Planet Earth Fibers is a Tilli Tomas brand and one of the most widely stocked silk needlepoint thread lines in the United States. The brand has been in production for nearly 20 years.
Tilli Tomas is a fair-trade certified company that works with artisan communities for dyeing and handwork. Rittenhouse carries the full Planet Earth range.
Planet Earth Silk is 100% silk in 30-yard skeins across 217 colors, recommended for 13 and 12- count mesh. It is non-strandable, delivers 15 square inches of coverage per skein on 13-mesh, and has a reputation among stitchers for holding up without pilling.
Planet Earth Milan is a 50% silk, 50% merino wool blend in 30-yard skeins for 13-mesh, with colors that match Planet Earth Silk. Pepper Pot Silk is 100% silk and is sized for full coverage on 18-mesh. It is one of the most popular thread lines for stitching on 18-mesh.
Planet Earth Ply Silk is an 8-ply strandable thread in 100% silk in 14-yard skeins: 2 strands for cross stitch, 4 strands for needlepoint on 18-mesh, all 8-ply for needlepoint on 13-mesh. Milan is also available in 10-yard cards for projects requiring smaller thread quantities.
The collection at Rittenhouse totals over 1,500 thread choices across all lines and colorways.
FAQs
What is Planet Earth Fiber?
Planet Earth Fiber is the name of Tilli Tomas's primary needlepoint thread line, produced by the Massachusetts-based fiber company Tilli Tomas.
The line includes 100% silk thread, silk-wool blends, and plied silk in multiple weights for 13- and 18-mesh needlepoint. Planet Earth Fiber has been in production for nearly 20 years.
What Planet Earth thread lines does Rittenhouse carry?
Rittenhouse Needlepoint carries several popular thread and fiber lines from Planet Earth Fiber, tailored for needlepoint and embroidery.
- Planet Earth Silk: Single-ply, non-strandable 100% silk fiber designed for 13-mesh canvas.
- Planet Earth Ply Silk: Rich, 6-ply strandable silk usable as-is on 13/14-mesh or split for 18-mesh.
- Planet Earth Milan: A soft, non-strandable 1-ply blend of 50% silk and 50% merino wool (30 yards), great for pillows.
- Planet Earth Pepper Pot Silk: Pure silk thread comparable in thickness to #5 pearl cotton.
- Planet Earth Essentials: A silk-wool blend line closely matched to other Planet Earth colorways.
- Tilli Tomas Essentials: A single strand silk-wool blend perfect for 18 mesh canvases. Use a single strand for 18 mesh canvas or doubled up for 13 mesh.
- Bisous: A multipurpose silk-wool blend from Tilli Tomas. Use as-is for very light coverage on 18 mesh or for embroidery. Use additional plies to build up coverage on canvas - for full coverage, we recommend 2 plies on 18 mesh and 3 plies on 13 mesh.
How often does Rittenhouse restock Planet Earth thread?
Planet Earth is one of our most popular brands of embroidery floss, so because of that we are constantly restocking any threads that have sold out. We get new stock in from Planet Earth regularly, so if you do see an out of stock product, be sure to sign up for the restock notifications.
What is the best Planet Earth silk thread for 13 mesh needlepoint?
Planet Earth Silk (100% silk, 28.8-yard skeins) is the standard recommendation for 13 mesh needlepoint. It covers 15 square inches per skein on 13-mesh and is noted for delivering consistent coverage without pilling.
Milan (50% silk, 50% merino wool) is also made for 13-mesh and offers a softer finish because of the wool content. Planet Earth Ply Silk, used at its full 6-ply, is a third option for 13-mesh.
What is the best Planet Earth silk thread for 18-mesh needlepoint?
Pepper Pot Silk and Planet Earth Ply Silk at 3-ply are both designed for 18-mesh. Pepper Pot Silk is specifically marketed for finer canvas work and is one of the most searched silk thread options for 18-mesh needlepoint.
Tilli Tomas Essentials and Bisous are the other confirmed 18-mesh options in the line.
How many colors does Planet Earth Silk come in?
Planet Earth Silk is available in 217 colors. Milan matches those colors in a 50% silk, 50% merino wool blend. The full palette is available at Rittenhouse across individual skeins and cards depending on the line.
Is Planet Earth thread made with natural fibers?
Yes. Tilli Tomas focuses on natural products without nylon or man-made fibers across all Planet Earth lines. Planet Earth Silk is 100% silk. Milan is 50% silk and 50% merino wool. Planet Earth Ply Silk is 100% silk. The brand is fair-trade certified and works with artisan communities for dyeing and handwork.
How do I know how much Planet Earth thread to buy for a needlepoint
canvas?
Planet Earth Silk covers about 15 square inches per 30-yard skein on 13 mesh. For 18 mesh, Planet Earth Ply Silk is a great choice. Because you split each length in half, you roughly double your coverage to close to 14 square inches per skein. What sets Ply Silk apart from other silks, even Pepper Pot, is its structure. It's built like a silk floss, so it stays smooth and won't fuzz the way other lines do.
For most needlepoint purchases at Rittenhouse, you can add a thread pull request to a canvas order, and Rittenhouse will pull the correct colors and quantities based on the canvas design.
How should I store Planet Earth needlepoint thread?
Store Planet Earth Silk skeins away from direct light and humidity, which can affect hand-dyed silk colors over time. Most stitchers keep silk thread in labeled bags, floss organizers, or on thread cards for easy color identification by project.
The 10-yard card format for Milan makes storage and color-matching by project easier than managing full skeins.
