Experiment to Compare Different Silk Threads plus Beeswax or No Beeswax

Previously, I researched whether or not beeswax was potentially used in blackwork embroidery on historic clothing items. As I was hard-pressed to find any concrete evidence to determine whether or not this practice was done, I decided to do a small experiment. I wanted to test whether or not beeswax would be beneficial or not when embroidering.  Plus, I also wanted to compare different types of black silk thread.


Here is what I found:

I decided to divide these sections into groups of three. The first section of three has no beeswax at all on the thread. The second section of three has beeswax only on the end tips of the thread, only visible from the backside of the sampler. The third section of three has beeswax continuously all over the silk thread.

The first thread of each section is Gutermann's silk thread, bought at JoAnn Fabrics. The second thread of each section is Hedgehog Handworks' untwisted Soie Ovale silk thread. The third thread of each section is Hedgehog Handworks' twisted Soie Perlee silk thread.

Pictured above is the top portion without any beeswax at all. The Gutermann works very nicely, as it does not fray and the thread thickness stays consistent throughout both journeys (see earlier post of blog to explain what a journey is). However, this thread is thin and appears to be better used for stitching clothing items together, not for embroidery purposes. The Soie Ovale is very pretty and shiny. However, the thickness of thread tends to thin out on the return journey, leaving the embroidery to look funny with a thick thin thick thin pattern on what should look to be a continuous solid line. Also, without any beeswax, the Soie Ovale will fray badly on the backside of the fabric (see example below). The Soie Perlee has not shown signs of fraying, the thickness of the thread stays consistent through both journeys, and has an appeasing appearance of being bold and noticeable from a distance.

Pictured above is the underside of my partlet to display the fraying of the Soie Ovale without any beeswax.



Pictured above is the middle section of the sampler, with only beeswax on the end tips of the thread. Same findings as before with the threads in regards to appearance and thickness. However, I found that I liked having the beeswax on the ends to help prevent fraying of the threads.

Pictured above is the bottom section of the sampler, with beeswax consistently throughout the silk strand. Same findings as before with the threads in regards to appearance and thickness. This is very obvious with the Soie Ovale (the middle thread), as the thread becomes thinner on the return journey and displays an uneven thick thin thick pattern on what should be a solid line. The beeswax made very little to no difference with the Gutermann thread. The beeswax made the Soie Ovale slightly temperamental, but overall was still usable. The beeswax made the Soie Perlee somewhat stiff and sticky, making it slightly difficult to get knots out (usually quite easy to get knots out on silk thread). The beeswax did not appear to effect the threads any once embroidered on the fabric. The beeswax did seem to be helping to prevent fraying of the ends on the backside of the fabric.

Pictured above is the backside of the fabric.

After doing this experiment, I found that I preferred the Soie Perlee with beeswax on the end tips only the best. The beeswax could help prevent any potential fraying of the thread later on, but with it being on the ends only it does not hinder how easily pliable this thread is to embroider with. The Soie Perlee has the desired thickness and maintains its thickness throughout both journeys. I am looking forward to embroidering more projects with this thread!