Blending Embroidery Floss for Subtle Color and Shine
Blending embroidery floss lets you create custom in-between shades, soft color transitions or a subtle touch of shine.
By blending embroidery floss, you can create your own in-between shade, a softer color transition or a touch of shine. You combine separate strands from two or more skeins in one needle. It is surprisingly simple and gives you lots of freedom when a pattern does not have quite the color you are looking for.
Why blend embroidery floss?
By combining two shades, you can create a color that does not exist as a separate skein. This works beautifully when you want to soften a transition from dark to light, for example in an ombre effect.
Blended floss can also help suggest texture. Think of wood grain, flames or a cloud where several nuances come together. If you blend one strand with metallic thread, the shine becomes more subtle and the metallic strand is often more pleasant to stitch with.
How to blend embroidery floss
- Choose two colors you want to combine. They can be shades from the same color family, but also two contrasting colors.
- Separate both skeins and decide how many strands of each color you want to use. For a four-strand blend, for example, you could use two strands of light blue and two strands of dark blue.
- Place the strands next to each other and gently pull them between your thumb and index finger a few times so they lie neatly together.
- Thread the combined floss through your needle and stitch as usual.
Tips for a beautiful result
- Make a small test swatch first. That way you can immediately see whether the blended color and coverage suit your fabric and pattern.
- Keep a finished blend on a separate thread card. This makes it clear which strands belong together.
- The individual strands are not twisted together. If the thread starts to puff up while stitching, gently pull the strands straight again.
With a small test, you will quickly see how much difference the ratio between the colors makes. A standard skein can suddenly become exactly your color.
When is blending useful?
Blending is useful when you want a softer transition, are missing a color or want to give a pattern a little more life. For example, combine one dark strand with one light strand for a subtle in-between shade. For extra shine, you can blend a small amount of effect thread with regular mouline.
Start gently with two colors. If you want to learn more about choosing thread, read how to choose the right embroidery floss or browse all embroidery floss.
