Society of Soie Surfine - The Society News

• What is Soie Surfine?
  Soie Surfine is a 130/2 tightly twisted silk thread from Au ver á Soie.
• What's the difference between Soie Surfine and Soie 100/3?
  As the weight indications would imply Soie Surfine is thinner than Soie 100/3. Soie Surfine is twisted with 2 strands of silk vs. 3 used in Soie 100 and is about 25% - 30% thinner. You can feel the weight difference with your fingers or even better, you can view it with a microscope. Both are supple threads that do not untwist like Soie d'Alger so they hold their shape and stitch smoothly.
  
• Is the Society thread a skein or a spool?
  Because this is a hand-dyed thread it will come as a skein.
  
• What count fabric does it work best on?
  Soie Surfine works great as a single strand on 40 or 45 count. We have stitched with it both over one or over two on these counts. Over two on 45 count gives great coverage, it's sparser on 40 count over two so if you want it too look full, use two strands. Over one on 40 count works better than over one on 45 count if using cross-stitch - it's a little too plump but it's still lovely. If you want to do over one on 45 count do a half-cross or tent stitch. You can use it on other counts but you will need to use more than one strand. The colors are aligned in the skein so stitching with more than one strand isn't a problem.
• Are there designs for the thread?
  There are no specific designs, either for the hand-dyed Society thread or the solid colors. However, we're sure everyone has great designs they would love to stitch with this thread. Any designs that are a single color or tone-on-tone work great. You can find photos of some of them on the blog.
  
• Does Soie Surfine come in solid colors?
  The Society is having the thread dyed in part because availability of the solid colors is very limited. Au ver á Soie makes Soie Surfine in several solid colors but only a small portion of that is available in the US at any given time. The Society has worked with the US distributor to bring in few of the colors in sufficient quantity so that it would be available for those wanting solid colors. Contact your Society Member Shop to see what we've been able to get for solid colors from Au Ver á Soie.
  

• Is the skein one continuous thread or cut?
  Series #2 Threads are available either as 100yd cut skeins or 200yd uncut skeins. Both are hand-twisted and bagged. The color is aligned in the skein so you can easily use one or more strands.
  
• What threads colors are part of Series #2?
  Three of five thread colors have been picked - Aubergine (deep purple), Flowers of Italy (an multi-colored thread with purple-burgundy, gold and green) and Cabernet (the purple-burgundy in FOI). The remaining 2 colors have not been picked yet. Four of the colors will be tone-on-tone color and will coordinate with each other as well as with the custom color of Lakeside Linens fabric we're calling Society Thyme.
  
• Can I sign-up now or later?
  You can sign-up for Series #2 until approximately 30 days after we have released our last color. We plan to release colors about 2 months apart. Whenever you sign-up you will receive all the of colors released for Series #2 up to that time as well as any not yet released as they become available. If you wait until the end of Series #2 you would get all of the threads and the fabric in one shipment.
  
• Can I order more of a Series #2 thread or fabric?
  You can order more of the Series #2 thread colors and fabric until the end of Series #2. Additional thread and fabric is only available to Series #2 Subscribers. We will take orders for additional thread and fabric until approximately 30 days after our last color is released. At that time all colors will become unavailable.
  
• Can I order a different count of fabric?
  We are only doing Society Cuts in the 40 and 45 count as part of the subscription. But you can order a a Society Cut in the other count or you can order a Stitcher's Half of 28, 32, 36, 40 or 45 count as additional yardage. Additional fabric is only available to Series #2 Subscribers.
  
• How often are the releases?
  We plan to release the colors about 2 months apart. Timing is not exact since we have to get the base thread from France, which can sometimes take a bit and fabric from Italy and Germany.
  
• When will the fabric be released?
  The fabric - Society Thyme will be our second release and is expected in April/May 2011.
  

This model is a small Christmas ornament from The Marking Sampler ( Eliza Ann Taylor Christmas Sampler #2). It's only 88x78 so it's a nice size to do as a quick gift. The original was done monochromatic, and you could do it in any Society color and have a lovely piece. However for this model it's being worked with Cabernet (color #3) for the border and Flowers of Italy (color #2) for the lettering.

It is stitched over-one on Series #2 Society Thyme 40 count linen (as cross-stitch).

The second release in Series #2 will be the fabric, which we expect to release in April/May. It's a lovely green, which we're calling Society Thyme, that goes well with the colors in this series, as well as those in Series #1.

When this chart from Primitivebetties (Never Enough Thyme) came my way I knew this had to be a model for Series #2. It's being stitching over-one on 45 count but as tent stitch. I can control my tension better with tent vs. half-cross and it doesn't slip. I normally work in-hand but I find I can see the 45 count linen better to stitch over-on if it's tight in a hoop. Seems like it opens the holes just a tad more.

The words are being stitched in Aubergine, the vine in Flowers of Italy (color #2), the bird in Cabernet (color #3) and the bunnies in Cocolat from Series #1.

This lovely little model is another of the JBW Designs, which I think a great for over-one stitching on fine count fabric. This particular piece will likely go into another necklace so it was stitched without the border. The design is French Country Love.

It was stitched over-one (as cross-stitch) on 40 count Graziano Ricamo linen (Ivory).

This is one of the models for our colors in Series #2. Stitched with Aubergine on our sample of the fabric for Series #2 (which will be a green this time) this is an Amon ami Pierre design (Référence JD 190 - ARBRE AUX OISEAUX POSITIF).

This model is stitched over-one on 40 count as cross-stitch. So you get a very dense but crisp look.

If you're interested in the chart for this model contact your Society Member shop - we should all have some of them coming in soon.

Stay tuned for more model progress...

Here's a photo of 5 of the hanks we get from Gloriana when they've been dyed. The odd looking threads are the separators used to keep the thread from tangling when it's in the process of being dyed.

It's a great mixture of deep purple, blue and a little bit that's almost black. Definitely reminds you of a an eggplant - a truly lovely color!

Be sure to check with a Society member shop to sign up for Series #2.

I have had several people ask me about were to find the pendants I mounted the stitched pieces in. They are all custom made with a glass foiling technique. I made each one by hand (fun with a soldering iron) and there is no equivalent in a non-custom format. Milady's Needle does have a hinged glass pendant (square or rectangular) for some new designs she released in Nashville and we can get just the pendant. You can check out her blog to see some photos of them. I have also purchased some glass pendants in the past from another company but I wasn't happy with the quality of them - I do like the ones Gloria has access to. Keep in mind these do not look like the custom made ones, but it does get you a nice small glass pendant. If you're interested in those pendants just ask your local Society Shop about the ones from Milady's Needle. - Cathe

All my models are done for Series #1 and turned into their finished work. Amor is a necklace, which I wear on a chain. The other pieces are currently intended to be ornaments, although that might change. These pieces will be going on the road to the Society Member shops so you can see them in person if one of our Member shops is near you. First stop will be Stitchville USA. If you're planning to attend Deb's Spring Fling April 23-25 with Blackbird Designs, these little gems will be there to take a closer look at. Stay tuned for more travel details!

I've finished up turning my little Series #1 stitched pieces into glass pieces. The heart (Amor) was turned into a necklace, which I've worn to the shop a couple of times. The other pieces, which I'll provide pictures for later, are intended to be something I can hang like an ornament.

French Country - Love is the next piece I've finished and it's a preview of the first color in Series #2 (Aubergine). Again this is stitched on 40 count Graziano linen over 1 thread. It too will get turned into a necklace when I have some spare time.

To see the other pieces I've stitched with some of personal stash of Soie Surfine (some colors only exist in my stash) visit my personal blog.

I hope you're enjoying my little stitching excursions in the Society of Soie Surfine - Cathe!

I've finished the Reindeer and started on JBW Designs' The Queen Bee. This one will be a little bigger at 2.5". The needle pictured is a Bohin #28 to give some sense of scale.

I've finished up with my samples using Northern Lights and Olivine. I has have an early photo of what I'm working on for the Cocolat. This is the continuation of working some of Judy at JBW Designs, lovely little tone-on-tone designs.

Here are two lovely little JBW Designs perfect for stitching with Soie Surfine. Both are stitched over one one 40 count Graziano Ricamo Ivory. I like this particular fabric for over one with the Soie Surfine because it's a dense bodied fabric. The pieces are very small, when I cut the fabric I stitched the Amour design on a piece 3x4 and just held it in my hand. The pumpkin was just a slightly larger piece of fabric at 4x4. I've not yet decided how to finish them off, I may turn them into a fob or one of my soldered necklaces. Time will tell. But I thought you would enjoy seeing more samples of what you can do with your hand-dyed Soie Surfine from the Society of Soie Surfine!

With delays in getting fabric and the holidays we're behind on our schedule for the next thread color and fabric. But both are in the dyeing queue! We have received some of the third color - Inca Gold and some of the fabric - Society Charm. It will be awhile before they are sent to all the member shops as we get remaining thread and fabric dyed and packaged. But here's a preview to whet your appetite!

The fabric is a Vintage color so has some mottling in it. There is a slight redish-brown cast to it, which works well with the colors in Series #1. Society members will be able to order extra fabric during Series #1 so once you get your fabric you can order more if you fall in love with it. We certainly think it's a winner!

The first skeins of Olivine have been sent to Acorns & Threads, Attic Needlework and Stitchville USA. So if you're getting your subscription from one of these Society Member Shops they should have them in the next few days. We hope the remaining to Society Member Shops (Needle In A Haystack and Traditional Stitches) will have their skeins around the middle of December. Soie Surfine is a somewhat labor intensive thread to dye and package and it always seems to take longer than we think it will. We know it's worth the wait!

We're happy to let you know that our second color - Olivine, is in the process of being packaged. We will be doing this in batches as happened with Carmine Rose since not all of it is dyed right now. But we hope it available to all Society Member Shops in the next 2-3 weeks. The good news is, it's in progress so it won't be too much longer now. To whet your appetite for this lovely color here is a photo of one of the skeins. This is a medium light to medium yellow green that works nicely with Carmine Rose (and with our samples of the remaining 3 colors yet to be dyed).

We're finally caught up with our shipments of Carmine Rose. The last dye batch has gone out to our member shops so any of you still waiting should get your Carmine Rose very soon.

The next Society thread color will be a lovely yellow-green which is being dyed in the next several days. Once we've received the skeins of it we'll take a photo and post it here so you can see a preview of it.

The Society is hoping to have fabric early in December. It will depend on when the base fabric gets to the dyer. So, think good linen thoughts for us!

We received more Carmine Rose last week and it has been skeined and bagged and is on its way to each of the Society Member Shops. So if you've been on the waiting list for our second batch of this color you should be seeing it shortly through your Society Member Shop. We will likely do another batch in early November so if you just signed up recently and your Society Member Shop won't have enough from batch #2, there will be more!

Most of the Society Member shops have sold out of the first dye run of Carmine Rose but more is being dyed in the next few days. So if you've not yet signed up with your local Society Member shop, don't despair there will be more coming and soon!