This is a follow up video from the Vincent and Messenger Bag videos. Vincent used quite a few different colours: some were used entirely and others just a bit. Constantly using one skein then another through the colour palette made a mess which needed tidying up. Skeins which were used just a little kept their labels on and remained neat. Others which were mostly used up lost labels and had threads dangling from them which caught on other threads. So by the end of the project I had a few loose labels and a tangle of random threads.
I purchased a Floss Bobbin Winder from my local fabric and haberdashery store for under $5.00. And after a few tries it worked a treat.
As you can see in the video, I had a stack of bobbins which had been collected over the years. There were several shapes and sizes amongst these bobbins and not all worked in the machine. The ones which were not compatible with the winder were basically discarded.
You might also see that the bobbins I used were cardboard. Plastic bobbins are also available which might be longer lasting than the cardboard ones. If you plan on using and re using bobbins, then you should consider marking the colour numbers on the bobbins in pencil. I used a couple of different pens some of which were pretty thick leaving little space for another number to be written on the cardboard for future threads.
I placed the Bobbin Winder on my storage box and held it in place with my fingers. The floss thread was drawn through my fingers, providing some tension to keep the thread neat. I could move my hand from side to side ensuring that the floss thread was spread evenly across the bobbin.
The unwound thread simply lay on the table after being unraveled from the skein. I couldn't make the thread unwind directly from the skein with the arrangement I had.
Using the winder allows for left over thread to be stored neatly. Smaller lengths of the same colour can be kept together without mess. You may also want to store different colours belonging to a single project together.
The video shows several methods for determining the colour numbers of your floss. I looked up some colours online. You should consider whether your tablet or phone produce accurate colours which will correctly match your threads.
If you have a colour number from a label you can trace it back to the actual colour using the DMC Colour Guide. This is a wonderful resource to have if you use a lots of colours or are planning embroidery projects. However, it is expensive at around $90. I had originally discovered this Guide at my local quilting retailer and realized it is an amazing resource. The one in the video was purchased for only $2 at a Goodwill Store in New Zealand and shipped to me. (thank you sis)
If you are mixing your threads and yarns, the Guide is also useful to find good matches of colour between different brands and even yarns. In the image above I am getting a good match to a coloured Sashiko thread. You should also consider that some yarns are hand dyed and you will not find a really accurate colour number to match them. Your easiest matches to these yarn dyes may be found by eyeballing a chart such as the one above.
The video shows various methods to straighten floss after it has been stored on a bobbin. It doesn't take long for the floss to get kinks and bends when stored on floss bobbins. I actually prefer to store my floss on their original skeins because it remains straighter, but this is not always possible with smaller amounts of floss.
Massaging the thread by hand had some effect but the thread was still very kinked.
Ironing the thread was quick and pretty effective.
Using a hair straightener improved the bendy thread but was not fabulous.
Velcro also improved the look of the thread however it was very rough on the floss. I think I was damaging the thread as much as straightening it.
Using water in a spray bottle or on a damp cloth had the best outcome however you will need to let the thread dry before using it.
Cheers
Watch the project that created many of these loose ends - Vincent - The Starry Night in Straight Stitch