Embroidery Floss

Floss is 6-strand mercerised cotton embroidery thread; the strands are separated and used 1–6 at a time, and it is the basic thread of cross stitch, embroidery, tapestry, punch needle and friendship bracelets. This page gathers all the floss brands at Hobianna: DMC 117 floss in 500 colours, 8 m, Anchor Mouliné, economical Puppets floss and Bulgarian floss. Colour cards, variegated and metallic ranges are under Embroidery and Cross Stitch Threads; branch guides are in Cross Stitch Floss, Embroidery Floss, Tapestry Floss and Punch Needle Floss.

Which Floss?

DMC is the world standard; charts are written in DMC codes, colours are fixed and do not fade. Anchor is the British brand, used with a DMC conversion chart. Puppets and Bulgarian floss are budget options for children's work, bracelets and one-off projects. One brand per project keeps colour and thickness consistent.

How Many Strands, How Much?

2 strands on 14 ct aida, 3 on 11 ct, 1–2 on 16–18 ct; 3–6 strands for stem and satin stitch; 6 strands in a fine punch needle. An 8 m skein works about 1,500–1,800 stitches on 14 ct. Cut 40–45 cm lengths, separate the strands one by one and recombine; keep colours coded on a thread organizer.