Designers digitize to a certain thread company. Does it stress you out if you don’t use the same brand? Relax, you’ve got this!
Bonnie uses the Floriani thread palette when creating her machine embroidery designs. If you don’t use Floriani, simply choose similar colors from what you have on hand.
It’s easy to choose similar thread colors. Take the Spooky Buddies owl. Sib_spookb_1_owl has 24 thread changes. Eight of those are for applique and material positioning and some are duplicates. That leaves 13 actual thread colors that are used in this design.
You can use any color for applique positioning (1) and a color that contrasts with your GlitterFlex for attaching the applique material (2). Both will be covered up by satin stitching in the end.
Think of substituting thread colors in terms of shades: light, medium, dark, bright. Use the thread chart and a photo of the design on screen for reference.
For this design, there is a bright (3), medium (7), and dark green. There is a red-orange (4), gold-orange (8), and a medium orange (9). Other colors are pretty standard. Choose your flesh go-to for thread 5, a light yellow for 10, medium purple for 11, and so on.
Make sure that colors that are side by side coordinate well. Accent colors are generally a darker shade of the fill. And if you want to change things up, you have creative license to stitch the design however you like.
An online search produces several sites where you can convert Floriani to other thread brands, but this is something that you can easily do yourself. Relax and have fun!
Debbie Henry - April 20, 2021
Go ahead and use them, Jane. Stitch up something pretty!
Jane Smith - April 20, 2021
It’s good to know, I have a lot of signa thread and other brands. I thought it was useless.