snowflakememories web store FAQ section

We want to have our customer completely satisfied with our products and services. If you are not satisfied with your purchase please let us know right away and we will try to correct the problem. We will replace the product or reimburse the cost according to the circumstances. You may want to read the other FAQ on this store for tips and suggestions on the use of decorative thread, how to solve the most common problems, from our many years of experience selling and using our products.

The use of the thread is a complement of your project, showing your talent and creativity in using it. A traditional quilt, and the ones defined as heirloom, generally requires a "traditional" thread, normally of solid colors, not very heavy. The subject is the quilt and the thread is a complement to it. Some variegated coud be used, that will blend with the quilt fabric, like the Valdani M49 Subtle Elegance, an off white thread with some hint of cream. As you move from the traditional quilts to the contemporary ones, the thread start showing more and more with high contrasting colors, to finally become the subject of the project in the quilt art category.

When using an all purpose thread, 50 wt or finer, a Universal needle is working fine, the size 80/12 is very popular. When working with a decorative thread you may experience some breakage due to the friction caused by the thread passing through the eye of the needle. The Topstitch needle will provide a better match to the thread, it has infact an extra wide eye and it accomodates better the thread into the deeper groove it has on the side. You may want to try the size 80/12 if you don't want to leave too large holes in the fabric, but be prepared to switch to the 90/14 for heavier threads, even to 100/16 for extra heavy threads. The Valdani 35wt we are selling is working well with a Topstitch needle size 90/14, as well as with the 80/12 depending on the combination of thread and fabric you are using. The Metallic needle is another needle with an extra wide eye plus it has the eye coated with teflon to reduce the friction of the heavy threads passing through. This is another excellent option for decorative threads, a must for using metallic threads.

Valdani is the only thread company on the market who produces Hand-Dyed Variegated 100% Mercerized Cotton Threads for Machine and Handwork. Valdani manufactures over 130 solid colors in all the thread weights and spool sizes the market requires. The Valdani products are totally guaranteed, they are 100 % Color Fast. Hand dyed look = the look you want to express your art. Never the absolutely same thread, this is the thread that makes your art unique.

On the title line, the last two digits (i.e. q6 or x6) represent the available quantity for purchase on line, in the example 6 is the quantity. In case you need more, please let us know, if available we will increase the available quantity for your order, if not available we will let you know and we can back order the item for you.

International buyers can pay with PayPal. At this time this is the only form of payment we offer outside US. Once you send the order, wait for our PayPal invoice, with the accurate shipping charges on it.

We are charging what we pay for the postage, no surcharges of any kind. The shopping cart will calculate the cost for you. However, if you have multiple purchases and you are concerned with the shipping charges drop us a note and we will give you an accurate amount, finding for you the most convenient rates. Always wait for our PayPal invoice with the right shipping amount on it. Remember we want our customers to be satisfied with our product and our service.

Remember, in the fixed weight system, the higher the number, the thinner the thread. This could be confusing because there are other unit of measures, i.e. the fixed lenght/TEX. In the fixed weight the number represent the number of skeins necessary to make one pound of thread, so the heavier the thread less skeins are required, viceversa the lighter the thread more skeins are required. A quick rule of thumb is to use the 50 wt for general purpose sewing, piecing and even quilting. Use the 35 wt for hand quilting and machine quilting as well if you like the thread to stand out more on your quilt. Our 50wt. is slightly heavier than regular sewing thread. Excellent for piecing, sewing, beautiful in quilting when you do not want too heavy a thread. Our 35wt. is a highly decorative quilting thread, for both machine and hand. This is by far the most popular quilting thread when you want the thread to really enhance the beauty of the quilt.

Yes we do. Just let us know of your multiple purchases and wait for our invoice. The automatic calculation of shipping cost in the shopping cart is using an average cost scenario, from the East Coast to the West Coast, adding up the estimated average weight of the single items, for multiple purchases we can provide you with the exact figure once we know the destination. On selected products you have even a better deal, FREE SHIPPING within US and Canada.

Because of the hundreds of products available you may find difficult to quickly find the color you like, or to compare two colors side by side. One easy way is to use the search function, either from the home page or from within a particular category. Type, for example, red in the search windows, check the Title and Text box, Only this category, and run search. You will get all the threads in that category that contain a red tone. A further tip, instead of red try also reds or yellows or blues, many products use the plural attribute. Another way of finding the color is by looking at our color chart in the main web site www.snowflakememories.com and click on the category of thread on the side bar.

Pearl Cotton size 12 is the most decorative thread Valdani manufactures that you can put both on top and in the bobbin of your machine with most beautiful results. Excellent for machine and hand quilting, machine and hand embroidery, hardanger, decorative stitching, needle punching, crochet, miniature knitting, tassel and fringe-making. Pearl Cotton size 8 is a heavier thread, highly decorative, that you can use in machine and hand couching, hand embroidery, hardanger, decorative stitching, needle punching, crochet, tassel and fringe-making. Note: Valdani Pearl Cottons are slightly heavier than DMC in the same size. Pearl Cotton size 5 is the latest introduced product in the Pearl Cotton series, it is a very heavy thread, almost double the size of #8.

Yes you can and we use this thread on our Gammill long arm machine all the times. Some machine quilters prefer to use the 50 wt while others prefer the 35 wt. The 35 wt, the heavier of the two, is by far the most popular thread in the machine quilters community. The regular sewing machines tend to "like better" the 50 wt, but you can use the 35 wt as well. You may want to keep an extra bobbin for your decorative thread and loosen up a little bit the tension on that one.

Yes we do in many ways in an effort to do our share for saving the environment. We do not accept the theory offered by some on-line sales consultants that, to prove you are a professional you must always use new packaging. We believe that we must prove our professionalism through good customer care instead and be more responsible for the environment. When we ship to our customers we always try first to re-use "clean" packaging that we have received with our personal or business purchases. The filling material is always clean re-cycled filler, like bubble wrap. Everything we receive, if not re-usable in our shipments goes into the recycle bins at the local transfer station.

The most widely used thread for punchneedle,at this time, is the Pearl Cotton size #12 and the 3 or 6 Strand Cotton Floss. The Pearl Cotton is a double twisted thread, more compact than the floss, it produces beautiful punchneedle work with well defined outlines, especially in very small detail work. The 3 or 6 Strand Floss, by nature, has a very little twist, when used in the punchneedle work it shows "loopier" and "fluffier". You will notice a tremendous difference in using solid colors versus variegated / overdyed colors. Some small details will take the solid color well, while a broader scene area may use the overdyed colors to give a third dimension to the finished work. The variegated colors, especially the overdyed series, add a subtle texture to the work and the result will show as a tri-dimensional effect. Try a traditional area, like the sky in a landscape, first with a solid blue color then with an overdyed blue tone, and you will see the difference, a flat sky versus a live sky. In the floss zone, you can use both the 3 strand or 6 strand, with the 3 strand you do not have to separate the floss, it is ready to use and enjoy. The Valdani threads are guaranteed color fast 100 %, you can safely tea-dye your work to add a vintage look, with no bleeding of the colors.