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Mary Corbet

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I learned to embroider when I was a kid, when everyone was really into cross stitch (remember the '80s?). Eventually, I migrated to surface embroidery, teaching myself with whatever I could get my hands on...read more

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Valdani Needlework Threads – Have You Used Them?

 

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Have you tried Valdani threads? I haven’t. But I’m going to. I’ve heard from readers off and on who have inquired about them, but I didn’t know much about them, and since I haven’t tried them, I can’t really give an opinion on them. But, like I said, I’m going to try them!

Valdani Needlework Threads

In the meantime, I’ll tell you a little bit about the threads, and later, I’ll tell you how I like stitching with them.

Valdani is a thread company that produces hand-dyed, colorfast threads for needlework of all kinds, including floss and perle cotton for embroidery, as well as crochet cotton and yarns. What makes Valdani unique is that the company sells hand-dyed threads that are guaranteed colorfast.

Valdani Needlework Threads

Over-dyed embroidery floss is pretty popular today. The subtle or bold variations in color that can be achieved by hand-dyed and over-dyed threads are very attractive to needleworkers. Hand-dyeing and over-dyeing achieve a nice, gradual variation in shade, so that the change on the embroiderer’s work is subtle and slow, rather than abrupt and blocky. Such gradual change in shading helps give finished embroidery (that might otherwise appear flat and stark) a certain depth and richness. Especially in the counted cross stitch sphere, where monochrome motifs are quite popular, the stitcher might prefer using an over-dyed thread that doesn’t change color, but rather changes shade smoothly and subtly. Valdani produces both tone-on-tone colors as well as multi-variegated colors with a high contrast between colors.

The notion of spending hours and hours of stitching and then having to worry about whether the dye on your floss will run if the piece has to be rinsed can be a wee bit disturbing – and hence, it’s nice to know there’s a thread company out there that’s producing hand dyed threads that they guarantee are colorfast.

Valdani Needlework Threads

Valdani also produces three-strand floss, which is meant ideally for Punch needle (it doesn’t have to be separated or pre-cut – it’s just fed from the ball straight into the punch needle), but also looks to me like it might be a really nice, ready alternative to stranded floss for surface embroidery. I’m going to try this stuff out in some surface work to see how I like it.

Valdani Needlework Threads

If you like pearl cotton, Valdani produces three sizes – #5, #8, and #12. All sizes are wound in balls. That alone is pretty enticing – I prefer balls and spools to skeins any day!

Finally, Valdani also produces – or is beginning to produce – hand dyed silk that is guaranteed colorfast. (Silk! Ahhh. Silk. I love it.) In June at the TNNA Needle Arts Market in Columbus, Ohio, they will be launching a beautiful pearl silk that’s hand dyed in their own color and shade range. The original silk is Au Ver a Soie’s Soie Perlee, so it’s good silk. I can’t wait to see the range they come out with!

If you go to the TNNA market (lucky you!!), you should look for it!

So that’s what I know about Valdani. The only thing lacking now is the personal experience of stitching with their threads.

But since I haven’t stitched with them, I thought I’d ask you – have you used, or do you use, Valdani threads? What do you think – do you like them? Are they a thread of choice for you? Do you order them or buy them regularly? Are they stocked in your local needlework shop? Any info or opinion you have, do feel free to leave a comment! I’d love to hear your take on this thread!

In the meantime, I’ll stitch a bit with it, and then I’ll let you know what I think!

Thanks so much for your input on yesterday’s post on the Floral Glove project. I’ll update you on my “fix” soon! There were heaps of excellent comments and lots of good discussion on the subject, so don’t hesitate to jump to the comments section on the Floral Glove post to read some good input!

 
 

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(34) Comments

    1. Hi, Sandi – You can check their website. I think they have a “distributors” page. Any link to “Valdani” in the above post will take you there!

      Kathryn – The TNNA shows are never open to the public, to my understanding. You have to be a retailer, a wholesaler, a manufacturer, a teacher, or a designer to be eligible to get in, methinks. I’d love to go to one of the shows, but alas, I don’t fit their criteria for any of the above. Maybe some day!

  1. Hi, Mary. You sure got a lot of feedback yesterday. Looking forward to seeing what your decision was.

    Where do we buy Valdani threads??????

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  2. Can’t wait for your review on your stitching experience with Valdani threads !
    They do look lovely ! I’ve been wanting to try Valdani for a while after reading about on other blogs and seeing them at a local Quilting & Fiber Marketplace.
    Have Fun with them !!!

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  3. I have yet to stitch with Valdani’s but I have 3 sets of them plus the assortment to stitch a project. They are absolutely beautiful to look at. I can’t wait to clear my plate a bit so I can start the project. The year long project at the cross stitch shop where I work is done with Valdani. I ‘m really sorry I didn’t join the group this year. It is gorgeous! Can’t wait to see what you think.

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  4. I have a couple of sets of Valdani threads. They are heaven to stitch. The sets I bought are for quilting, and I remember thinking they would work very well for embroidery also. I will have to get them out and try them. Their customer service is excellent–they seem to REALLY care about the customer’s needs and wants. And, their products are high quality–it may take them several years to introduce a new product, but the product will meet their high standards. Reasonable prices/shipping also.

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  5. I fell in love with Valdani threads at Lacis in Berkeley. Some of the color combinations just stopped me in my tracks. I’ve used them for some huck weaving projects; you can see one of them here: http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=258736.0 (the pincushion at the top is with the Valdani threads). I use the Perle #8. It seems to me to have less shine and less of a pronounced “beaded” texture than DMC or Anchor threads. This is different from some of the other overdye companies; since they dye on a DMC base, they end up with a similar feel and sheen.

    My comments on teh look and feel are based on memory; my threads are in California, and I’m in Florida at the moment, so I can’t actually look at them to refresh my memory for this comment posting.

    I’ll be very interested to hear what you’ve got to say once you’ve tried these threads, Mary; you’ve got such an extensive needlework background and have lots of angles for looking at things from.

    My favorite color blends from Valdani are Mulberry Grape and Algae; you can see them on the Valdani site: http://www.valdani.com/product_details/5

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  6. I’m using their pearl cotton on a wool applique piece I am working. I have to say, I’ve fallen in love with them. I bought a small set of twelve at a quilt store and no doubt will be buying more.

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  7. I have just started to stitch “Quaker Diamonds” with Valdani three stranded floss. The results are awesome. The gradations just make the piece have a dimension that makes it very special. It also feels “good” in your hands and when it runs through the linen. I think I will need to buy more than the 12 balls I ordered for the sampler.

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  8. Actually, they’re one of my suppliers 🙂 I really do like their threads. I’ve tried a bunch of different ones. They also have excellent customer service.

    They might even have one of my pieces at the TNNA show. I know they brought it to Smac.

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  9. I’ve never used Valdani threads, but they sure do look yummy in your pictures. Must admit I’m a lover of pearl cotton so they would probably be my first choice. It will be interesting to see what you think of them.

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  10. I have several balls of Pearl 8 that I bought with crazy quilting in mind. But I use them for lots of different embroidery. It is softer than DMC 8 and I seem to like “squishy” threads. Not quite as soft as Watercolors. I think they are easy to stitch with. I like the colors, too.

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  11. I love Valdani threads- I wish they were easier to come by- but whenever I find them I try to buy as much as I can afford. The colors are amazing, and the pearl cotton is a dream to embroider with. I buy it in New York at Pearl Soho, and in Iowa City and HomeEc Workshop. Thanks for your fabulous how-to videos, I am constantly recommending them to students. Best, Rebecca

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  12. I’ve used the pearl cotton for embroidery. It is lovely to work with- smooth and so pretty. I tried out 3 colors and then had to go back, the next time I was in NY, and buy about 12 more 🙂 I bought mine at PurlSoho in New York and it’s available at their website.
    I can’t wait to see your review of their other threads.

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  13. I just bought a lot of Valdani size 12 perle cotton on ebay in the “Muddy Monet” colorways, but I haven’t stitched with them yet. Here’s another online source:
    http://www.netquilter.com/

    One thing I haven’t seen mentioned is that Valdani size 12 perle cotton is supposedly comparable to DMC size 8 perle cotton. Can anyone confirm this from experience?

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  14. That reminded me that I have some of their floss that I picked up from when I ordered some Moondance wool thread from Colonial Crafts a while back. I will have to dig them up and see how they work out. I highly recommend Colonial Crafts btw(am not affiliated, just had good experiences with them), their current offerings of wool are very tempting right now…

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  15. I fell in love with Valdani threads at Lacis in Berkeley. Some of the color combinations just stopped me in my tracks. I’ve used them for some huck weaving projects; you can see one of them here: http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=258736.0 (the pincushion at the top is with the Valdani threads). I use the Perle #8. It seems to me to have less shine and less of a pronounced “beaded” texture than DMC or Anchor threads. This is different from some of the other overdye companies; since they dye on a DMC base, they end up with a similar feel and sheen.

    My comments on teh look and feel are based on memory; my threads are in California, and I’m in Florida at the moment, so I can’t actually look at them to refresh my memory for this comment posting.

    I’ll be very interested to hear what you’ve got to say once you’ve tried these threads, Mary; you’ve got such an extensive needlework background and have lots of angles for looking at things from.

    My favorite color blends from Valdani are Mulberry Grape and Algae; you can see them on the Valdani site: http://www.valdani.com/product_details/5

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  16. The only valdani thread i can get locally is the variegated #12 pearl cotton: in size, it is somewhere between DMC #8 and #12, and as others said, it is less shiny and somewhat softer. Also, it is less uniform in texture and thickness, you will find the occasional lump or thin area. I think this looks and feels very natural and I actually prefer it over DMC. It’s such a pity that I can’t get solid colours here, but I’m using the subtly variegated ones wherever I can.

    not that I have much of a choice: we don’t get other #12 pearl cotton here and only a limited range of #8.

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  17. I just bought my first Valdani threads today, and they’re so gorgeous I can hardly wait to start using them – but I have a problem – I can’t find the end of any of these threads! I bought a dozen balls of #12 perle cotton, and have fussed and fiddled with all of them, and not found ONE thread end! Is there a trick to this? Can anybody help? (I feel so silly…..!)

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    1. Don’t feel silly, Linda – I sat down with them the other day, and was admiring away, when I decided I might as well stitch a tiny something with them. I started looking for the end…. and 10 minutes later, I decided I’d drop them a note and ask them if there’s a trick to it! I couldn’t find one, either. Your comment just reminded me. If there’s no trick to it, I think the best bet is just snipping the thread and starting it. But I’ll definitely write and find out.

      The funny thing is, after not finding an end after a second, I picked up my scissors to cut the thread. But then curiosity got the better of me! After all, there must be two thread ends on each of those balls, right?!

  18. Thanks for your input, Mary – it’s so nice to know that it isn’t just me! LOL I sent an email to Valdani yesterday myself, and got an answer, but it wasn’t very helpful at all. Fortunately though, I have a friend who uses these threads, and she came through with the answer last night – poke around in the middle of the ball (she uses her punchneedle to do it), pull on anything that moves and be patient. I’ve just tried it with a couple of balls, and found one end pretty easily. With the other one, a little wad of thread came out, and eventually I found the end amongst it. Hurray! I can start needlepunching!

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  19. Ok, so I couldn’t resist myself and ordered some to try them… LOL. After searching online I decided to get mine from: http://www.anitalittlestitches.com/threads.html ,
    Anita is a wholesaler and retailer for Valdani 6 strands. She also retails some of the overdyed Valdani 3 strands. I got them on sale, and they are still on sale :-). This was my 1st time ordering from her and she gave me an excellent customer service plus my order arrived in 2 days. There is a min. for ordering online , and the shipping cost is reasonable.
    I’m not affiliated , I’m just a very happy customer and thought that maybe you Mary or some of the girls that stop by will like to know ;-).

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  20. I have been doing fine crochet with DMC Pearl Floss, size 5 (25 m) and a size 2 hook. I love the colors and larger amounts of the Valdani, along with the convenience of their being already balled. My question is which of the sizes would be comparable to the DMC size 5 Pearl Floss?

    I am hoping someone can answer my question, so I can order directly online as I live in a small town with no Valdani yarn at hand.

    Thanks for a terrific post, BTW.

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  21. I used the Valdani THreads required for Sunflower Fairy by Mirabilia/ Nora Corbett and they were wonderful to work with. There was no knotting and I loved the varigation. I had to purchase them from a lady in Texas as my local shop doesn’t carry them. I wish there were more patterns using these threads.

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  22. hiya- my name is tina and I am a seriously stitchy person, and I ADORE valdanis, use them all the time, recommend them to everyone, they stitch quickly, never knot or twist, colours are outstanding and lay really nicely, also really good value for money….

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  23. I ran out of Valdani Perle Cotton size 12 color 893 and I am trying to find another brand that would be the same color, can you help me.

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  24. I’ve used Valdani for punchneedle projects many times and I absolutely love it. It’s has gorgeous subtle color variations within each skein that add tremendous depth to my work. The only deterrent I can find is it is quite cost prohibitive since I tend to punch quite tight.

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  25. Thank you. Mary, for the extensive information about embroidery threads that you have researched
    and shared with beginner embroidery students such as I . As I have said before, you are a great teacher. I enjoy your you tube videos. They, together with the needles, cloth and fabric choices go a long way in helping someone like me with a strong desire to learn embroidery and beginning crewel.
    Now I have an new inspiration, the multi-colored threads and subtlety of color gradations are fascinating, I can only imagine the beautiful flowers petals worked with this coloration

    Happy creating,
    Holly Rose

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  26. i have a ball of valdani pearl cotton, 12 weight, but can’t figure out how to find the beginning of the thread. i want to put it in my bobbin to do bobbin work. any suggestions?

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    1. Hi, Carol! I always find that soooooo frustrating! When I can’t find the end on a ball of thread, I usually end up using the eye of a needle and putting it gently under the outermost threads wrapped on the ball and tugging the thread up slightly, to see if it will give. Sometimes, you have to try a lot of threads! But sometimes, you get lucky and it’s one of the first few threads you try!

  27. Just discovered this thread in a book I am reading. Have to give the silk a try. Thank you for your article, it helped me decide to try.

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