A Peek into the History of Variegated Cross Stitch Thread

The history of cross stitch thread is honestly not something I have given much thought to. Of course it probably started with a few basic, solid colors that over time developed into more (and more) colors and eventually some of the more interesting/novel formulations we see today like multicolored, metallic and more.

I guess if I really thought about it I would assume some of those wilder options, like the variegated threads, might have come about in the 1990s. I kind of associate them with novelty yarns like the eyelash, ladder and textured yarns that were popular around the turn of the century(!).

Though of course multicolored thread wasn’t a fad at all, and it turns out it’s older than a lot of people realize.

Lord Libidan has a fun post on their blog all about this history of DMC’s line of variegated cross stitch floss, noting that the company made 100 or more variegated thread options back in the 1950s. Many of these threads were discontinued in 1958, and the company renamed they multicolored threads (so some are “variations” and others are “variegated”) in the 1990s.

“This isn’t actually very shocking if you look into other thread companies during this period, as there is a lot of evidence that non-DMC thread companies offered variegated or color-changing threads before the 1960s,” according the to post. “One notable example is within the Brazilian embroidery movement, which began in the early 1960s. Elisa Hirsch Maia, an avid embroiderer from Brazil, experimented with vivid dyes and color variegations, leading to the development of a popular range of rayon threads.”

Check out the blog post for a full timeline on variegated and variation threads from DMC along with a timeline of the history of these fun threads. As is noted in the post, there are now even more options available to stitchers including the Light Effects thread line, and if the past is any indication there’s sure to be more innovation in threads to come.

[Image by Van3ssa ?? Desiré ? Dazzy ? from Pixabay]

I was recently approached by Alyssa, the cross stitcher behind the Etsy shop Stitchonomy, to take a look at her cross stitch pattern subscription club, known as The Pattern Club.

I took a look around and there’s a lot of cute stuff and fun options you’ll want to check out, especially if you love themed patterns that are small, easy to stitch and fun to combine.

The Pattern Club combines cross stitching with a social network. When you open the site you’ll see a news feed and have the ability to share updates much like you would on Facebook. You can see who is online, have buddies and post your own updates and photos. The community aspect is a little sparse right now but that should only grow.

The stitch along hub is the place to find the most recent patterns and information on the current stitchalong. As of this writing the Book Lover’s stitchalong was happening, with little designs like Peter Rabbit, a skull for Hamlet and keys for Jane Eyre as well as authors including Arthur Conan Doyle, Charles Dickens and Jane Austen.

Other pattern collections include European designs, Halloween, ocean life, an allotment garden and more. Alyssa tells me there’s a new theme every month that either she picks or members in the community suggest. You can stitch just the patterns you want or put them together to make a larger collage.

The Stitchanomini vault gives you access to all of the previous patterns, and new patterns are released daily through the stitchalong. You can download individual patterns (most of them are 19 by 19 stitches) as PDFs or Pattern Keeper files. The PDFs include a color and black and white chart as well as a floss list.

Another cool thing you can do is build your own pattern collages from all of the squares that have been released. The collage configurator allows you to add patterns of your choosing to a grid ranging from 2×2 patterns up to 4×4. You can scroll through all the current patterns or search by theme and size to make a project that suits your needs. (Above is an example I made kind of at random but you get the idea.)

If you want to check it out, you can grab a three-day free trial and see all the pattern options. Membership is $7.99 a month, or if you pay for a year at a time you’ll get two months free. In addition to the patterns in the club, members receive discounts on patterns and supplies purchased through the shop within the club. Annual members get access to three paid/retired stitchalongs and lifetime members receive all retired patterns.

If you check it out I’d love to hear what you think!

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