Thread Review [Comparing Embroidery Floss Brands

What embroidery threads are worth it, and are generic thread brands any good? Let’s face it, there are tons of thread brands, but here in the US, the most prevalent is DMC. I personally use this brand because it’s widely available at most craft stores and offers about 500 colors, plenty for my thread paintings and pet portraits! It comes in a ton of different kinds of threads too, but it is somewhat pricey. I picked up some of the most common embroidery threads from stores like Michaels, Hobby Lobby, and Walmart and put them to the test!

This post is one of several about hand embroidery supplies.

Disclaimer: This post has some affiliate links in it. I receive a small commission from purchases at no additional cost to the buyer. I only recommend products I would use and love and that are of good quality. All opinions are my own!

Embroidery Floss Brands

Here is a rundown of the four brands of thread I’ll be reviewing. I chose these brands because they are available at large chain stores in the US. (Hobby Lobby, Walmart, and Michaels)

Artiste

Artiste is Hobby Lobby’s embroidery floss brand. It comes in different variety packs and has a good variety of colors. Here are a couple of other packs with prices included:

Pastel and Primary Colors – 150 ct – $9.99

Perle Cotton – 36 ct – $3.49

Solid, Ombre & Variegated Cotton Floss – 36ct – $3.49

Loops &Threads

Michael’s brand of craft supplies is called Loops & Threads. There aren’t as many color options, but it’s still a valid and affordable option.

Friendship Thread

Friendship Thread is available at Walmart. The only kinds of this thread I could find were 6-strand floss and variegated floss. There is a wide variety of color options, and it is highly affordable compared to other brands.

DMC

DMC is the thread I currently use and it comes in many different types of thread. (Learn more about some of the most common embroidery threads they carry.) This thread is the most expensive out of all of the threads I will be reviewing. (At the time I’m writing this, 6 strand floss is $1.15/skein)

Comparing Different Embroidery Threads

I made a small sampler hoop with some backstitches and satin stitches to test each embroidery thread brand. I chose some of the most saturated colors for this and tried to match them as best I could. I wanted to see if the colors would bleed or fade after washing. (NOTE: I unfortunately didn’t have any colors in the Loops & Threads floss.)

On fabric, these flosses are very hard to tell apart. DMC has more shine than the other three, but the different colors were impossible to tell apart without labeling.

The Loops & Threads floss and the Artiste Floss were comparable in terms of texture, shine, and durability.

The Friendship Thread was the least colorful and very easy to break. I even broke it while I was trying to separate the threads.

I rinsed the thread I had stitched and let it dry overnight. To my surprise, none of the threads bled or faded! (I unfortunately didn’t get a picture afterward, but the video shows the sampler after I washed it if you’re curious.) The Friendship Thread had a fuzzy texture the next day, whereas the other three brands looked identical.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the poorest-quality floss was the Friendship Thread floss. It was brittle, and the texture wasn’t as nice to stitch with.

The second-best quality floss was a tie between the Artiste brand and Loops & Threads. These were virtually the same in all aspects!

I still believe that DMC is the best-quality floss among all the threads I tried in this little experiment. It is glossy, durable, and comes in so many different colors and styles of thread.

However, I was pleasantly surprised by Loops & Threads and Artiste. They are a more affordable option for someone just starting who doesn’t need an extensive color palette or to have an exact color match. I will be using the Artiste floss I purchased for tutorials and future projects, and may even consider buying more for projects that aren’t pet portraits!

While there are no official color conversion charts for Artiste or Loops & Threads, stitchers have shared their hard work to find the closest matches by eye for DMC to Loops & Threads and Artiste to DMC.

I hope you enjoyed this comparison review. Let me know if there are any other, more affordable, and worthwhile thread options if you have any!