Stitch Tip #4: Use Variegated Threads

Painting the Town (detail) by Laura Wasilowski

Ever have a great idea and no idea how to execute that great idea?

That was my dilemma when creating this embroidery, Painting the Town, a project in my book, Playful Free-Form Embroidery.

Today’s Stitch Tip: Use Variegated Thread


For days I agonized over how to add multiple colors to the paintbrush bristles in the design. Should I use 6 different thread colors and change out the thread every few rows? After all, the theme of the design is a paintbrush madly slapping paint on every building in this tiny village. That means lots of colors!

And then a lightbulb dimly glowed in the distance.

You would think as a thread dyer that the answer to how to add lots of colors when stitching would be obvious.

But, no!

So it slowly dawned on me to use a variegated thread to create a colorful set of bristles. This is the thread colorway that solved my dilemma: size 8 thread, Rainbow Rich.

Variegated threads add spark to your embroidery. Colors flash in and out changing with each stitch and livening up a design. There is a surprise in every inch!

So glad that lightbulb went on.