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THREADS : CHOOSING AND USING

I always use single strands of size 25 cotton embroidery floss. A skein of floss consists of six strands loosely twisted together, which you just need to separate and trim to a workable length. You can use double strands for this kind of work. However, I find a single strand more comfortable and flexible to work with.

BRANDS

The brands I use are Olympus, Anchor, and DMC. I list all the colors used for each project by their numbers. These numbers are universal across the brands, whether you buy them in the United States, Europe, or Japan.

Olympus threads may not be as readily available in some countries as they are in Japan, so you can use the conversion chart on pages 104–105 to find suggestions for Anchor and DMC shades that can be used instead.

You will soon learn that the key to success when painting with thread lies in using lots of threads in similar shades. All of the brands produce threads in a wide range of colors, so if you find you prefer the feel or workability of one brand over another, you will still be able to create rich and realistic painted embroideries by using that brand’s subtly graded shades of thread. If you go on to design your own cats or other embroideries you will soon see just how many color choices there are.

MORE IS MORE

When it comes to painting with thread, the slightest change can make a big impression on the end result. Just like an artist working with paint, you have choices to make, and there is no right or wrong decision. You might choose to use fewer colors, for an impressionistic or naive interpretation. Adding more colors between the existing ones makes a transition between the two, which can lead to more lifelike representations. You can build up this technique to produce an almost photographic effect. You can see what I mean with this tail, which has been built up in stages by adding in more colors.

However you choose to progress, the end result will be all yours: a genuinely unique and individual embroidery.

Two Colors

Four Colors

Six Colors

Eight Colors

IT'S NOT BLACK AND WHITE

Once you start to embroider cats you will soon learn that what you “think” you see might not be true. For example, when you look at a tabby cat, you might think you are seeing shades of gray, perhaps with some pure white or black as well. But, on closer inspection, you may well also notice shades of brown, maybe even some pink, yellow, or orange. Look at a cat with a white neck. Do you also see beiges, grays, and “shades” of white from muddy to bright? Thankfully, embroidery floss is produced in myriad shades, which means you can re-create natural-looking color and pattern, and produce embroidered cats that look like the real thing.

THE AREA YOU COVER

It is worth remembering that the appearance of a particular thread color will depend on the size of area being covered. A color used sparingly and spaced out will look different to the same color used densely to fill a whole area. You will soon learn how color is affected by density of use as you progress through the projects.

White thread used densely.

White thread used sparingly.