Thread Picking Up Dye

[Gerald]

Having trouble figuring out why my nice white thread discolors as I sew dyed projects.

Think I have allowed plenty of drying time for the dye.

Help?

[MerlB]

I guess the thread is heavily waxed and the stitching holes have not been sealed so the wax from the thread now picks up the color.

I've got the same problem and so far dont have a solution for it. However I've started to seal off my projects with fiebings leather sheen as the last protection layer instead of carnauba cream only and I do think that helps. Only tried that new approach with black thread so far, so not yet sure. One of the next projects will be black with white thread, though, so I'll see then.

If sealing with leather sheen doesnt help, though, I will try to melt off the wax a bit with a hair dryer before sewing.

[Dwight]

If you are using a sail needle (round handle with spool in the middle, needle out front), . . . you are not allowing any slack in your thread.

To use one of them and not get dye, dirt, gunk, trash all over your pretty white thread, . . . the piece pushed through should be at least a foot longer than the whole final piece. Once you push it through, . . . make the stitch, . . . then pull out the slack.

Yeah, . . . I know, . . . wastes thread, . . . but it WILL keep your thread from getting all gunky.

That also works if you are saddle stitching, . . . sometimes folks will needle up real close to where they are sewing, . . . and that will get your thread dirty. Put your needles out on a piece of thread you are going to cut off and add to the trash barrel.

And you don't want to know how long it took me to learn those UGH !

May God bless,

Dwight

[Gerald]

Thanks for your replies. I never thought about either of those things. Wax picking up dye and saddle stitching with thread too short?

I don't think my thread has been too short and I never used a "sail" needle. BUT, my present project WILL be done with a sail needle.

I wonder if not cutting a stitching groove may be the root of my problem?

I'll let you know what I learn.

Gerald

[Gerald]

Well, what I learned is next to nothing. It seems to me that white thread is only safe to use on non-dyed projects, yet I know that has to be wrong. Is it maybe that I'm using waxed thread? I have never used non-waxed thread for hand stitching. I did do a project using the "sail needle". But there, you produce a machine-like lockstitch and don't drag long lengths of thread through the stitching holes. I'm not proficient with the "stitching awl" and don't think it is a good alternative to saddle stitching anyway. My project didn't look so good when finished! The dilemma remains.

[Colt W Knight]

Do you use an awl or a chisel to make your holes?

When I used a chisel, I found I had to dye, allow to dry, seal, then punch the holes. If I punched the holes, then dyed, I couldn't keep the thread clean.

[electrathon]

Sometimes letting your project sit for a day or two helps. The item may still be wet deep inside and you do not know that the inside moisture is there, allowing dye to wick onto your thread.

[Grumpy Coyote]

At a guess, I's say the project was not fully dry - though it could be the type of stain. What brand are you using, and on what kind of leather?

[Triad86]

Try punching the holes after died then sealing it with Adam wax leather balm and seeing if that will seal the holes enough to keep the dye off