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Uses & Care for Kreinik Silk Bella™
Applications: appliqué (hand and machine), blackwork, costume making, crazy quilting (hand and machine), crewel, crochet, cross stitch/counted thread, doll making (hand or machine), hardanger, Japanese embroidery, knitting, lace making, machine embroidery/bobbin work, machine embroidery/couching, miniatures, needlepoint/canvas work, punch embroidery, ribbon embroidery (hand and machine), smocking, stumpwork, weaving.
Hand Embroidery
Silk Bella® is ideal for a variety of stitches in samplers, hardanger, crewel, stumpwork, crazy quilting, and needlepoint or canvas work. Use it straight from the reel as a 3-ply twisted thread for tent stitch, satin stitch, kloster blocks and other stitches that showcase its texture.
Machine Embroidery
Silk Bella® creates exquisite embellishments in machine work. It is ideal for small areas such as cuffs, lapels, pockets or appliquéd pieces. Use Silk Bella® in the bobbin of a machine, working the design from the bottom with adjustments to tension settings; experiment until you find a set-up that works with your machine and your choice of fabric.
Care
Silk Bella® should only be dry cleaned. Do not wash or wet block silk work. Do not use an embroidery hoop with silk thread in hand stitchery, as the rings, markings or folds left in the fabric cannot be removed by washing the piece. Instead, use stretcher bars, Q-snaps, or scroll frames.
Tips on using Silk Bella®
To keep your stitching looking its best, take time to wash your hands before stitching. Use a non-greasy hand cream to moisturize hands and prevent the silk from snagging on dry skin or cuticles.
Prepare your ground material (fabric or canvas) prior to stitching to prevent the silk from snagging on rough edges. Turn the edges under with a running stitch, or cover the edges with tape.
Silk Bella® comes on a snap-spool mechanism. Both sides of the spool open; look for the side where the thread end is located. Insert your thumbnail under the cap, and rotate the spool while gently lifting the cap to release the thread (the cap should not pop off). Snap the lid shut to secure the unused portion.
Use lengths of silk no longer than 45cm (18 inches) for better thread control and reduced thread abrasion from repeated passes through the ground material. Use a needle large enough to 'open' the hole in the fabric to allow the silk thread to go through easily.
It is important to maintain Silk Bella's® twist as it comes from the spool to ensure uniform stitches from beginning to end. Since all of us as stitchers twist our needles a little bit while stitching, apply a slight reverse twist to your needle, or allow your needle to dangle every one or two stitches. This will prevent the softly twisted silk from untwisting or becoming too tightly twisted.
Stitch using the 'stab' method rather than the 'hand sewing' method to reduce tangling, working your stitches in two movements: up vertically then down vertically through the fabric.
A laying tool such as a Tekobari, Bodkin or Trolley Needle is helpful in neatly laying the silk while stitching, thereby obtaining the maximum degree of uniform light reflection. If you don't have a laying tool, use your needle or a large Tapestry needle to lay the thread as you stitch.
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