Hey, Larissa, What Do You Mean by “4 Strands of Floss”?

If you are working on any of my hand embroidered projects, you’ll notice that I specify how many strands of floss to use on each step. If you are new to embroidery, you may be wondering what that means. Wonder no more!

DMC embroidery floss is made up of six cotton threads that are twisted together to form a rope of floss. Each skein has a color number on it. (Be sure to pull floss from the barcode end of the skein if you don’t want a snarly mess. Boy, I wish I had learned that a long time ago.)

On my patterns you will find the number of strands specified, for instance:
4 strands of contrasting floss + backstitch

That means you’ll remove 2 strands of floss and use the remaining 4 strands of floss to do the stitches. Pull the group of 4 strands a few inches through the eye of the embroidery needle so that it doesn’t slip out as you sew. Leave that end loose, then knot the other end. When you stitch, your stitches will be made up of 4 strands each (in other words, do not double the floss).

(Note: “Contrasting” just means a floss color that is not the same color as the felt so it will show up well. By the same token if it says “Matching” use floss which is the same color as the felt you are sewing so your stitches will blend in.)

Use the correct number of strands if you want your embroidery to have the same look as my samples. I obsess over tailor the number of strands used for the best look. You’ll use 4 strands a lot, but I also specify 1, 2, 3, and 6 strands! I don’t recall ever specifying 5, but it’s a possibility. Set aside the strands you peel away so you can combine them and use them later.

SO WHAT’S THE BEST METHOD TO SEPARATE THE STRANDS?
Start with about 18-20 inches of floss. Any longer and it gets too tricky. You’ll find if you just grab 2 strands and try to peel them away, the floss may twist and turn into a big snarly mess. Who has time or patience for that? Not me.

THE CORRECT WAY: DMC approved method: Pinch the floss between your fingers near the end and slowly pull out one strand at a time, until it’s all separated, then reunite however many strands to thread your needle. This has the advantage of removing any twisting and will keep your embroidery smoother and less snarly. Here’s an excellent visual tutorial for that method:
https://www.needlenthread.com/2013/08/embroidery-tip-how-to-separate-floss.html

LARISSA’S WAY: My non-DMC approved method is to hold one end of the floss in my teeth and at the other end grab two threads with one hand and four with the other. I peel them apart that way to keep the floss from twisting/knotting on itself. Then I run my pinched fingernails down the separated strands a few times to untwist them. Voila. There still might be an occasional twist in the floss, but I usually don’t sweat that.

TO AVOID FLOSS STRIPPING, CAN I JUST USE DMC PEARL COTTON ?
In theory, yes! I have not tried it and I have no experience with it because Pearl Cotton only comes in limited colors at my local store. I’m all about color selection. DMC Pearl Cotton comes in several widths so you should be able to mimic the look of thicker/thinner embroidery, but you may have to order online to get the widths you want.

WHAT NEEDLE SHOULD I USE?
Most of my patterns specify a size 5 embroidery needle (also called crewel needles). You can do most of the embroidery with that one size. However, it will make your job easier and your fingers happier if you have a variety of needle sizes at hand. Also having multiple size 5 embroidery needles is a great idea so you don’t have to unthread every time you change a color.

Make sure your needles are good and sharp. (Avoid tapestry needles. While they have nice, big eyes, they also have blunt tips. Chenille needles have sharp tips and long eyes, but be aware their sizing numbers are completely different for whatever reason!)

• I use a size 5 embroidery needle for 3 and 4 strands of floss.
• I use a smaller sized regular hand sewing sharp for 2 strands (or you can use a size 8 or 9 embroidery needle).
• I use a larger size 3 embroidery needle for handling all 6 strands or anytime I’m making a French knot with 4+ strands. The larger eye and needle shaft make it easier to pull French knots through.
• I use a small, slender sewing sharp for sewing on seed beads and sequins. A beading needle is also great for that, but I prefer a sewing sharp because they are less bendy and just easier to thread. (Disclaimer: I do sometimes run into seed beads that will not fit over my tiny sewing sharp, so if you use a beading needle you will not have that issue.)

MY FAVORITE CHEAT: After the embroidery’s all done and you sew the ornament parts together, I specify 2 strands of matching floss for that. BUT. You can cheat. If you have a large library of sewing threads like I do, and they just happen to match the felt color, then feel free to use a doubled strand of sewing thread for that instead. (Remember this is for sewing the parts together only and not for embroidery.)

It’s way less trouble than stripping more floss, however, the color selection for sewing threads is not as extensive. I just sub it in if I have the matching thread. And, yes, I have plenty of samples that are sewn together with both kinds. You can’t tell unless you really look closely!

I hope this guide has been helpful! Happy stitching!