How to organize embroidery threads
I recently made this series of short videos to show how I organize my embroidery threads (see videos below).
I devised this system when I was writing my book Colour Confident Stitching. I had bought one skein of every color from the DMC floss collection and I needed a way to organize the whole lot.
The idea of winding 465+ skeins in plastic bobbins was DAUNTING. And most of all, I don't like the marks that the folds leave on the thread so I searched eBay for some clear plastic cases that'd allow me to store the skeins flat.I organized the colors following the column order as it appears in the DMC color chart and I tell you, it was the best decision ever! It's so useful and inspiring to have the skeins grouped in family colors when creating palettes for embroideries. I just pick the cases with the colors I need and don't get distracted with the rest of the range.
While I don't claim my “thread organizing system” to be perfect, it has served me well so I thought of sharing how it works.
1. What do the numbers on the cases mean?
My organizing system works with the DMC floss color card. All the colors in the book are arranged in columns. The first 19 columns belong to the 6-strand cotton thread range, therefore I have 19 numbered cases where I keep the corresponding skeins.
2. Where did you buy the plastic cases?
I got them from eBay years ago. I haven't found the vendor now but I guess there are plenty of others selling similar cases. If you don't find them, a good alternative is using clear zipper bags (and these are easier to carry around).
3. What do you do with used skeins?
I pull out a length of thread from the skein and then return it to its case. When a skein is about to end, I wind the remaining thread around my fingers and put the bundle with the label with the number (the long one). Then put it back to the case (see the small bundle at the left).
4. Why I don't use plastic bobbins
Two reasons: I don't have the patience for winding all the skeins into the bobbins and mostly because I don't like the marks that the bobbin leaves in the thread (These make the thread more prone to knots and harder to separate strands).
5. Why I prefer spools instead of bobbins
Specialty threads such as metallic or satin-like floss sometimes are difficult to keep in its original skein (I usually say they have a life of its own—you know these are hard to tame!). For those cases, I use empty pearl cotton spools and wind the specialty threads around. You can see the difference: the thread remains smooth and without marks.