Embroidery floss comes in skeins of six strands and patterns will often indicate how many strands to use. But what effect does varying the number of strand actually have on your embroidery?

I tried stitching various embroidery stitches with different numbers of thread to demonstrate how this impacts the overall look. For many stitches they loose their definition if too many strands of floss are used. But some stitches, for example stem stitch actually look better with thicker thread.

Here are some things to bear in mind whichever stitch/thread number combination you choose.

One strand - Perfect for fine embroidery work and for thin outlines.
Two strands - I stitch most of my projects with two strands because the additional strand gives a little bit more bulk. It’s especially useful to have that extra stitch when filling areas it means fewer stitches are needed to fill the area.
Three strands - I sometimes use three strands when stitching plant stems as it gives extra width without the need for another row of stitches.
Four strands - I have to admit I rarely stitch with four or five strands, but sometimes four strands is just the right amount of bulk needed for the part of the pattern you are stitching.
Five strands - It seems like a very odd number to stitch with if you ask me. But if it’s right for the project then go for it!
Six strands - Sometimes you want maximum bulk and to retain the embroidery floss look, in which case all 6 strands can be used. A longer length of three strands can be doubled if you want to stitch with 6 strands but don’t want as much bulk at the eye of the needle.

A picture showing blue thread on calico fabric. There are 6 rows of embroidery in backstitch. Each row is stitched with a different number of threads starting with 1 strand at the bottom and 6 at the top. — Backstitch

A picture showing blue thread on calico fabric. There are 6 rows of embroidery in split stitch. Each row is stitched with a different number of threads starting with 1 strand at the bottom and 6 at the top. — Split Stitch

A picture showing blue thread on calico fabric. There are 6 rows of embroidery in stem stitch. Each row is stitched with a different number of threads starting with 1 strand at the bottom and 6 at the top. — Stem Stitch

A picture showing blue thread on calico fabric. There are 6 rows of embroidery in chain stitch. Each row is stitched with a different number of threads starting with 1 strand at the bottom and 6 at the top. — Chain Stitch

A picture showing blue thread on calico fabric. There are 6 groups of embroidery in fly stitch and seed stitch. Each row is stitched with a different number of threads starting with 1 strand at the bottom and 6 at the top. — Fly stitch (top), Seed stitch (bottom)

A picture showing blue thread on calico fabric. There are 6 groups of embroidery in cross stitch and french knot. Each group is stitched with a different number of threads starting with 1 strand at the right and 6 at the left. — Cross stitch (top), French knot (bottom)

Want to experiment with the effect different number of strands has on the finished embroidery piece? Then this floral stitch sampler is a perfect project to practice on. It comes with pre-printed fabric and guidance on stitches that you can use, but the final composition of stitches and how to make them is totally up to you.

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