This is the first new threads that I bought since I have started embroidering.  I got these on eBay, which Sally from the Idler course had recommended as a good source of cheap threads.  They are Duchess brand, which I've never heard of, and they were quite cheap.  Regular cotton, six-strand, divisible embroidery threads, and they are slightly bulkier than the Anchor threads which I had already.  Still quite shiny but just a bit more rustic is how to best describe them I think.  Aren't the colours lovely though? I've used these to start a project - I'm stitching a pattern from Embroidered Effects - the "Born To Stitch" design, onto a cotton tote bag.  It's really just a practice piece because we had a bunch of the totes leftover at work after a record fair.  I'm finding out which stitches I really need more practice on!