Silamide thread is manufactured in the USA and has been a favorite thread of tailors and dressmakers for years so quality and color permanence is assured.  Silamide is a pre-waxed nylon thread of twisted filaments.   Many beaders first became aware of Silamide as beading thread through Joyce Scott's book, Fearless Beadwork and her peyote beading classes.  I contacted the manufacturer and made arrangements with them to provide me with 100 yard and 500 yard spools.   Silamide now has national recognition as a great beading thread.  Silamide is recommended by many instructors and as the recommended thread in magazine projects and how-to books.

Silamide thread is available on 100 yard and 500 yard snap spools.  I do not offer Silamide thread on cards.  Silamide is waxed thread and when it is wrapped around a storage card, the wax coating is weakened at  those points where the thread is wrapped around the edge of the storage card.
Also, the manufacturer has advised me that there is a product out there that is labeled Silamide thread on a 380 yard spool.  The manufacturer assures me that this is not his product and is not authentic Silamide thread.

#001 White #861 Natural #257 Light Grey #944 Ash Grey #256 Medium Grey #009 Black

#910 Beige #533 Light Brown #451 Dark Brown #966 Red #265 Burgundy #267 Wine #181 Yellow

#195 Dusty Rose #290 Gold #109 Orange #308 Kelly #331 Olive #044 Dark Green #810 Pink

#905 Aqua #280 Slate #669 Royal Blue #078 Dark Blue #815 Lilac #603 Purple

Silamide is a twisted 2-ply thread that has a tooth to it and holds as you bead.  It has a gorgeous texture, is strong and resilient.  You can make a long line of "bugle" brick stitches and not fight the bugles staying together, the Silamide keeps the bugles in line.  Silamide is good for all beading techniques including brick stitch, right angle weave, peyote, bead netting, spirals, square stitch and loom weaving.  Depending on the item I am weaving, I have used Silamide as both the warp and weft thread.  I do add an additional warp thread on each outer side of the piece for strength.  Since Silamide is prewaxed, beeswax does not need to be added unless you are making beaded beads and other 3-D items needing more hold power or you have weak wrists and need the additional wax added.  I use a wax stick when making beaded beads; it does not clog the bead holes.  Some beaders stated they had problems with the thread separating when they were trying to put it through the needle.   Thread is put on spools by an automation process and it is possible the thread was put on the spool in the opposite direction from the normal thread ply.  So you may be trying to thread the needle from the wrong end of the thread.  If you are having trouble threading your needle, try the other end of the cut thread piece and it should work much better.  If that does not work, turn your needle around and try the other side of the needle hole.  Both sides are not always equal.  I have no trouble threading Silamide through size 13 beading needles.  I can thread Silamide through size 15 beading needles but it takes a little extra effort in getting it through the eye hole.

Silamide Examples: My sculpture, Pinellas Palms, photo image in Lapidary Journal, October Bead Annual 1996, 15" long by 11" wide by 14" high, was created using Silamide thread and beads over an armature.  I used different colors of Silamide thread in areas that needed the thread to match the beads.   Cabochons and geodes are peyote stitched onto the piece using Silamide thread.   The beaded baskets are creating using Silamide thread and beads in various beading techniques.  The tapestry portion of the sculpture's warp and weft threads are Silamide.  Beads and thicker thread were incorporated into this piece.    The outer edge of the tapestry was reinforced with thicker thread for strength.

Have you heard it is difficult to make twisted fringe and it takes many hours to make?  Not!  It is easy to make those great twisted long fringes when you use Silamide thread.  Instructions are at my www.beadwrangler.com, Tips & Techniques pages.   I have twisted beaded fringe I made 8 years ago and wear the pieces often; they continue to keep their shape.

Silamide can be used for embroidery.  Try Silamide between other types of thread for texture interest.  Silamide can be used to crochet small items with or without beads.  I combined Kelly Green, Aqua and Royal Blue, used a size 14 crochet hook and made a mini amulet purse that had a unique texture because the thread is pre-waxed.  If you are going to crochet or knit with Silamide to make little bags, keep in mind they will not feel the same as bags made with fibers that are not waxed.  You can make great 3-D pieces using the Silamide, the wax will help hold the shape.  You can bead crochet ropes, however, remember the thread is very thin and will be more difficult to work than a crochet/knitting thread such as Jean Stitch.  If you are adept at crocheting or knitting with Silamide then you should not have a problem. 

The Beige thread works well when knotting between small pearls.  It also looks good as a skin tone in 3-dimensional figures with seed beads and is distinctively different from Off White.  The Light Brown, Ash Gray and Light Gray seem to change appearance with some beads and blend with the beads rather than standing out.   Ash Gray 944 and Lt. Brown 533 are my all time favorites because they blend in with most colors and are wonderful as skin tones through beads.  The Ash Gray can be cool or warm as a skin tone depending on the beads used and the Light Brown is a rich warm tone.  The Gold would be exquisite for a real sparkling golden figure.   Combine the Gold and Orange for a brilliant effect, using more gold than orange in the overall piece.

Several strands of Silamide thread can be combined together for braiding and macramé between beads for a variegated appearance.  Making larger bumpy knots with Silamide and other fibers adds to the appearance of the project.

Silamide is great for clothing repairs too.  If I find a hem in a blouse or pants coming loose, I just use one of my sharps needles and Silamide to hand stitch the hem back together.  

You can use a Bic or other cigarette lighter to burn off the edges of the Silamide thread ends when you are finished beading.  It will leave a small nylon bead.  This is a Joyce Scott trick.  Do not put the flame directly on the thread, just near enough to ignite the thread.  Close the lighter as soon as the thread ignites and blow out the flame as soon as the thread burns close to the piece.   You do not want the thread in the piece to burn.  You can also use a Thread Zapper tool which ignites the thread ends.

Silamide A can be used for 8/0 seed beads because of the larger holes.  You can use the smaller beads in loom work using a simple shed to bring the beads through rather than taking the thread back through the beads.

I believe Silamide is the Queen of beading thread; the New Thread for the New Beadwork.  It is like finding the bead of the Century except it is the thread of the Century.