Choosing the Right Thread Weight for Hand Embroidery
Hand embroidery is an art that thrives on precision, texture, and color. One of the key factors in achieving the perfect stitch is selecting the right thread. In this guide, we’ll explore comparing hand embroidery thread weights, focusing on high-quality perle cotton threads in 12wt, #8, #5, and #3 sizes. Discover how each weight creates unique textures and effects in your stitches, and learn how to choose the best thread for your project. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced stitcher, experimenting with different thread weights can transform your embroidery projects, adding depth, personality, and a professional finish.
What is Perle Cotton Thread?
Perle cotton, also known as pearl cotton, is a high-quality, mercerized cotton thread known for its distinctive sheen, strength, and smooth, non-divisible structure. One of the biggest differences between embroidery floss and perle cotton is that perle cotton comes as a single twisted strand, whereas floss typically requires separating the strands before stitching. This makes perle cotton ideal for hand embroidery, quilting, needlepoint, crochet and decorative stitching. WonderFil perle cotton, called Eleganza™, is available in various weights, #3, #5, and #8, with lower numbers indicating thicker thread. The mercerization process enhances its luster, color, vibrancy, and durability, making it a favorite for both traditional and contemporary fiber arts.
WonderFil Eleganza™ Perle Cotton takes these qualities to the next level. Made from 100% long-staple Egyptian cotton, our perle cotton is double-gassed and mercerized, meaning it has been treated twice to remove excess lint while enhancing its luxurious sheen and strength. This results in an exceptionally smooth, vibrant and durable thread with a consistent twist and stitch definition.
Perle Cotton vs Embroidery Floss
When it comes to choosing the perfect thread for your hand embroidery projects, WonderFil Eleganza™ perle cotton stands out as a top choice, especially compared to other popular options like embroidery floss. So, what makes Eleganza™ a must-have in your embroidery toolkit?
Unlike embroidery floss, which is stranded and can be separated into individual plies, Eleganza™ is a non-divisible, tightly twisted perle cotton thread. This unique structure ensures that the thread remains intact, eliminating the frustration of splitting or fraying mid-stitch. It’s a game-changer for embroiderers who want smooth, even consistent stitches without the hassle. The round shape of perle cotton thread also helps produce more dimensional embroidery stitches.
Another quality of Eleganza™ is it’s subtle, natural luster, which adds, which adds a touch of elegance to your sewing projects. This refined finish is achieved through the mercerization process, a specialized treatment that not only enhances the natural sheen of cotton but in the process also strengthens the cotton fibers.
Durability is another key feature of perle cotton, thanks to its strong, tightly twisted fibers that resist fraying, even with frequent use. This durability becomes especially noticeable during the stitching process, as Eleganza’s smooth texture allows it to glide effortlessly through fabric, making every stitch a pleasure. Whether you’re working on intricate details or larger designs, the consistent quality of Eleganza™ ensures a seamless experience from start to finish. In contrast, embroidery floss can vary in texture and consistency, sometimes leading to fraying or uneven stitches, which can interrupt your creative flow.
Comparing size 8 vs size 5 vs size 3 perle cotton
When it comes to hand embroidery, the weight of your thread can dramatically impact the look and feel of your project. Thread weights determine the thickness of the thread, and choosing the right one depends on the type of embroidery you’re doing. A thicker thread will create bold textured stitches that stand out, while a finer thread will produce more delicate, intricate details.
Size 8 Perle Cotton
The most common size of hand embroidery perle cotton is a size 8 (#8 or 8wt). If you’re just starting out or doing any general hand embroidery, this is the recommended thread weight. It strikes a perfect balance between being fine enough for intricate stitches while still providing good visibility and texture. Size 8 perle cotton glides effortlessly through fabric, making it easy to work across different materials, from cotton and linen to wool and felt. It pairs beautifully with a variety of stitches, including backstitch, chain stitch, French knots, satin stitch and more, ensuring versatility in embroidery designs. For best results, a size 3 milliners needle is recommended for wrapped stitches like bullion knots, while a size 24 chenille works well for standard embroidery stitches requiring precision.
Size 5 perle cotton
When comparing hand embroidery thread weights, size 5 perle cotton (#5 or 5wt) is slightly thicker than size 8 but still thinner than size 3, offering a more pronounced stitch. Many embroiderers prefer this size when they want their stitches to have more definition and visual impact without being too bulky. It works exceptionally well for techniques like big stitch quilting, visible mending and decorative surface embroidery, adding a touch of texture and emphasis to designs. The additional thickness makes it an excellent choice for embellishment stitches, couching and embroidery on wool appliqué. When working with a size 5 perle cotton, a size 1 milliners needle or size 18 chenille needle, depending on the type of stitch.
Size 3 Perle Cotton
At the boldest end of the spectrum is size 3 perle cotton, the thickest of the commonly used weights. This thread creates strong, highly textured stitches that add dimension and visual interest to embroidery. Because of its thickness, it is ideal for applications where you want a striking effect, such as bold surface embroidery, couching, or hand stitched embellishments on heavier fabrics like denim or wool. Since this thread requires a larger needle to accommodate its thickness, a size 18 chenille needle or a size 15 milliners needle.
In addition to its wide color selection, Eleganza™ also features exclusive designer collections, such as the Sue Spargo, Alison Glass and Calico Patch lines. These collections offer beautifully curated palettes in solid and variegated colors, from rich, earthy tones to vibrant, modern hues, giving you endless inspiration.
12wt cotton thread
Finally, we have our 12wt threads, Spagetti™ and Fruitti™, both crafted from high-quality long-staple 100% Egyptian cotton. These threads undergo a double-gassing process, which burns away excess lint not once, but twice, resulting in an ultra-smooth, low-lint finish. This ensures that your stitches appear clean, crisp, and beautifully defined.
A 12wt thread is comparable in thickness to a single strand of embroidery floss, making it an excellent choice for fine detail work, delicate embellishments, and precise hand embroidery. It’s particularly well-suited for projects on high-thread-count fabrics, where a finer thread allows for greater control and precision without overwhelming the design.
An added advantage of Spagetti™ and Fruitti™ is their versatility – not only are they perfect for hand embroidery, bu they also fit through the eye of a sewing machine needle. This makes them an excellent option for machine embroidery, top stitching, quilting and decorative sewing, giving fiber artists and sewists even more creative possibilities!
Watch and learn: see the threads in action
To help you visualize how Eleganza, Spagetti and Fruitti can elevate your embroidery projects, we’ve created a video that showcases the differences between the size 3, 5, and 8 weights. Whether you’re curious about how the threads look in different stitches or want inspiration for your next project, this is a video is a great resource. Watch it below and see how these threads can bring your creative vision to life!
Explore, stitch, share!
Thread weight plays a crucial role in the look and feel of your hand embroidery projects. Whether you’re using the bold texture of size 3, the versatility of size 5, the well-balanced size 8, or even the delicate 12wt, each weight brings its own unique character to your stitches. Comparing hand embroidery thread weights opens up a world of creative possibilities, allowing you to add depth, texture, and detail to your designs.
We hope this guide has inspired you to explore the impact of thread weight in your embroidery. Try out these stitches yourself and see how different weights can transform your work! Show us what you stitched by tagging us on Facebook @wonderfil or Instagram @wonderfilspecialtythreads and use the hashtag #wonderfil.
Happy Stitching!