Repeat information for many Arachne members. Important to newbies. DMC, Coats and Anchor embroidery flosses are cotton. I have toured the DMC factory complex in Mulhouse, France (near the Alps and a plentiful water supply) and observed all stages of production. Their product line is very old, and used to be of the highest quality when they had many knowledgeable customers. But quality has been compromised in some instances in the last 40 years, as you will read below. When everyone became concerned about water pollution from dyes (1970's), the DMC cotton embroidery floss (6 strands per skein) dye formulas changed. DMC then issued a list of color numbers that were no longer colorfast. When embroidered items were washed, some dyes ran. The owners of independent needlework shops then in existence used to give out little cards with all the numbers affected. These looked like a business card. Now, I believe we have a cheaper, poorer quality of DMC Mouline Special thread (floss) being sold in the huge chain stores (in the U.S.) and I daresay throughout the world. I say this because threads sometimes have slubs and a slightly uneven feel when drawn through the fingers of embroidery experts. To my knowledge, the big store chains do not warn about color fastness. Nor do the makers of embroidery kits with threads provided inside the packaging. Many first-time embroiderers (usually self-taught) have bought kits, stitched diligently but with with dirty hands, and washed the completed work, only to have dyes run. These people do not know to keep the fabric wet if dye is visibly bleeding into it. This has made many give up on embroidery and created enormous challenges for restorers of embroidery! If you use DMC floss as a gimp, you need to be certain a color will not run into white lace threads. I used to buy boxes of floss, remove the labels, soak in hot water and Orvus soap to give the harshest treatment possible before using, rinse in distilled water - pouring water off the side of the basin to prevent tangling. Then lay skeins between Bounty (promoted as acid-free) paper towels and press with fingers to remove excess water, and lay on a dry surface until ready to wind on small pieces of acid-free card to (again) prevent tangling. Then try to save the color number labels with the wound thread. It is messy and disagreeable to do at home, but my students deserved quality and no dye disaster. All this at-home dye purging work rendered it impossible to determine the nap of the thread so it could be pulled through fabric from the proper direction - indicated by the label showing the end to pull from the skein (also the end to thread in a needle). Therefore, I would knot the other end of each skein of thread to show it was not to be threaded in a needle eye before putting a skein to soak. Ugh! I have never charged for lessons, so all this labor was on me. In my opinion, DMC should have made all threads with permanent dyes - and spread the cost over their entire line of thread products. At the time, we joked that we should all switch to embroidering only white work. I'm not certain, but think that Anchor may be a better quality. I base this solely on the higher price and the specialty shops where it is sold. Someone else will be able to comment on it. I have no experience with Coats. Everyone - please keep this memo in your Conservation files/binders. It would apply to threads purchased over a period of maybe 40 years. If you give away old supplies to younger people.....you know why I'm reminding you! This is related to the reason why I always use pastel threads to baste counting guiding lines in Hardanger fabrics and to establish the center of fabrics for counted cross stitch. In this case, not only because of possible dye transfer problems, but because tiny colored fibers may remain when basting is removed. We need a esteemed representative - like Therese de Dillmont - in the 21st Century. Jeri Ames in Maine USA Lace and Embroidery Resource Center
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