7412 Fulton Ave #5 N. Hollywood, CA 91605 (Attn: J. R. Patterson) c Rainbow Gallery 1994 Permission is granted to duplicate or publish