Entice is Rainbow Gallery’s newest thread, debuting earlier this year. It comes on 12 yard (11 meter) cards and is made from 67% rayon and 33% polyester (metallic). It is a non-divisible 6-strand thread, with individual strands in each of the two fibers. Currently there are 23 colors.
You can use it as it comes off the card for 18-mesh canvas. It covered well in both Tent and textured stitches. The card also says it can be used for needlepoint on 14-mesh and for Longstitch on 13- to 16-mesh. For me, however, this thread is not thick enough for needlepoint on 14-mesh, or for Longstitch on canvases bigger than Congress Cloth.
Although both the description of the thread and the usual characteristics of rayon would lead you to think that Entice would have more shine, I found the rayon threads to be matte. Even in bright sunlight, only the metallic threads sparkled. It did not have the sparkle of Neon Rays + and when stitched was indistinguishable from the Silk Lame family of threads.
I also found this thread typical of threads with mixed fibers that include metallic. The thread would not stay twisted. It frayed at the needle end, making it hard to keep in the needle and almost impossible to rethread. Unless I ended every strand well outside the stitching area, I often found random thread ends polluting my stitching. This is true of virtually all mixed metallic threads, but it’s one reason why I avoid using most of them.
The color changed noticeably as I stitched. I used the same red pictured here and all thread was from the same skein. I used two stitches on the same canvas, T Stitch and Continental. The T Stitch was a shade or two lighter than the Continental. Because the colors were not consistent throughout the areas I knew the change was not simply because of the stitches. It differed from red at first to dark red inside the card. If it had not been a new thread kept out of the light, I might have thought this was sun damage.
When you see this happening with a thread it can mean several things, none of them good:
- The construction of the stitch can change the color. You can work with this but you need to think about how and where you use this thread. Treat it as if it’s two shades of the same thread.
- The thread is not evenly dyed throughout. You will not be able to trust that two skeins from one dyelot will match. Large areas of a stitch will not look solid. Threads like this are best used in smaller areas that are separated from each other.
- THe thread is not spun in an even width. You cannot leave areas unstitched to fill them in later with this kind of thread. You must stitch through each area. Threads don’t suddenly change from one width to another, they change gradually. By stitching each area completely you can take advantage of this transition.
Do these faults make Entice a thread to avoid? Not really; each of the faults can be overcome. However the faults of this thread do make it more challenging to use. With other threads of a similar construction looking almost the same when stitched, such as Silk Lame, and other similar threads with a sturdier construction, such as Neon Rays +, I would pick another thread myself.
Please note: A sample card of this thread was given to me for testing and review purposes.
About Janet M Perry
Janet Perry is the Internet's leading authority on needlepoint. She designs, teaches and writes, getting raves from her fans for her innovative techniques, extensive knowledge and generous teaching style. A leading writer of stitch guides, she blogs here and lives on an island in the northeast corner of the SF Bay with her family
Sally London says
Interesting review of Entice. When you do compare Silk Lame Braid and Entice next to each other there is a considerable difference of shine from the Rayon versus the Silk. As with any Rayon it does take some considerable amount of prep as far as controlling the end of this thread. I do recommend taking the necessary steps if that bothers you. I did recently complete a painted canvas on 13 count and I did the background with Entice in Basketweave and it worked perfectly, If necessary you can take it apart and lay in your stitches as I also recently did on the leaves of a flower. I find Entice has many positive aspects to fulfill many of the needs on your painted canvas. Currently Entice has 56 colors.
Janet M Perry says
Sally —
Thanks for the great ideas!
Keep stitching,
Janet