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Silamide thread is manufactured in the USA and has been a favorite thread of tailors and dressmakers for years so quality and color permanence is assured. Silamide is a pre-waxed nylon thread of twisted filaments. Many beaders first became aware of Silamide as beading thread through Joyce Scott's book, Fearless Beadwork and her peyote beading classes. Once I heard about Silamide from Joyce Scott, I called the manufacturer and they recommended I contact a distributor for this product. I contacted a distributor and got the ball rolling. Silamide was only available in pre-cut thread that tailors use. I did not want precut thread. I requested the thread on spools and Silamide was offered to me on 900 yard spools only. Silamide now has national recognition as a great beading thread. Silamide is recommended by many instructors and is the recommended thread in magazine projects and how-to books. I realized the 900 yard spools would not be the final answer for many customers wanting a variety of colors and in smaller quantities. I worked directly with the manufacturer and now have 100 yard spools which are great for travel. Customers can purchase more colors because of a lower price and I added additional colors. Both come on snap spools with a slot on the end for holding the end of the thread. The distributor of the 900 yard spools has discontinued them and is now offering an imitation silamide thread on 350 yard spools that is inferior to the original Silamide thread. So, I have made arrangements with the manufacturer of Original Silamide thread to begin offering it on 500 yard snap spools. I have 25 colors of 500 yard spools in stock. So I am now providing Silamide thread in both 100 yard spools and 500 yard spools. Visit the Thread Shop to see all the colors available in 100 yard, 500 yard and 900 yard spools. Since the 900 yard spools have been discontinued, my stock of 900 yard spools is slowly dwindling and will eventually run out. At that point your choices will be 100 yard and 500 yard spools. Silamide is a twisted 2-ply thread that has a tooth to it and holds as you bead. It has a gorgeous texture, is strong and resilient. You can make a long line of "bugle" brick stitches and not fight the bugles staying together; the Silamide keeps the bugles in line. Silamide is good for all beading techniques including brick stitch, right angle weave, peyote, bead netting, spirals, square stitch and loom weaving. Depending on the item I am weaving, I have used Silamide as both the warp and weft thread. I do add an additional warp thread on each outer side of the piece for strength. Since Silamide is pre-waxed, beeswax does not need to be added unless you are making beaded beads and other 3-D items needing more hold power or you have weak wrists and need the additional wax added. I use a wax stick when making beaded beads; it does not clog the bead holes. Some beaders stated they had problems with the thread separating when they were trying to put it through the needle. Thread is put on spools by an automation process and it is possible the thread was put on the spool in the opposite direction from the normal thread ply. So you may be trying to thread the needle from the wrong end of the thread. If you are having trouble threading your needle, try the other end of the cut thread piece and it should work much better. If that does not work, turn your needle around and try the other side of the needle hole. Both sides are not always equal. I have no trouble threading Silamide through size 13 beading needles. I can thread Silamide through size 15 beading needles but it takes a little extra effort in getting it through the eye hole. Silamide can be used for sizes 15/0 through 6/0 seed beads for various beading techniques. The needle and thread can be placed through the beads several times for beading requiring several runs through the bead. I double the thread for the larger beads and single thread for the smallest beads, depending on the project. I also use Silamide for beading smaller beads such as 16/0 through 22/0. I use a fine twisted wire needle to string the beads, then remove the needle and use a small sharps needle to stitch in fabric for fabric embroidery, then I bring the needle back out, remove it, use the twisted wire needle to string more beads and continue. In the mid-1800’s bead embroidery was completed with very fine needles that are no longer available, to make the most exquisite embroidery with the smallest of seed beads. You can use Silamide to weave on a loom and with the smaller beads if you are backing the piece or making a tapestry to hang. It would be very difficult to make pieces for jewelry that required bringing a needle back through the beads more than once. Silamide
Examples: My sculpture,
Pinellas Palms,
Have you heard it is difficult to make twisted fringe and it takes many hours to make? Not! It is easy to make those great twisted long fringes when you use Silamide thread. Instructions are at my www.beadwrangler.com Tips & Techniques pages. I have twisted beaded fringe I made 10 years ago and wear the pieces often; they continue to keep their shape. Silamide can be used for embroidery. Try Silamide between other types of thread for texture interest. Silamide can be used to crochet small items with or without beads. I combined Kelly Green, Aqua and Royal Blue, used a size 14 crochet hook and made a mini amulet purse that had a unique texture because the thread is pre-waxed. If you are going to crochet or knit with Silamide keep in mind the items will not feel the same as other fiber items that are not waxed. I would not crochet or knit using Silamide with larger beads; only with 11/0 and smaller. Other threads such as Jean Stitch and Elite thread are a better choice for crochet and knitting all seed beads unless you like the effect of a waxed thread. You can make great 3-D beaded beads using the Silamide; the wax will help hold the shape. The Beige thread works well when knotting between small pearls. It also looks good as a skin tone in 3-dimensional figures with seed beads and is distinctively different from Off White. The Light Brown, Ash Gray and Light Gray seem to change appearance with some beads and blend with the beads rather than standing out. Ash Gray 944 and Lt. Brown 533 are my all time favorites because they blend in with most colors and are wonderful as skin tones through beads. The Ash Gray can be cool or warm as a skin tone depending on the beads used and the Light Brown is a rich warm tone. The Gold would be exquisite for a real sparkling golden figure. Combine the Gold and Orange for a brilliant effect, using more gold than orange in the overall piece. Several strands of Silamide thread can be combined together for braiding and macramé between beads for a variegated appearance. Making larger bumpy knots with Silamide and other fibers adds to the appearance of the project. Silamide is great for clothing repairs too. If I find a hem in a blouse or pants coming loose, I just use one of my sharps needles and Silamide to hand stitch the hem back together. You can use a Bic or other cigarette lighter to burn off the edges of the Silamide thread ends when you are finished beading. It will leave a small nylon bead. This is a Joyce Scott trick. Do not put the flame directly on the thread, just near enough to ignite the thread. Close the lighter as soon as the thread ignites and blow out the flame as soon as the thread burns close to the piece. You do not want the thread in the piece to burn. You can also use a Thread Zapper tool which ignites the thread ends. Parents need to do the thread burning, not children. I believe Silamide is the Queen of beading thread; the New Thread for the New Beadwork. It is like finding the bead of the Century except it is the thread of the Century. |
