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How to use Kreinik Silk Bella™
Silk Bella™ is the thinnest of the Kreinik silk threads. It is a filament silk with a bright sheen, visible in designs even with it's small weight. It is a beautiful thread when used in any stitch, in any technique. Silk Bella is dyed in colors to match Silk Mori® and Silk Serica®.
Content: 100% pure filament silk
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.
Applications
Appliqué (hand and machine), blackwork, costume making, crazy quilting (hand and machine), crewel, crochet, cross stitch/counted thread, couching, 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, Cross Stitch, Samplers, Needlepoint
Silk Bella is ideal for a variety of stitches in samplers, hardanger, crewel, stumpwork, pulled work, crazy quilting, petit point, 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. It is similar in weight to a #12 Pearl Cotton. Do not separate strands; use as is, straight off the reel.
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.