Stitchworm

The difference in Brazilian Embroidery floss is caused by the method used to manufacture the rayon floss. For example, cotton floss uses as S twist then the five plies are combined into a strand. Rayon thread uses a Z twist. When forming the knots of Brazilian embroidery, the embroiderers should wrap the thread onto the needle and make a quilter’s knot. Otherwise the fibers of the thread will unravel and make the resulting stitches and knots unattractive.

Rayon was introduced in the mid 1800’s and by the turn the century, was the first man-made fiber in full production in France. The thread has a wonderful sheen and was very smooth which made it the perfect fit for making the dimensional stitches.

In the 1960’s a woman in Brazil began dying the native threads creating a palette of colors. From that humble beginning, it grew in popularity until companies in Brazil began to manufacture rayon threads in various colors and weights. Because the threads were dyed in variegated colors, the embroidery became known as Vari-Cor embroidery. However, as the popularity of this embroidery technique spread, it became known as simply “Brazilian Embroidery”.

Rayon has long been the preferred thread for this style of embroidery because of is sheen and smoothness. Most stitches, especially bullions) which are used extensively for their dimensional effect), as much easier to make because of the thread’s smooth texture.

In 1979, the EdMar Company started manufacturing variegated rayon thread in the U.S. The threads are spun in their factory in Meridian, Idaho. They spin the thread using specially designed smaller spinners to help insure a quality product. Their 200 plus color combinations are created by hand-dying in small lots.

Boucle