Most of us don't bother to condition our threads but if you ever considered it or are just plain curious, Mary Corbet has written a nice long article that considers what thread conditioners like Thread Heaven and beeswax are supposed to do and how well they hold up over time. I found it very interesting!
https://www.needlenthread.com/2018/03/on-thread-conditioning-beeswax-for-embroidery.html
Mary definitely is against using them except for goldwork, attaching buttons to clothing and by inference, adding beads to needlework. It would be interesting to hear an opposing point of view.
Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright March 14, 2018 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.
2 comments:
Mornin' Jane! I have never used thread conditioners. When I first started stitching, I was taught to keep my hands clean so as not to add oils and grime to the threads. So, now I should coat a thread in a synthetic substance so it's easier to stitch with? Simply doesn't make sense to me. The beautiful tapestries and needlework examples we see from history didn't need these conditioners to last 100s of years and - if they did need some addition for strengthening, I'll bet good old beeswax worked just fine. Hooray for Mary!
(Me, climbing down from my early morning soapbox....)
Some folks swear by them, some won't touch them. Personally, I've only dabbled in using Thread Heaven and I can't see that it made any difference. But there are as many different ways to stitch as there are stitchers.
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