Needlepoint Threads 101

Everything you need to know before buying thread

Understanding Thread Materials

Cotton Thread

The most affordable thread option
Durable and great for areas that don’t need a lot of thread (or to DIY your own cording)
No need to worry about dye lots/consistent color
16 yards per skein

DMC Perle Cotton

(Size 5)

Easy to find in stores, great for beginners. Best for 18 mesh.

Shop Size 5
DMC Perle Cotton

(Size 3)

Easy to find in stores, great for any canvas, nearly indestructible. Best for 10-13 mesh.

Shop Size 3

Decorative/Sparkle Thread

A fun addition to any canvas that needs added texture like a sparkle background, a velvet bow, or metallic text
Great for adding extra texture and dimensions to your piece, No need to worry about dye lots

Neon Rays+

Great for 13 or 18 mesh, vibrant colors, great sparkle, rayon/polyester blend

Shop Neon Rays
Silk Lame Plus

Great for 13 or 18 mesh, more muted sparkle, silk/rayon/polyester blend

Shop Lame Plus
Fyre Werks

Great for 13 or 18 mesh, vibrant colors, amazing sparkle, metalized nylon/nylon blend

Shop Fyre Werks
Very Velvet

Petite

Very Velvet Petite is best for 18 mesh. Durable, high coverage, smooth stitches.

Shop Very Velvet Petite
Very Velvet

Regular

Very Velvet is best for 13 mesh. Durable, high coverage, smooth stitches.

Shop Very Velvet

Silk Thread

Slightly more luscious, a go-to among stitchers and used in most PL kits
A very smooth stitch
Vibrant colors and a silky sheen on the canvas

Pepper Pot

Mainly used for 18 mesh (though some people do like stitching with it on 13 mesh!), variety of colors, great coverage

Shop Pepper Pot
Planet Earth Silk

Krista’s favorite for 13 mesh projects, great coverage, silky sheen on canvas.

Shop Planet Earth
Vineyard Silk

A go-to for 18 mesh, beautiful colors, silky smooth stitch, a stitchers favorite.

Shop Vineyard Silk

Silk + Wool Thread

A nice option for longtime use (slightly more durable than silk on its own)
Perfect for backgrounds or projects that will see a lot of wear
Vibrant colors and a smooth stitch

Silk & Ivory

A fan favorite for 13 mesh, the most amazing colors, an easy stitch, silky coverage.

Shop Silk & Ivory
Essentials

Ideal for 18 mesh. Great for small amounts of color per canvas, 10 yard per card, vibrant colors.

Shop Essentials

Wool Thread

Durable for high touch/wear pieces like belts and keychains
Stretchy thread allows the stitcher to control the coverage they wantMore muted color

Vineyard Silk Wool

Can be used on 13 (lighter coverage) or 18 mesh (higher coverage), durable, great for high-wear pieces, more muted in color

Shop Vineyard Silk Wool

What is Mesh Size?

Mesh size refers to the number of holes per inch on your canvas. A 13 Mesh canvas has larger holes, will be quicker to stitch, and will require a thicker thread. An 18 Mesh canvas has smaller holes and a more detailed design, requiring thinner threads.

Common Thread Questions, Answered

This is one of the major mysteries in needlepoint. Some people use their fist to measure a skein, others their thumb to measure small areas. Truthfully, the best thing to do is to over-buy and not worry about running out of thread. The more you stitch, the more you will learn how you use up skeins.

If you’ve already started to stitch, pay attention to dye lots – especially for large areas like backgrounds. If the design area is small or broken up, you don’t need to worry as much.

Feel free to mix and match! Sometimes we like to just pull from our stash, other times we like different tones of colors from different thread lines. The world is your oyster!

YES! We do this all the time and love color swapping. Just make sure your thread is full-coverage.

For high-use items, cotton or wool are the best options. We love stitching belts in cotton, and bag straps in wool.