Using Silk Chenille

It has been a while since I started thinking about using chenille for hand embroidery. Chenille thread was used quite often on antique textiles and is so pretty and easy to use - that is, now that I know how to thread the needle (thank you, Shirlee!) I have provided two photos showing what you have to do to thread the needle. First remove the chenille down about 1" or so from the two threads that run down the center. Then tie the two threads onto the eye of the chenille needle. That's it!




Don't thread the whole strand of the chenille through the eye of the needle as it makes it too thick to pull through your fabric easily. I ended up with a slightly larger needle than shown here as my chenille broke when I tried to pull it through a piece of silk backed with muslin. The larger needle worked great as the size of the needle made a hole large enough in the fabric to be able to pull the chenille through without stressing it. Here's a puny little sample of a flower I embroidered with chenille as I was in a hurry to show you something. I think it will look so pretty when I use it with silk ribbon and other embroidery threads and beads.