DMC Thread Cones: The Pros Way To Buy Thread

15/09/202014/05/2020 ~ LordLibidan ~ 7 Comments

Recently we rounded up the best places to find DMC thread deals, and our first suggestion was thread cones. However, a lot of people started asking questions about these deals, and with a little digging, I found that a lot of cross stitchers didn’t even know they existed. So today, we’re talking nothing but thread cones.

What Are They?

DMC Six Strand Cross Stitch Cotton 500g Black Cone (Source: DMC.com)

Let’s start off simple; what exactly is a thread cone?
In short, they are the same DMC 6 strand thread you normally use, but around a cone, usually in 100g or 500g weights (which is 51 and 257 skeins worth). We spoke in our post about why do DMC threads vary in cost so much about where the threads we use are made. For DMC, all the 6 strand threads are still made in their French factory. In order to reduce the costs of sending threads to the US, they put this thread on cones and send them. The US factory then cuts the cones up into skeins to sell. However, DMC US also wanted to make these cones available to kit makers. This is where we come in; we purchase the cone before it’s been converted to skeins, saving us money.
They don’t come in the full range of colors, they officially only come in 22 colors now, but you can find a range of 35 online too. However, as you’ll see later, we’re only really interested in 3 colors.

Why Use Them?

I feel I might have just given the whole reason for buying cones away already there; you can save money. However, it has other uses too.
Firstly, let’s talk cash. A standard skein of thread can cost you anywhere from 50c to a dollar (on average, worldwide. It can be higher or lower depending on where you live). Cones cost, from the DMC US website, $70 for a 500g cone. To put that into perspective, that works out at 27c per skein. You just saved yourself a boatload. However, it gets better! Whilst the DMC website does sell the 500g cones for $70 if you search online, you can get them for anything from $20 to $50, making the saving even better. Sure, these cones are second-hand threads, but thanks to the cone having so much thread on it, you don’t have to be concerned with dye lot issues.

How To use Them?

This may seem a little confusing at first, after all, you know exactly how to use thread. But cones have one big limiting feature; they don’t come in the full range. However, if you had to buy all 500 threads at $70 a pop, it would be a long time before you collected a whole set of DMC threads.
So, how do we suggest you use cones? Simple; black and white.

In the last 5 years, I’ve only stitched one project (that’s one out of about 50) that hasn’t contained either 310 black, or B5200/Blanc white. As a result, with the exception of large blocks of color, you may have to stitch for a special project, black and white will be your most used colors. These are the ones we suggest you buy in cones.
However, let’s say you need a specific color, and you’ll need at least 20 skeins (you can use our skein calculator if you’re unsure), it makes more sense to buy a 100g cone (of 51 skeins) rather than buying the skeins separately. Sometimes, they won’t have the color you need, in fact, most of the time, but that one time they do; you can save yourself a lot.
I own 310 black, blanc, B5200 white, and 792 purple-blue.

DMC Thread Cones 100g and 500g in white B5200 (Source: DMC.com)

Where To Get Them?

This, dear reader, is where things get a little complicated. As we said above, cones are actually meant for shipping between DMC outlets in different countries. Therefore; getting your hands on them can be difficult. If you live outside of the US that is.

The US DMC sells thread cones in all 22 colors, but only directly from their website. If you need one of the other threads in the range of 35, you need to look on eBay.
For those of us outside of the US, we only really have eBay to use. I personally also see them on Etsy from time to time as well. But I would strongly suggest avoiding Aliexpress to buy anything cross-stitch related, as its almost always fake. The good news, however, is that the stores on eBay usually sell for the same price as the US and include shipping, meaning you get just as good, if not a better, deal.

DMC Thread Cone Color Range:

#B5200, #White/Blanc, #Ecru, #221, #304, #310, #317, #318, #321, #413, #414, #415, #444, #498, #500, #550, #553, #666, #677, #741, #796, #801, #814, #815, #817, #820, #822, #841, #955, #956, #995, #3371, #3799

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SpaceX Falcon 9 Dragon Blueprint Cross Stitch by Lord Libidan

13/09/202029/09/2020 ~ LordLibidan ~ 1 Comment

Title: SpaceX Falcon 9 Dragon Capsule Blueprint
Date Completed: September 2020
Design: Lord Libidan
Count: 14
Canvas: Navy
Colors: 1
Pop Culture: Space, SpaceX, Falcon 9, Dragon

Whilst one of my most loved cross stitches are blueprints (to name just a few, my Futurama Ship Blueprint Cross Stitch and Star Wars Lightsaber Blueprint) I stayed off creating space-based blueprints for a while. There are a few reasons for this, but they come down to two main ones; disappointment and information.

The first of those is more complicated. Unlike my Saturn V Blueprint Cross Stitch, where the official blueprints had been released, for many space-based vehicles they haven’t (and for good reason). However, SpaceX is a little unlike NASA and other government-based space agencies. They are looking to bring back the enthusiasm of Space in the 1950s. As a result, there are loads of images and information, from inside and outside of the ship, meaning finding information was a breeze.

The second reason I’ve avoided creating more space blueprints is a disappointment. The SpaceX Falcon 9 is someone that gets requested on a weekly basis by my fans, and letting them down would suck. However, following my NASA Space Shuttle Blueprint Cross Stitch I knew I could do it justice, even if the Falcon 9 is a lot slimmer and simple than other rockets.

You can also pick this cross stitch pattern up on my Etsy store too.

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Why Aliexpress is Both Ruining and Saving Cross Stitch

08/09/202027/10/2020 ~ LordLibidan ~ 2 Comments

A few months ago we asked the question is Etsy a good thing for the cross stitch world? And whilst we found that it was in principle good, we got a lot of people asking about Aliexpress. So we’ve broken down the main areas AliExpress operates in, and deep-dived into how it impacts cross stitch.

What Is AliExpress?

Many of you might not know what AliExpress is, so let’s start with a crash course. AliExpress is like Amazon but based in China. The big difference is that instead of stores selling products, like Amazon does (or even Amazon itself), AliExpress gets rid of the middle man; you buy direct from the factory.
This means that prices are often MUCH cheaper, but come with the downside of you have no quality control, and postage takes a very long time (weeks to months).

Threads

The first thing we need to talk about is threads. And there is a reason this is first; by and large, the reason people come to AliExpress is the threads. Brands like CXC and Royal Broderie are only available through AliExpress at the moment but are picking up a lot of interest amongst cross stitchers due to their price, and their perfect color match to DMC threads.
This has a good side and a bad side. In the past, we’ve looked into if cheap embroidery threads are worth buying and we put some rumors to bed about their quality. We used CXC threads for most examples and they came out looking great, they don’t bleed, don’t melt, they hold their color, they are nice to use, and with a price point at less than 10 cents per skein, they are a fantastic price. But we picked CXC threads as we knew they were the best of the cheap thread brands. There are others that don’t even have brand names, which are frankly the worst things I’ve used in my life. They do bleed, they do melt, they do break, they do knot. In fact, you can even see fake threads on AliExpress as well as there is no regulation. In those cases, you often see people reselling them and getting reports of DMC dye lot issues (when they’re actually just fake).
So you need to be careful when buying threads, as you can get really screwed over. But that doesn’t mean that’s the end of the issues. You have to wait weeks or months for your threads to arrive, and if there is an issue, it takes more weeks to sort out. This isn’t a quick process (and buying them can be a pain too).

Aida

Let’s move onto the next thing people tend to buy on AliExpress; aida. Thanks to the likes of SewandSo going out of business last year, finding aida other than black and white can be hard. And even then, if you’re looking for super sized aida it can still be hard. This is where AliExpress starts to shine.
Yes, there are loads of bad quality aidas out there, but as per our list of the best cross stitch aida brands, aida doesn’t actually need to be of that high of a quality. Essentially it needs to be gridded, and starched, which most aida supplies. The fact that it’s super cheap just makes this a better deal.
There are still pitfalls though. There are some aidas out there that aren’t correctly made up, so you get something more like 13 count or 15 count instead of your 14 count. This isn’t a super big thing most of the time, but if you’ve purchased just enough aida for your project, or you want to frame it, you start to get into tough situations.
There’s also next to no variations here either; you get a set of 10 basic colors, and you’re done. No pre-gridded, no waste canvas, etc.

Patterns

And now we get to patterns. One of the biggest things about Etsy was its copyright issues, and whilst this does exist with AliExpress to a MUCH smaller impact, poor quality patterns abound. It’s hard to find a good cross stitch pattern on AliExpress, and we even suggest avoiding pattern shopping on there at all. However, this is somewhat unfair to AliExpress.
You see, there are massive markets for cross stitch outside of English speaking countries. And patterns from these areas can’t sell in traditional markets due to the language barrier. However, as an experienced cross stitcher, you don’t need the text at all, meaning you can pick up some awesome patterns that you can’t see anywhere else in the English speaking world. These patterns tend to be larger, tend to prefer silks (although there are always embroidery thread conversion tables) and tend to look fantastic. These are the gems of AliExpress, but be prepared to pick a lot of bad apples before you find gold.

Price

But it’s not all doom and gloom!
Price is the biggest thing with AliExpress. Thanks to being manufactured in China, purchased directly from the factory, and normally super slow mail, you can get everything super cheap. Yes, the quality stuff is more expensive, but even that is considerably cheaper than more established Western brands like DMC or Anchor. The upshot of this is that people with lower incomes can get into cross stitch. This might be younger people, people from less economically developed countries, people on lower pay, or even just those not willing to spend a load of money on something they might not like.
It also has the added benefit that over time it will probably lower the price of all cross stitch goods, meaning things like DMC threads will be cheaper. But there is a downside here as well. By reaching for something cheaper and cheaper, quality falls. So far we know the like of CXC threads are good quality, but others are starting to try to make cheaper threads. If this continues CXC will go the same way, meaning AliExpress may soon only deliver poor quality products. Although this might be years off.

AliExpress logo (Source: Google Images)

Legacy

But what about legacy? By this I mean what impact will AliExpress have on the legacy of cross stitch. Let’s run an example. Let’s say a new cross stitcher comes to AliExpress, picks up some threads, aida, and pattern for a great price. They feel let down by the quality of all of them, and then never cross stitch again. This will impact how cross stitch is seen in general.
Thankfully, AliExpress isn’t particularly well known at this time, meaning new cross stitchers probably won’t go there first, but with the increasing knowledge of the store, this will start happening soon. But there is something else too. Resellers. You can buy poor quality fake threads on AliExpress and then sell them on online stores elsewhere, which people will buy and then, in turn, will assume the real brand is to blame. A good example of this is the DMC dye lot issue, and selling second hand threads. Whilst fake threads aren’t the main issue here, people really fear dye lot issues and stay clear from CXC due to them. In reality, it’s about storage of embroidery threads, but that doesn’t stop people who aren’t in the know from making an incorrect assumption.

So Is It A Force For Good?

Unlike Etsy, which we can see is for the better, it gets a little harder with AliExpress. There are many pitfalls to the AliExpress model, but its size and power allow for high quality, cheaper products to be made available to cross stitchers across the world. I think AliExpress will continue to rise but will fall short of overtaking the likes of Amazon and more specialist stores. Therefore, these cheaper brands will be made available in other places, but the bad quality items won’t.
Therefore, I would say; AliExpress is ruining cross stitch.

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How To Keep Your Eyesight While Cross Stitching

01/09/202026/04/2020 ~ LordLibidan ~ Leave a comment

“My mum/nan used to do that” is a phrase almost all of us have heard before. Its the response people give when you say you cross stitch. However, that answer has always bothered me. Not due to their lack of knowledge, the idea that cross stitch isn’t hip, or how throw away it is. No, the thing I have an issue with is “used to”.
I go around a lot of conventions and cross stitching events and I’ve slowly been collecting up reasons why people stop cross stitching. And almost without fault, it appears to be their vision. To us cross stitchers our vision is one of the most important things to us (even if we don’t know it), however, it’s also one of the biggest reasons why we might have to give up cross stitching. So to help all of us, I’ve spoken to some opticians to get the best information to ensure we keep our eyesight as long as possible and keep on stitching.

Glasses/Tests

Let’s just get this straight out of the way; if you need glasses, wear them.
I’m always surprised at the number of people that have glasses but choose not to wear them while cross stitching. Trust us on this one and wear them. Not wearing your glasses will cause you compounded problems.
That said, you also need to make sure you’re wearing the right glasses. This might be as simple as getting your eyes checked often, but also choosing to have a pair of cross stitch/reading glasses instead of varifocals, or getting uncoated lenses.

Light

With that out of the way, let’s talk about what to do to help. We went through some of the best ways to work with black aida, and whilst that was more specific to a problem many people have, the advice there is great here also. The one big thing; light. An area without a lot of light will cause your eyes to strain, which over time damages them. If you want to really make a great place to cross stitch, find somewhere with lots of natural light.

Even More Light

But natural light isn’t the only thing you need. No, I’m going to suggest you not only have natural light, but also get a separate light. This could be something like a table lamp, with or without a daylight bulb, or work light, under light or headlamp. All of these options will not only allow you to see your cross stitch creation come to life better but will help your eyes work on the details.

Daylight Slimline Table Lamp (source: Amazon)

Taking Breaks

The biggest bit of advice that our optician experts gave us, was take breaks. This seems simple enough, but when we actually got thinking about it, we stitch, and we stitch, and we stitch, and before you know it its been 4 hours and your bursting for a pee. But the suggestion of taking breaks is the same, if you’re cross stitching or using a computer (arguably more so with the detailed work of cross stitch). The 20, 20, 20 rule suggests taking a break of at least 20 seconds, every 20 minutes and to look at least 20 feet away. However, a longer 5-10 minute break is best (and allows you to make a brew!).

Be Reasonable

This one is a little harder to muster. We’re going to suggest you change the way you cross stitch, but only slightly!
It might be worth mixing up what hobbies you do, so you’re not cross stitching all the time. Or it might be worth staying away from those crazy 32 count miniature cross stitches in favor of the standard 14/16/18.
This idea does seem hard to take, and honestly, I’ve done my fair share of 32 count projects, like my Spring In Daigoji Temple miniature cross stitch, but thinking about the projects we choose, or more specifically the counts we use, can help us cross stitch for decades to come.

Use Magnifiers

However, if you really need to, use a magnifier; just don’t rely on it. We’ve investigated the pros and cons of using a magnifier for cross stitch before, and whilst they are a great tool to use when you need it, it’s not something you should always use. If you find yourself needing it all the time, try reducing the count of your projects, or get a check-up in the opticians.

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NASA Space Shuttle Blueprint Cross Stitch by Lord Libidan

30/08/202016/09/2020 ~ LordLibidan ~ Leave a comment

Title: NASA Space Shuttle Blueprint
Date Completed: August 2020
Design: Lord Libidan
Count: 14
Canvas: Navy
Colors: 1
Pop Culture: Space, NASA, Shuttle

I rarely revisit a cross stitch idea. For me, once the idea is done, it’s done. However, whilst stitching my Star Trek Enterprise LCARS cross stitch, I had a real yearning for a non sci-fi space project. What made this particularly interesting, was it may be the first time I had ever revisited an idea. The Enterprise was a larger version of my Star Trek Voyager LCARS cross stitch.

I’ve previously explained how much I love blueprints, and I’ve done enough of them, however, I’ve always loved my Saturn V Blueprint cross stitch. It was created for the Xstitch Magazine, however it always held a place in my heart for its complex nature. Working with the same design, planned to go side by side, I reworked the stitch to be focused on the NASA Space Shuttle, the only US space craft to fly in my lifetime.

You can also pick up this NASA Space Shuttle cross stitch pattern up from my Etsy.

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Whats The Best Cross Stitch Thread Brand?

25/08/202003/04/2021 ~ LordLibidan ~ 4 Comments

Finding the best products for you can be a challenge, so we’ve covered the best cross stitch needle brands and the best aida brands in the past. However there was always one topic we tended to stay away from, yet it was always the most requested. The best cross stitch thread brand.

We supplied 125 cross stitchers (ranging in ability, and current thread brand preference) with a selection of threads from 9 well-known thread brands, on unmarked bobbins (to remove bias) and asked for their honest feedback.

We tested five different variables; price, availability (both locally and online), quality, price, and a new category specific to this test; manufacture. This new variable is all about how the threads are made and include lots of factors such as environmental, tradition, thread make up and more.

Royal Broiderie Threads

Coming up in the last place on our test in Royal Broiderie threads. We actually praised the thread for its coverage in our post, testing to see if cheap embroidery threads are worth it, however, our testers found batch mismatches, the thread knotted more often, it split apart, and one tester reported color loss when washing. It should be noted that Royal Broiderie threads are such a low price point that many testers said they would still consider using the thread, even though it had its problems.

Range – 4/5
Availability – 2/5
Quality – 1/5
Manufacture – 2/5
Price – 4/5
Total – 2.5/5

Presencia Finca Coats

With 133 colors, Presenica Finca threads do offer problems when switching out DMC colors, although they do have the closest DMC code on their label. However, poor availability, highish prices, and the lower range meant Presencia Finca rated poorly, despite great scores for its quality and manufacture.

Range – 2/5
Availability – 2/5
Quality – 5/5
Manufacture – 4/5
Price – 3/5
Total – 3.2/5

Cosmo Threads

Ever heard of Cosmo threads? Well, that’s not a surprise. Cosmo threads are often used by quilters, even though it’s a hand embroidery thread, it’s of great quality and they do carry 400 colors. This sadly, is where the problems start creeping in. Cosmo threads are seriously hard to find, often requiring a deep web search to uncover. They don’t even have a website. In addition, the price can be up to double that of DMC threads, making it a costly thread to procure.

Range – 4/5
Availability – 2/5
Quality – 5/5
Manufacture – 5/5
Price – 2/5
Total – 3.5/5

Appletons Wool

Appletons threads aren’t like the others on this list; they’re wool. At first, we were hesitant to add Appletons for that specific reason, but our Facebook group asked for it to be added, so we did.
Understandably, wool breaks apart easier than cotton, it’s not as smooth, and its slightly harder to deal with. Its range is a healthy 400, so you can use it for almost any cross stitch project, but with it being hard to find inside of the UK (its head office), let alone elsewhere, it sadly slips down our ratings.

Range – 4/5
Availability – 2/5
Quality – 3/5
Manufacture – 5/5
Price – 3/5
Total – 3.5/5

J&P Coats

J&P Coats, or Coats, or J&P as they are sometimes called, create high-quality products. But just because the threads are well made, doesn’t mean they are actually nice to use. Sadly, this is one of those cases. Our testers found knotting to be an issue, coverage to be an issue, and fuzziness to be an issue (especially as you go to the end of your thread). This, coupled with poor availability and fairly high prices means Coats weren’t as high as we thought they would be.

Range – 4/5
Availability – 2/5
Quality – 5/5
Manufacture – 4/5
Price – 3/5
Total – 3.5/5

Aurifil Aurifloss

With 270 threads in the collection, Aurifil’s Aurifloss (sometimes called “cotton floss”) isn’t the biggest range out there, but the quality massively makes up for it. With a smooth and closely twisted weave, it makes a lint-free stitching experience, and we’ve yet to experience a thread snapping! They aren’t super cheap however and finding them can be really hard whatever country you’re in, which is why they sadly get beaten by the larger brands.

Range – 4/5
Availability – 2/5
Quality – 5/5
Manufacture – 4/5
Price – 4/5
Total – 4/5

Madeira Cotton Threads

In a not a huge surprise, Madeira threads have done well. Madeira is a pleasure to use, and thanks to its unique skein storage reduce the likelihood of knotting and splitting while being used. Our testers also found it to be the shiniest to use, giving any project a slightly glam look. However, outside of the UK and Australia Madeira hand embroidery threads (unlike their machine embroidery threads) are hard to find, and when you do find them, they often come with a healthy price jump.
If you can find them for a good price, these are a great product. With just under 380 colors, conversion to DMC color codes is easy, even if you lose some slight shade differences.

Range – 4/5
Availability – 4/5
Quality – 5/5
Manufacture – 5/5
Price – 4/5
Total – 4.5/5

Anchor Embroidery Threads

Another well-known choice for embroidery threads, especially in Europe, is Anchor threads. Praised for their soft texture, and for not knotting, or splitting people loved the quality of the threads. Sadly, they’re a little more expensive than its competitors, and outside of the US and Europe, they are hard to come by.
The range is slightly smaller than DMC, but there is a whole raft of DMC to Anchor conversion tables out there, the threads are still interchangeable.

Range – 4/5
Availability – 3/5
Quality – 5/5
Manufacture – 4/5
Price – 3/5
Total – 4/5

Sullivans Threads

Sullivans threads are a delight to work with. Unlike many on our comparison test, Sullivans offers a standard 400 color range, and a further set of metallics, overdyed and variated, meaning its the largest range of any on our list, even DMC. However the manufacturers also know that DMC is the preferred option for many, so each skein is stamped with the closest DMC color code on the label, meaning you don’t need a conversion chart.
Sadly, sourcing these threads outside of North America or Australia isn’t easy, however, there are a few local stores taking up stock, so over time we expect this to alleviate and Sullivans should get easier and easier to find.

Range – 5/5
Availability – 4/5
Quality – 5/5
Manufacture – 5/5
Price – 3/5
Total – 4.5/5

CXC Threads

We don’t actually have a link to CXC threads, and that is the biggest problem. A Chinese copy if DMC threads, which come in all thread colors bar the new 35 DMC thread colors (although I hear they will do these colors as well soon), these threads were a key feature of one of our previous tests, are cheap embroidery threads worth it, and we found, not only were they worth getting, but thanks to their polyester construction, could actually hold up better than the competition.
One thing we didn’t talk about though, was getting your hands on these threads. Sold through Aliexpress, Etsy or other non-licensed reseller websites, theses threads are super cheap, but take ages to get to you, and are hard to find. Other than that though, they ranked very well with our testers.

Range – 5/5
Availability – 5/5
Quality – 3/5
Manufacture – 5/5
Price – 5/5
Total – 4.5/5

DMC Threads

DMC is for many, known as the golden standard for thread quality, but many have questioned its crown and wonder if it’s simply a case of DMC being the best-known brand out there. Our tests prove that DMC does still have fantastic threads. The range is copied by others on this list and is the most exhaustive by far, it’s available in almost every country on earth, and its made of traditional cotton in the same factory that has been making it for the last 500 years.
Those are the good points. However, there is a downside; cost. It’s a well-known fact that DMC threads vary in price by up to $5 a skein in some locations, but our tests proved that for the quality, people were prepared to pay the averaged out cost. That said, they still only tied for first place, with CXC threads.

Range – 5/5
Availability – 5/5
Quality – 5/5
Manufacture – 5/5
Price – 3/5
Total – 4.5/5

And there you have it, our round-up of the best cross stitch thread brands out there which will hopefully help you pick out a thread supplier for you! We should say though that there are lots of smaller brands out there which we haven’t included, but are great, including hand-dyed options. We also didn’t include any specialty thread suppliers that can really make a cross stitch project sparkle.

If you wanted to know, our choice is DMC threads. We prefer using pure cotton threads, and its widespread popularity, availability and color choices make it the easiest for us.

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Star Trek Enterprise LCARS Cross Stitch by Lord Libidan

23/08/202016/09/2020 ~ LordLibidan ~ Leave a comment

Title: USS Enterprise LCARS Ship Blueprint
Date Completed: August 2020
Design: Lord Libidan
Count: 14
Canvas: Black
Colors: 9
Pop Culture: Star Trek The Next Generation

I called my Star Trek Voyager Blueprint Cross Stitch my magnum opus, but apparently, I was wrong.

I started planning my Voyager blueprint years before I started it, with tests in my Star Trek cross stitch book and my LCARS what happens on the holodeck cross stitch, however, it never really worked for me, so I looked at doing a realistic screen accurate LCARS interface, and I chose a blueprint for it. It was one of the only patterns I’ve made to take me over 100 hours, and I was proud as hell. I added in so many details, so many little hints at storylines, and it’s a super-accurate blueprint to boot! However, I kept getting the same question come up “will you do an Enterprise?”.

It turns out, that whilst Voyager has always been my favorite Star Trek, for most people, it’s the Next Generation. This has two major problems with it though, problems I had to overcome. Firstly, there are 7 series (178 episodes) and 4 movies, all of which have their own hints at what the Enterprise contains, and what it can do. So I had to watch them. All of them. That’s not really too hard of a task, but my notes during the 200+ hours of watching were extensive, so I had to add that into the design. This is slightly more complicated by the fact that there are no ‘real’ blueprints out there for inspiration.

Star Trek Enterprise LCARS Ship Schematic Cross Stitch by Lord Libidan (Right Detail)

The second issue was that of size. The Enterprise D is 2-3 times larger than voyager in all dimensions. This makes it larger, sure, but combined with all the extra secrets I added in there, more complicated. Then, and this has always been a big thing for me, I wanted these patterns to look like real screens that could be used at any time, so I had to make it appropriate for a screen size, used in the series.

However, I put all of this together and even managed to reduce the number of colors from 13 to 11, whilst adding in a whole bunch of extras that were still in keeping, but also period-specific (LCARS changed between Next Generation and Voyager, in both colors and design). Then came the stitching, for which I had to buy a new cross stitch frame large enough!

Star Trek Enterprise LCARS Ship Schematic Cross Stitch by Lord Libidan (Left Detail)

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How Many DMC Threads Are There?

Clear Draws for Embroidery Thread Storage (Source: pinterest)

18/08/202006/08/2020 ~ LordLibidan ~ 2 Comments

There are officially 500 different colors of DMC 117 Mouliné Spécial thread.

But…

That’s not the whole story. The US DMC website lists only 489, there are some region-specific “exclusive” threads, and there are Étoile, Coloris, Color Variations, Light Effects, and even some Special Embroidery threads available.

So let’s dive in and work out what’s going on, and how many threads you can collect.

So Why Does The US Site Only List 489 Threads?

The DMC US website allows you to buy 489 colors separately, but there are still 500 standard threads.
All DMC threads are made in the French factory and shipped around the world (which is the main reason DMC threads vary in price depending on where you live). For some reason, which I don’t know yet, DMC US gets individual threads for 489 of the colors. So while you can get the others in the US, you can’t buy them individually from the US site (although other retailers do sell them).

If you’re looking for the missing colors, you need to pick up 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 677, 734, 822 and 988. Sometimes you may also need to source 3856 too.

What About Those US Specific Threads?

These 16 threads are mostly considered as discontinued DMC threads, as they are hard to come by outside of the Americas, and they’re rarely used in patterns. However, they are officially still in production.
Many countries have stringent rules on what dyes can be used in manufacturing, however, in America, these rules are slightly more relaxed. In 2013 a new set of 16 threads was made, using dyes that can only be sold in America. Whilst these threads were never brought into the official range (due to them being hard to come by outside the states), you can still pick them up on the US DMC site, and some resellers across the world.

3773, 3880, 3881, 3882, 3883, 3884, 3885, 3886, 3887, 3888, 3889, 3890, 3891, 3892, 3893, 3894 & 3895

What About The Other 6 Stand Threads?

Now the official 500 colors are done, we now need to talk about the other 6 strand threads. Whilst there are 500 solid colors, there are other threads that offer you a slight variation in your stitches, which might be worth picking up.

Étoile Threads

The newest threads to be added to DMCs range, the Étoile thread range. These 35 threads (not to be confused with the “new 35 DMC threads” which are included in the 500) are like any other threads in the range, but they have a slight sparkle running through them. Great for adding a subtle touch to any work, they’re a great range to collect too.

(C)ECRU, (C)BLANC, C310, C318, C321, C415, C433, C436, C444, C471, C519, C550, C554, C600, C603, C666, C699, C725, C738, C740, C798, C814, C816, C820, C823, C840, C890, C900, C907, C915, C938, C972, C995, C3371 & C3799

New DMC Mouline Etoile Threads In Silver Box (source: sewandso.co.uk)

Coloris

Another fairly new set of threads from DMC, the Coloris range is made up of threads with 4 distinct colors in each thread. Like some of the other variations threads which we’ll speak about in a minute, these threads are great for making more interesting solid color patterns. However, unlike the variations, they change to a very different color every 5cm, rather than a complementary color.

4500, 4501, 4502, 4503, 4504, 4505, 4506, 4507, 4508, 4509, 4510, 4511, 4512, 4513, 4514, 4515, 4516, 4517, 4518, 4519, 4520, 4521, 4522 & 4523

Color Variations

The color variations range is a series of color-changing threads with each color varying slightly giving a faded effect. There are 36 in total, however, there have been more in the past.

4015, 4020, 4025, 4030, 4040, 4045, 4050, 4060, 4065, 4070, 4075, 4077, 4080, 4090, 4100, 4110, 4120, 4124, 4126, 4128, 4130, 4140, 4145, 4150, 4160, 4170, 4180, 4190, 4200, 4210, 4215, 4220, 4230, 4235 & 4240

Variegated threads

The variegated range of threads, which can be hard to find if you’re trying to find them on the official DMC websites, are 18 threads similar in nature to the color variations series, but the change of colors is slower.
In the past DMC have made a lot of variegated threads discontinued, and the arrival of the new Coloris range has made many to suspect they made do the same to these soon too.

48, 51, 52, 53, 67, 69, 90, 92, 93, 94, 99, 105, 106, 107, 111, 115, 121 & 125

Light Effects

The final set of 6 strands threads by DMC is the Light Effects range. This includes all their metallic, pearl, neon and glow-in-the-dark threads.

E5200, E130, E135, E155, E168, E211, E301, E310, E316, E317, E321, E334, E415, E436, E677, E699, E703, E718, E746, E747, E815, E818, E825, E898, E966, E967, E3685, E3747, E3821, E3837, E3843, E3849, E3852, E980, E990, E940, 5282 & 5283

dmc light effect threads (source: DMC.com)

Are There Any Other Threads?

Whilst those are the standard 6 strand threads cross stitchers can use, there are other 6 strand threads from different DMC ranges that can be used as well.

Satin Threads

The first range is DMCs satin range. Unlike its standard cotton 500, the satin range is made up of rayon fibers (shiny wool) but acts exactly like normal DMC thread. Most people forget these threads, and they really shouldn’t as not only is a project with purely these threads a delight to behold (especially a higher count project) but they are a great swap in for backstitching threads.

S5200, S211, S307, S310, S321, S326, S336, S351, S352, S367, S414, S415, S434, S469, S471, S472, S501, S504, S550, S552, S553, S601, S602, S606, S666, S676, S700, S702, S712, S726, S738, S739, S741, S744, S745, S762, S776, S797, S798, S799, S800, S818, S820, S841, S898, S899, S909, S915, S931, S932, S943, S959, S964, S976, S991, S995, S3371, S3607, S3685 & S3820

Diamant Threads

Somewhat different from the others on this list the Diamant range is single strand, but they’re the same as a single strand of the standard cotton. Diamant threads are a great DMC metallics alternative, as they’re softer and in my opinion don’t have anywhere near the same issues as the DMC metallics range.

D5200, D140, D168, D225, D301, D310, D316, D317, D321, D415, D699, D898, D3821 & D3852

Discontinued Threads

There are also a whole bunch of discontinued threads. There are so many here, from all types of ranges, such as metallics, variations and variegated, but you can still get your hands on good quality second-hand embroidery threads that include these.

So How Many Threads Can You Collect?

In total, you can get your hands on 667 different DMC 500 six strand threads.

500 solid colors, 16 region-specific colors, 35 Étoile threads, 24 Coloris threads, 36 Color Variations, 18 Variegated threads & 38 Light Effect threads.

You can also get your hands on 60 satin six strand threads, 14 diamant threads and 73 discontuined threads.

Looking for how to track your threads?

We have a great free spreadsheet you can use!

DMC thread spreadsheet free download by Lord Libidan — DMC thread inventory sheet free download by Lord Libidan

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Subversive Cross Stitch Is Older Than You Think

11/08/202013/08/2020 ~ LordLibidan ~ Leave a comment

For as long as I’ve been cross stitching, there have been snarky cross stitches, NSFW cross stitches, postmodern cross stitches, tongue-in-cheek cross stitches, and even just the plain old retro cross stitches. These designs are great, but they serve a purpose; to subvert. But what exactly does that mean, and is it as contemporary as we’d like to think? I say no.

Subversive
[suhb-vur-siv]

adjective

Seeking or intended to subvert an established system or institution.

Its important that we start with a definition, or more specifically the definition of the word. Whilst you probably think you know what something is, its actual definition can be wildly different, take the humble cross stitch sampler for example.
So subversion is to undermine the power and authority of an established system or institution. This can take a whole or part of a cross stitch, but as many know it, a sampler of some type.

Modern Trends

In modern times, subversion can be highly varied. It can tackle major injustices, racial freedoms, or it can be a simple subversion of the common cross stitch. For most, this is the vast majority of cross stitch samplers, but even ones that aren’t made to be incongruous or shocking are still subversive.

In the below example someone has taken on the home sweet home cross stitch sampler trope, a highly traditional design, and subverted it by pushing a very modern video game aesthetic on top. This in itself does subvert, but the very nature of the work, a vault under the ground where the inhabitants are trapped for hundreds of years, pushes that envelope even further, mocking the original intentions.

Whilst this is far from the most subversive cross stitch, it does go to show that subversive cross stitch is very popular. This increase in popularity does mean its more obvious to the everyday cross stitcher, but in order to be a video game cross stitch, it needs to be contemporary.

But does it get older than this?

Fallout 3 Home Sweet Home Sampler Cross Stitch (source: reddit)

Second World War

With our second example, we throwback to the second world war, a time where you probably didn’t expect cross stitch to be popular, but with thousands of prisoners of war across Europe, cross stitch was a popular pass time. In reality, the British government supported this, indirectly, as they sent supplies that were tools for escape, however that didn’t stop POWs having their fill of cross stitch.

One such example is the fantastic work of Alexis Casdagli. At first glance this is a very Nazi loving sampler, a sampler so impressive to the nieve Nazis that they took this apparent pro-third Reich sampler around Germany to show off in other prisons. They were at the time, the authority, the established system, and Alexis subverted them in a way they didn’t even know. Around the edge reads simple morse code, familiar to all British troops at the time, with very subversive statements like “God Save The King” and even a swear word; “F**k Hitler”.

This is a sampler that not only subverts the authority of those in power but flys under their radar, hidden from view, meaning the Nazis spread the subversive statements to other prisoners of war.

But does it get older than this?

World War 2 sampler by imprisoned POW Major Alexis Casdagli (source: Victoria and Albert museum website)

19th century

The last example we have today is a fantastic cross stitch sampler by a young Elizabeth Parker in 1830, and whilst being one of the most intimate works you might have seen, is also strong in subversion. This was a time when cross stitch samplers were expected of young women when they were intended to show off their skills for a future life of marriage and to strengthen their bond with God. This was a time when young women couldn’t write and mental health was far from understood. Elizabeth subverted this expectation.

The opening passage of this sampler reads “As I cannot write I put this down simply and freely as I might speak to a person to whose intimacy and tenderness I can fully entrust myself.” from the very opening passage she is showing a wildly different take on a sampler, something at the time so traditional and expected. She subverts the very position she is put in, not being able to write, yet still about to form words.

She goes on, in a lengthy passage, I would suggest anyone reads, stitching about her treatment that is “cruelty too horrible to mention”, her thoughts on suicide and her lack of resolve with God. This all coming from the mind of a 17-year-old girl. But this isn’t pure rambling, this is staged, planned, thought through. Her words are clearly well chosen, and the design clearly planned. Her placement of nothing but red letters on white linen makes the words so much more dramatic, a color that wasn’t well used in samplers of the time. She even ends the whole passage with “what will become of my soul” followed by a large blank space, urging the reader to ponder on what happened to her.

This sampler is a diary of such, but I would argue that its one of the most subversive pieces you’ve ever seen, and whilst it doesn’t have that meme-worthy snarky snippet of modern stitching it’s subversive all the same.

But does it get older than this?

Earlier

Sadly, we don’t have any examples of subversive stitches before the 19th century, but let me be clear; we barely have any cross stitches before this time. The 19th century was a big boom time for cross stitch history where cross stitch became mainstream, thanks to cheap wool and cotton imports. However that to me, leaves the query open, for whilst we don’t know what came before, we do know subversive cross stitch is far older than we imagine.

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Cross Stitch Crazy & Cross Stitch Gold Magazines To Shut

Cross Stitch Crazy Magazine Cover Issue 221 (source: cross-stitching.com)

08/08/202008/08/2020 ~ LordLibidan ~ 1 Comment

Since March both the Cross Stitch Crazy magazine and Cross Stitch gold magazine, both rating highly on our cross stitch magazines review, have been on pause due to the recent stay at home events. However, their owner Immediate Media has now announced plans to close 12 magazines, including those titles.

We first heard about the possible plans back in July, however independent sources within the company have now confirmed that positions are being made redundant and the last issues will be 268 (Cross Stitch Crazy) and 162 (Cross Stitch Gold).

The cancellation of some of the best-known magazines in the cross stitch area is estimated to impact roughly 28,000 users, with Cross Stitch Crazy having a readership of 24,400. Redundancies were made on Friday 7th August, and no official announcement has been made to either readership.

Cross Stitch Crazy Issue 243 featuring Lord Libidan (source: cross-stitching.com)

Cross Stitch Gold Magazine Cover Issue 248 (source: cross-stitching.com)

In the last few years, we’ve also seen the likes of F&W Media collapse, the owner of The Cross Stitcher, however, this allowed a new owner to come in and take control of production. We’ve learned that this will not be the case with either magazine owned by Immediate Media and they are looking to close them permanently.

The publisher has said that “In order to the protect the long-term future of Immediate we have embarked on a cost-saving project across the business, which unfortunately will include some redundancies and the closure of some brands in our craft and homes portfolio and the phased closure of some of our youth and children’s titles.”

SOURCES:
Press Gazette Press Release
Immediate Media former employees
Immediate Media Website