Jan Hicks Creates - Basics of Cross Stitch - 6. All about Variegated Floss

[@marliegirl9114]

The color management part is just what I needed! Thank YOU!

[@kathyburch9591]

This is the best video that I have found on variegated floss as I am looking at starting to use more of this type of floss!! Thank you so much for the information❤

[@ritasokol646]

Great, GREAT analysis of the variegated threads! Thank you!

[@JanHicksCreates]

You’re very welcome. Glad you found it useful!

[@SaraMGreads]

Thank you this was very helpful.

[@MelindaInStitches24]

So helpful! Thank you.

[@blee032]

Thanks. Great demonstration & explanation.

[@JanHicksCreates]

You’re very welcome. Glad you found it useful!

[@RNKoriginalss]

Awesome tips and info! Needed this ;)

[@PatTackaberry]

Thanks so much Jan. Your video certainly gives me food for thought. I have just started a coverlet piece "Under the Stars" which I am doing in DMC 115 (red varigated) on a cream Lugana measuring approx. 17.5" x 34.75." The project calls for 30 hanks. I'm really excited to see how it comes out. I have just gotten back into cross stitch after a 30 year hiatus. It's a big project to undertake but i think I'm up for it and your video was so insightful and encouraging. Thank you.

[@JanHicksCreates]

Glad you found it useful! And welcome back to the world of cross stitch! A lot has changed in 30 years!

[@lorettahenderson8979]

Hi Jan...just a note to say thanks again for your clarity on the floss variegation ❤️

[@arleencurry]

Thanks for this video. MERRY CHRISTMAS

[@jennifersahmoun606]

Well Jan, I am loving your videos. You have challenged me recently to try new things but I have so far only been successful at one. So after watching your basics of fiber video you had me excited about branching out of my DMC box but I wasn't quite sure how to start because I don't have an LNS near me. The next day a package pops into my mailbox from my parents. I had mentioned to them that there was this nice lady named Stephanie who worked at Keepsakes, a store which my dad said "Oh that's just down the street". Much to my surprise they went there recently and met Barbara who helped them pick out a small for me and some Sulky threads to work it up in. I thought great I'm going to try a new floss. Then I thought even better, I'm going to use this project to try stitching in hand because Jan Hicks and Michelle G do it that way. Well, i love using the sulky floss but I'm afraid that the stitching in hand turned into a complete mess. I think I'm just too set in my ways at this time to abandon my hoops and q-snaps. I am sure that you will continue to inspire me to try new things and I love that you are doing this series.

[@JanHicksCreates]

That is awesome, Jennifer and how fun that your parents live close to Keepsakes! I would be like, oh, I’m going to come and visit you again! Lol. What do you mean, I was just here last week? Is that a problem??? Lol. Anyway, glad you are being encouraged to give new things a try. Lots of inspiration out there! And it’s also good that you are finding what works best for you! Have a wonderful weekend!

[@Qsquires]

This video is a must share with others. I had no idea that a stitcher could "meander" to get a better mottled effect. So much good info in your videos. Thank you.

[@JanHicksCreates]

Thank you, Hilma! Glad you are finding them helpful!

[@chrisb5391]

Great video! Now I understand more how variegated floss works/ Thanks.

[@hollyknott4700]

Thank you so much for this video, Jan. I’ve been reading as much as I can but many sites don’t give visual examples, and as an artist and designer myself, I’ve worried that that customers would not be able to replicate a certain look, using variegateds, without a lot of effort perhaps beyond their first skill level. And as you clearly showed, the threads really vary in many ways. This was super helpful!

[@JanHicksCreates]

Thanks so much, Holly! There are so many ways to work with variegated floss, and they all give different looks. I definitely take the time to think first what look I want to achieve before I start stitching.

[@moosemom2010]

Thanks for showing all the different ways to use the variegated flosses. It seems like everyone says to do it the first way you showed. I always do like you and plot it out before beginning! 💕Michele

[@JanHicksCreates]

Yep, be the Boss of your Floss!! 😂😂😂 There’s another great tag line!! I crack myself up! 😁 Hope you had a wonderful Christmas, dear friend!

[@MistyisCrafty]

I am loving this series! Thank you SO MUCH for taking the time to educate others. I am learning quite a bit. So excited to learn about silks next.

[@JanHicksCreates]

Thank you! Glad you are enjoying them!

[@jenny154]

Very good information thank you!

[@barbarawest1205]

This was fascinating. I have no idea whether you come back to read comments on older videos, but I'd love to see the backs of these samples and also watch you execute the meander!

[@JanHicksCreates]

Hi again, Barbara! I love that you’re getting a lot from my videos! Sorry that I didn’t show the backs or show the meandering adequately enough. I’ll try to remember to do a video on that some time!

[@suettamccorcle8202]

Great video with good information. I have gotten the variegated threads but only used them on 1 project. Thank you.

[@stlwatrs]

Thank you Jan. I am about to start a variegated skein today and needed to know which way to best approach it.

[@JanHicksCreates]

Glad you found it helpful, Debbie!

[@beckicook8734]

Merry christmas to u and hubby blessings for a happy and healthy new year🎅🙏🎉

[@JanHicksCreates]

Thanks so much, Becki! Hope you had a wonderful one!

[@barbaraamccorkle7424]

This is really helpful. Thank you for your time & work preparing this video. Have a Merry Christmas.

[@jamjams_9678]

This is great! Thank you for doing this!

[@judyrosy]

Thank you SO much Jan....merry Christmas my dear....i just love you....💜💜💜

[@JanHicksCreates]

🤗🤗🤗

[@gaylegerkey7584]

Jan, Thank You for this lesson!

[@virginialaman3632]

Thank you Jan, I have just started to use fancy threads. I didn't think I ever would, since I have a large supply of DMC. I did a small with variegated thread and now I am hooked. Merry Christmas and Blessings to you and your family in the New Year.

[@JanHicksCreates]

Yaay Virginia! Glad I could help! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you, too!

[@shawnmatthews4364]

Great video Jan 🎄 Merry Christmas ☃️

[@mirili3836]

Thank you so much. The video was very informative. I'm looking forwatd to see "handle with silks". Merry Christmas! Xoxo Miriam

[@mariwhitmer5377]

Great video! I love fancy flosses with varigation but tend to use DMC the most. I have a beautiful silks 4 u skein that I have to figure out how to make it work for my Long Dog sampler The Pilgrim. This gives me things to think about.

[@JanHicksCreates]

Awesome, Mari! Let me know if you have any questions as you get into it!

[@mariwhitmer5377]

@@JanHicksCreates if you haven't already done your silks video can you talk about dealing with the huge hank of silk like you get from silks 4 u? Their FB page talks about it but seeing a floss tube would be better.

[@kandaykerr3653]

Thank you for the information. My question is when you do the meandering, how does the back of the fabric look? Also do you use short lengths of floss when you do use the meandering stitches?

[@JanHicksCreates]

The back looks the same as always. I don’t usually jump stitches or anything like that when I am meandering. I just kind of go back the way I came, or work in a corner back and forth before moving to another area. I explained this a bit in my video from yesterday, so hopefully that will help. I also use the same length of floss as always, about 18”.

[@gunplavaporwifey5143]

Hello Jan, Thank you for creating this video. I am starting my first variegated cross stitch and I have a question for you. What should I do when I am finished and ready to complete the piece? I am using hand dyed floss that is not colorfast. what will I do when I iron, if I need to wash it? thank you so much for your advise!!!!

[@JanHicksCreates]

Hi, you definitely don’t want to wash it unless you are using the DMC variegated floss. Theirs is colorfast. But while some of the other overdyed floss companies claim their floss is colorfast to industry standards, I don’t take any chances with it. I don’t wash those pieces, and always keep my hands clean when stitching them. I do use Best Press, a spray starch product, on them, when ironing, but that is all. Hope this helps!

[@GeminiDolly52951]

This was so interesting - I love variegated colors - Nice job explaining how to stitch with them. Can you post a link for the saddus threads? Sorry about the spelling.

[@JanHicksCreates]

No worries. It’s Missussedas.com, but unfortunately, she is closed for a while. She is in Spain, and they are under such a strict quarantine situation, that she is unable to mail anything out.

[@edwenabang3805]

Could you do a video on that magazine app you talked about? Like review/tutorial.

[@JanHicksCreates]

Readly? I sure can! I’ll add it to my list!

[@autumnhahn4730]

Do you have any tips on pooling variegated floss beyond what you explained here? I'm working with dyed floss that is red and black, doing a playing card. I want "clumps" of black. Also, what do the backs look like on pieces like your By The Bay?

[@JanHicksCreates]

Hi Autumn, so sorry for the delay in responding. When I have variegated floss that has really different colors like that, then I will look at what I have to stitch, and really just do the stitches diagonally or vertically, whichever direction I have to go to get that color to be on the stitches I want. I also keep a close eye on where that color is ending, so I can start heading in the direction I want to be in for the next color. I don’t know if this makes sense, and it’s probably too late for your project, but I hope it helps a little. I’ll pull out another By the Bay piece I have in my WIPs and make a note to show the back on my next Flosstube.

[@OneCatCrafting]

What do you mean by meandering? Alternating between rows and columns?

[@JanHicksCreates]

It’s more like going diagonally and back and then around to another area and work a circle in that area, just meandering. Lol. You can see more about it here in my Basics of Cross Stitch video on working with variegated floss: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aZKpZ6F8pq99eNU

[@kim-thestay-at-homequilter877]

Hi Jan! Because a lot of variegated is overdyed, does it need to be rinsed before used? Or how do you ensure the colors won’t run if your project gets wet? Just curious what the standard is. Thanks!

[@JanHicksCreates]

Hi Kim! Great question. I had meant to talk about this in my video and forgot, so I’m glad you brought it up. I went over it in my Flosstube that I uploaded yesterday, to be sure everyone would get the info. Hope it helps and let me know if you have any other questions.

[@kim-thestay-at-homequilter877]

Thank you Jan!!! ❤️

[@teresahurst3640]

What's the difference between these special over dyed threads vs dmc variegated floss?

[@JanHicksCreates]

I would say nothing more than the dying process, actually. They are all ways to easily use more than one color on a project, when you come right down to it. If you want to get more technical, I think the DMC variegated has more regulated dying patterns, which leads to more standard color lengths. By that I meant that every skein of their floss is going to have the same length of color runs on each skein. It’s not going to vary from skein to skein like it does with the other over-dyed brands. Does that make sense? I feel like I’m not explaining myself very well.

[@teresahurst3640]

@@JanHicksCreates I understand.

[@cheryl8280]

Well, have I got it all wrong. I've never "meandered" or pre-thought out a piece to use a variegated floss. So by "meander" do you mean you take a spot that requires that colour and willy nilly place your stitches till that colour block is filled in? I'm not dumb, really. I guess I'm just not getting it. One of my WIPS is a Mystery Sampler SAL from Loretta Oliver at Stitching the Night Away. I had decided to do the whole piece in DMC Variegated Floss (pale yellow to orange to rust) and I've had such a devil of a time, I put it away. Very far away!! I'm reviewing your video for the 4th time. Oh well, maybe in the new year I'll try again. I wanted to say Merry Christmas and all the best to you and Mike in 2020. I hope your move goes well. San Antonio has always fascinated me so I'll check it out vicariously through you! LOLOLOL GLGL and Hugs, G/F!!

[@JanHicksCreates]

You know there is no right or wrong way. It’s just to have some knowledge of how to stitch to get a certain look, if you want to have that kind of control over your color placement. But it’s also okay not to worry about it. Lol.