It’s been a minute since my last post – I’ve been thinking and working, trying to meet some deadlines. But lately I’ve been seeing a lot of hate for Rainbow Gallery’s Neon Rays, so I thought I’d share some tips to make stitching with it a bit easier.
Neon Rays is a rayon ribbon, about 1/8″ wide, and adds shine to a project without being metallic. There are other rayon ribbons available, YLI’s Ribbon Floss and Shimmer Floss come to mind. Both are rayon ribbons and the Shimmer Floss is the same width but has the added sparkle of metallic. Rainbow Gallery also offers Neon Rays +, which is the rayon ribbon with metallic sparkle added. And, you can even get it overdyed: Painter’s Threads has several colors with subtle shade gradations named for a painter who is known for a particular color palette, such as Klimt for the golds and yellows. Silk ribbon is a different beast entirely, so I’ll limit this discussion to rayon ribbons.
All of these ribbons can be handled with similar techniques, and require a little extra to get them ready for stitching.
To help prevent fraying at the the ends, cut the floss at a severe angles, or use a burner to seal the ends. Thread Zap II is a tool I’ve used for several years. It’s battery operated, 1 AA battery; use it to cut and seal the ends of the ribbon. Be careful not to touch the tip – it will leave an interesting burn on your finger.
You can also use Fray Check or a glue stick to seal the ends. The ends are cut away and don’t remain with the project, so it’s fine to use, and some prefer it.
Next, either iron the ribbon with a mini flat iron, or dampen it. At home I use a corded mini flat iron (shown on right), but for travel I use a rechargeable flat iron like this one: Rechargeable mini flat iron
You can also dampen the ribbon. Bear in mind that dampening the ribbon will reduce the shine a bit; it’s only noticeable side by side, so if you dampen it every time in the project.
This is the rayon ribbon after cutting a length – you can see how kinky it is.
This is the same length after ironing – it’s now straight and much easier to use!
Now thread the needle. Use a larger size needle – if you’re stitching on 18 ct. and usually use a size 22 tapestry, try using a size 18 tapestry needle. The larger needle will open the holes in the canvas slightly to allow the ribbon to slide through more easily without rubbing.
The technique you use while stitching with rayon ribbon is a little different but makes so much difference.
Always use a laying tool while stitching. This will help you keep the ribbon flat and smooth on top of the canvas to maximize the shine. To use a laying tool, bring the needle up with the ribbon. Hold the ribbon flat to the canvas with the laying tool on top of the ribbon, in the direction you’re stitching – if you’re stitching from the bottom to top, hold the ribbon below the stitch. Now take the needle through to end the stitch, holding the ribbon to the canvas as long as possible. As you end the stitch, arc the laying tool under the ribbon as you guide it into the hole, then slide the laying tool out.
There are lots of videos on line for how to use a laying tool, so you can see a laying tool in action. It sounds complicated but it really isn’t, and will make a huge difference in the look of the ribbon.
Take the ribbon straight up and down through the canvas. Canvas is rough, and if you drag the ribbon across the canvas it will snag. You have to take a little care to make sure it doesn’t snag. One of the things I do is to pool the ribbon on top of the canvas while I’m taking a stitch – this helps to prevent snagging.
Keep tension on the ribbon above and below the canvas. When you are bringing the needle up to begin a stitch, hold the ribbon under the canvas until the needle is all the way up. When you are taking the ribbon down to end a stitch, hold the ribbon above the canvas to keep it taut. I’ve also put a finger or a thumb on top of the stitch I’m completing, so the ribbon doesn’t wiggle around and stays where I want it to stay.
Anchor the ribbon securely. Rayon ribbons are slippery, and may require more anchoring than usual. I like to use a pin stitch where I can, but instead of making the pin stitch with 3 stitches I’ll make it with 4. If you pierce the ribbon while anchoring, it’s fine because it will help it stay in place.
What can you do if you’ve followed all the technique tips and it still snags? I’ve been successful with running the thread through the mini flat iron again, or dampening it again, without taking it out of the canvas.
What can you do if you’ve anchored securely and the end pops loose anyway? Take a tiny speck of glue, on a toothpick preferably, and glue the end of the ribbon to itself on the back of the canvas. I try not to glue to the canvas itself, but aim for the ribbon on the back.
I hope you’ve found these tips useful, and will turn your enmity with rayon ribbon to a love affair! To my mind, rayon ribbons are an essential option for texture in a project. I like it best for longer stitches, like a Milanese pinwheel, Rhodes or sprat’s heads. It’s stunning in a waffle stitch. I would not use it for short stitches on 18 ct. like tent stitches – let it shine with decorative stitches!
1 thought on “Neon Rays – the thread we love to hate”
Debbie–
I’ve voluntarily used Neon Rays on a couple of canvases –including my version of our current class project, and am a convert. Nothing like it for shiny!! My ThreadZap II died recently and I’ve tried two successive orders via Amazon (first was a return with replacement). Neither would heat up at all (and yes, I did put the battery in correctly). I checked in with my LBS and they’re now selling an upgraded version (ThreadZap Ultra) that has a retracted tip, a safety switch cover, and takes 2 AAA batteries. Tip heats up like a champ–oddly, it cuts through the Neon Rays so fast that it doesn’t seal much of the fiber. So I’ll probably keep a glue stick around. OTOH–I have ordered that mini-flat iron and will report (probably in class) about its ability to heat up/hold a charge.