And the thread?

Here is the shirt after another week of work.I have really been pushing myself so I can show you something closer to finished.  Now that my hands and arms are getting stiff we'll just see how much more I get done before the end of the month.  Someone once asked me how long finishing one of these garments takes.  The best answer I can find so far is "A long time."  While this one is coming along I still need to start the skirt.

I have used a variety of thread in the garment.  Different colors and thicknesses and content of thread can all be used, again depending on what you want to emphasize or be more subtle.  I can't even say which I like best but here are a few I have used.

Colors:  The color for each piece will vary depending on my vision for the finished item.  I have some lovely lace I wanted to use to hold the cotton shirt together so I have used black thread primarily.  I have also used purple because it is dark but I have used it sparingly.  And, as always, I have used a variety of neutrals.  I generally use the neutrals in the more simple and quicker to make stitches since the stitches will generally only be seen upon close examination.

Type of Thread:  For this garment I have used cotton, silk, and wool thread.  All work better if you use some bees' wax on them first.  Silk is a bit hard to use but looks lovely with the silk shine. I have used it mostly for the buttonhole stitches around the lace.  I love the hairiness of the wool thread.  Cotton is the staple.

Thickness:  Again, I wish I could give you one answer but I use one, two, three, or all six embroidery threads depending on how thick of a line that I want.  I also use crochet thread and much heavier threads (see the yellow thread in the picture).  So far I have not used yarn but I do want to try it on a future garment.