Keeping theback tidy

Yes, Louisa, the loop start is a great help, but it can also be done with an odd number of strands. Jim Cripwell gave us these instructions for three strands back in 2004:

"Make sure you cut your threads to a standard length. For three threads, take one full strand and one half strand. Loop the full strand in the usual way, but thread the needle *unevenly* with three strands. At the loop end, have a long piece of the third strand. Do a loop start in the usual way. Unthread the needle and bury the third strand at the back of the work. Do *not* snip the end, but carefully pull it until the end is

Felice

snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com wrote:

Not only can you do a loop start with an odd number of strands as Felice reminded (with thanks to Jim Cripwell for his directions), but if doing it with an even number of threads, it can be done from the front! This eliminates having to turn your work over frequently :-). I always do my loop starts from the front -- put your threaded needle down into the fabric from the front side, leaving the loop on the front. Bring needle back up in the appropriated hole, pass it through the loop and then put the needle back down through the hole you just came up out of. Pull the threaded needle gently but firmly until it snugs up against the end of the loop and with a final soft tug, it will take the loop to the back side. I also leave my thread ends on the front of the fabric when I am at the end of a length of floss. After my last stitch, I bring the needle up to the front in the midst of a previously stitched area and unthread the needle leaving the loose ends to sort of dangle. You want to make sure you aren't too near the area where you are stitching or those loose ends will get in your way. I do this until I am ready to change colors and then, before starting the next color, I pull all of the loose thread ends to the back and bury them. If I am doing a large area all of the same color, I will stop and bury the threads when I have 5 ot 6 loose ends on the front. CiaoMeow >^;;^<

PAX, Tia Mary >^;;^< (RCTQ Queen of Kitties) Angels can't show their wings on earth but nothing was ever said about their whiskers! Visit my Photo albums at

I do that always, as long as I don't use variegated or multicoloured threads. Doesn't work then, because you don't have the matching colour flow.

Pat

It's kind of like doing an away or waste knot in reverse. I do this more in NP, or sometimes with specialty stitches. Usually with XS I can find a place to run the stitches through. Donna is shaming me into behaving again. After the mess of Summer Garden, I seem to have been on a downhill spiral. I generall start with holding the tail on the back, and make sure to capture it with the first few stitches. For ending, I hope there's something nearby, or do as Pat - but I'm pretty careful to go where the color won't be an issue. If not, I bring the thread up away, or just on the back to the margin and just anchor (yeah, pink hair tape). Then eventually I will weave it back under a stitched area. The little baby piece which I'll finish with another 15 minutes of work has a pin stitched border - done in silk - which doesn't give much for anchoring, so I've been doing a little weave through the pin stitches, and then ending in some cross-stitched area - that may be an inch away, but, it won't show. Starting, same thing - I go through a cross-stitched area, and then under some of the pin stitches, then start.

I had a little tool, like a dololly, that you can use to pull thread tails through. The problem for me is if I leave them so there are several before I do it, then a mess can happen. But, when I'm being conscientious, I get all the tails woven, anchored, and snipped off short right away.

So complicated - for a fun and relaxing hobby ;^)

ellice

AHH but then you have to turn your work over to the back side! My whole reason for bringing the ends to the front is so that I don't have to turn my work to the back. I've tried to bring the ends to the front going across the area to be stitched next but I always seem to get things all messed up and in a snarl on the back. VBS -- hence bringing the ends to the front in the middle of an area that has already been stitched. CiaoMeow >^;;^<

PAX, Tia Mary >^;;^< (RCTQ Queen of Kitties) Angels can't show their wings on earth but nothing was ever said about their whiskers! Visit my Photo albums at

Of course if it`s for something that`s going to be washed once and framed you don`t have to anchor it quite as firmly. I only ever do stuff for framing.

Pat

Ummm, hating to be contrary ;^) - but an away knot or waste knot are also done on the front. Usually a couple of needle lengths away - you make the knot, go down from the front, come up where you will start stitching. Then the thread stays on the back, gets covered by stitching, and the knot gets snipped on the front when you get there, so to speak.

Sounded to me from your description that you're essentially doing this at the end of a stitching seesion or thread, rather than as a start.

For XS though, I do, as I said, more typically run the thread end under some existing stitching - which yes, does mean going to the back. I guess I should've but the "usually with XS" sentence in a new paragraph to clarify that I wasn't implying that to be similar to what you do.

Ellice

Sure, but I have the paranoia of one who worked doing framing in a LNS. Which means I've done my share of fixing people's stitching - 90% of the time without us telling them. The other 10 % - they may ask for something to be checked. I'm not totally paranoid about it, just a little picky. I did learn not to run threads on the diagonal in NP - especially with tent stitch - you really can see a kind of zipper line if you do that. Lately, I'm trying to do a bit less for just framing ($$) and some pieces I'm finishing as little hanging pillows, etc. I don't expect any great heirloom value to be put on them, so, if they come apart some time, oh well. Just still I'd like them to last through finishing ;^)

I'm usually more concerned with a lot of the open type specialty stitches - sometimes it's so easy for those to just pull out, while you're still stitching. When doing pieces with a stitch mix, I'll try to leave any of the really open, loose stitching towards the end - if I can. Minimize the handling. I imagine that's why some designers will instruct you to do all the XS, then go back and do the specialty stitches . I noticed on the Drawn Thread Love & Wisdom piece, she's very specific about that, so after doing the entire border length, then it's head back up to the top and start inserting the specialty stitches.

Ellice

ellice wrote: Tia Mary said.........

You're not being contrary at all :-). I do use an away waste knot when I first start a piece (xs, np or surface embroidery) and I am always very careful to have my stitches cover the thread. I will flip my work over to check and maker sure the fiber ends are covered properly and I don't have any snarls or wonky threads. I just don't like having to do that when I am in the middle of working on a piece. I'll be the first to admit I AM LAZY. By bringing my thread ends to the front and not securing them until I have several to do, I feel like I am saving time & effort. Actually, the only thing I eliminate is having to turn the work to the back. I also don't have to be careful about covering thread ends with my stitches. It's six of one, half dozen of another. As long as we are happy and enjoy our stitching we are doing OK. I did just realize that if I am working "in hand" (which I rarely do since it causes tendonitis) I always bury my thread ends one at a time. Otherwise, I have my work in a frame that is mounted on my Grip-It. And -- horror of horrors -- if I am working on surface embroidery or doing a garment using waste canvas (things that get used and laundered with a fair amount of frequency), I knot the ends at the beginning and ending of each length of fiber. I know -- I'm bad but after more than fifty years of stitching I STILL worry about thread ends working themselves loose from the stitching! Of course, this is stuff that will never be framed or judged so I get to stitch the way I want :-). CiaoMeow >^;;^<

PAX, Tia Mary >^;;^< (RCTQ Queen of Kitties) Angels can't show their wings on earth but nothing was ever said about their whiskers! Visit my Photo albums at

Mrs PP , you are just doing what i do ,,,, mirjam

Great minds think alike! LOL!

How are things over there now? Doesn`t look too good on the news, but they haven`t mentioned Haifa.

Pat

I'm sorry it's taken so long to respond to the answers to my original mention of the loop start. I was looking after a friend's children and so had four little ones to run after instead of two. I did enjoy my stitching to relax in the evenings! I didn't realize that you could use the loop start with an number of strands. I must try that. I, too, knot my threads when using waste canvas on clothing. I just don't trust washing machines not to loosen the stitching otherwise. It's also so nice to find that everybody seems to be working on several things at once! My husband was concerned that I'd lost my focus. I just find that if I have a variety of things on the go, then I always have something I feel like working on. So one project will be fairly complex, and the others will be smaller and simpler, for when I'm tired.

I'm new to this newsgroup, and I'm so happy that I found it! Everyone has so much enthusiasm for their work and so much expertise to share. I know I'm going to learn a lot.

Louisa