Prepare Your Thread

Refer to your design chart to see what type of thread is suggested. For embroidery floss the design will tell you how many strands or plys of floss the design calls for.

Floss is a 6-stranded fiber. You will usually not stitch with all 6 strands of floss so you will have to separate the floss before stitching. To start, find the end of the thread on your skein of DMC Floss. Slowly pull the end out from the skein until you have an 18” length of floss and cut it off. To separate the floss into individual strands, pull one strand up and out slowly until it is completely separated from the remaining strands. Continue to pull out the number of strands you need to stitch with. To rejoin the threads, hold them together at one end then gently stroke the lengths to smooth and recombine them.




TIP: Pearl Cotton is commonly stitched using one full strand for embroideries and is not doubled up to make a thicker thread. If you want a heavier thread for your embroidery choose a Pearl Cotton 3 or a size 5. If you are working a delicate stitch or using a lightweight fabric, use a Pearl Cotton 12 or 8.