Working with Supertwist threads

Original text by Marina Belova 

Nowadays you can buy Supertwist threads made by a variety of manufacturers. But, if I'm not mistaken, Madeira was the one that started making them. 

The textured threads give the embroidery a very effective outer look and are capable of enriching even the most simple design. 

I first encountered them about 4 years ago, and I had to find a way of working with them by myself. Today there is a variety of materials on the subject on the Web. The only thing you need to do is to put it into use. 

This thread is composed of 30% metallic polyester and 70% of polymeric amide, therefore, the items embroidered with it can be washed at 60°.

These threads come in two numbers: #30 and #12. This means that the embroidery will be denser and coarser even if you reduce the density of the design. 

I've seen different recommendations on how to decrease density. For example, #30 Supertwist requires 10-20% less density than usual. That is, if your usual density value is 0.4 mm, you should set it at 0.44-0.48 mm for these threads. And if you cannot reduce density, as in a machine-created file, you can increase the size of a design by 10% instead. For #12 Supertwist, you need to reduce density ~ by 50%. 

It's better to use over 3-4 mm long stitches both in running stitches and in fills. Understitching should be kept to a minimum so that not to pose problems during the embroidery process. 

To embroider with Supertwist threads, you need to prepare your machine first: Change needles – you should use #90 for #30 Supertwist and #100 for #12 Supertwist. Besides that, you need to readjust your tension: loosen up the upper thread a bit. But don't loosen it too much so that not to get loops on the right side of the fabric and "birds nests" on the wrong side. Change bobbin thread for a thinner one. As for the machine speed, Madeira recommends to lower it to 650-700 rpm. 

No extra stabilization is needed. When choosing a stabilizer one should pay attention to the type of fabric, as usual. 

Nothing difficult, as you can see. 

I've covered an interesting variety of these twisted threads, convenient in both digitizing and embroidery, in this article.