A great many people read the article I posted about dye lots a few weeks back, so I thought I'd write a bit more about dyelots.
Dyelots have always been a problem with certain thread brands. Caron is an example, but you can even see dyelot changes in things like Kreinik's metallics. Mr. X Stitch has an enlightening article about the topic.
You also need to remember that sunlight will effect the color of your threads. Be careful how you store them. Also realize that a shop may have had a card of thread for a long time before you bought it. It's possible that the new cards they order look slightly different.
Kreinik has started marking their metallics that are having a dye lot change with a letter on the label. Any stand alone letter on a spool of Kreinik signifies a dye lot change.
All that said, you are still going to be burned with dye lot issues. What can you do to minimize the issue? Look carefully at the area effected. If it is a background, can you do simple things like add stripes? Can you toss sequins or beads or charms or crystals on top to distract the eye and camoflauge the color difference?
If you are stitching clothing, can you overstitch the dyelot area to help make the color change look like deliberate shading? By overstitching, I mean adding stitches on top. Joan Thommason is famous for her overstitching on her angels. "Deanna's Angel" has a trellis pattern on top of tent stitches on one skirt and a metallic flower shape on another. Will something along those lines hide your problem?
If you are stitching hair, can you add a lighter or darker shade to give the hair natural highlights? If you are stitching a face, can you use fewer plies to let the paint color show and mask the fact that the skin is two different colors?
Experiment and you might find that dyelot problem causes you to add extra creativity and beauty to your needlepoint.
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© Copyright April 19, 2023 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.
