Expert: Angela - 12/16/2007

Question
I am doingTeresa Wentzler's 'Celestial Deagon' for my son and daughter in law who are both in martial arts and expecting their 1st child.  The pattern calls for 2 different blending filaments mixed with no less than 14 floss combinations and 2 different "Mill Hill" petite glass beads.
1. Do I need a specialty store for these items? I can't find them at Michaels or Joann Fabric, (the two main craft stores in MN.) Is the metallic DMC floss the same as filament?
2. I take it I knot each filament with each floss combination at time of stitching?
3. What does "Vintage Gold #4 Braid couched using 1 strand of DMC 729" mean?
Help
Barb

Answer
Hello, Barb

You will need to use 2 different blending filaments, and will need to blend the certain filaments with certain threads.  In other words, if a blend is called for using 032 blending filament with white, then you'll need to use 1 strand of the filament with 2 strands of white thread.

Mill Hill beads can be found here:

http://www.millhill.com/

I'm not sure where in MN you're located, however, here's a website for a stitching shop in Minnetoka, MN.:

www.stitchville.com  and the person's email address is:

debbie@stitchville.com

You need to knot each strand of the blending filament onto the needle before you insert the other strands into the same needle.  This ensures that the blending filament won't slide off the needle as you're stitching.

Metallic DMC floss isn't like filament as it's thicker.  It's a metallic thread that's used to give highlights in projects, and is usually used by itself.  Here's the link of what it looks like:

http://www.dmc.com/majic/pageServer/04010100oz/en/ct/os/prid/21353/index.html

With regards to couching, here's an example of how it is done:

http://inaminuteago.com/stitchdict/stitch/couching.html

I think what they're trying to tell you is you lay down a strand of vintage gold #4 Braid (which is a Kreinik product, and may be found at the above store that I gave you), and you use 1 strand of DMC #729 to hold it into place.

I hope that helps you with your project. :)  If you require further help, please don't hesitate to contact me again, and I'll do my best to assist you further. :)

Sincerely,

Angela :)