No Knot, No Tail

No Knots!

I have a few pet peeves about sewing but my biggest one is tying knots. I have that little bitty sense of dread everytime I have to do it - partly because I can't see up close as well as I used to and partly that I like to make several knots and I hate the angst I have over trying to match them up so they're on top of each other. Anyway, here's a nice little technique for handsewing to do away with knots :)

#1 double your length of thread/floss and thread the *tails* through the eye of the needle; this leaves a loop at the other end of your thread

#2 starting from the back of your fabric, bring the needle up through the fabric to the front side but do not pull all the way through - leave the loop of your thread on the backside

#3 push the needle through to the backside, leaving a small space between your original stitch and this new one

#4 *this is a picture of the backside* after pulling the thread through from the front put your needle through the loop on the back

#5 *this is a picture of the backside* now pull your thread firmly and you are ready to begin stitching!

No Tails!

One of my other pet peeves? Little thread tails poking up through your work ;) I use this technique on my softies/stuffies/stuffed toys.

#1 okay, you've finished sewing up your seams and you've created a knot on the outside of your work

#2 with the tail still attached, reinsert your needle as close as possible to your last stitch and then bring your needle up as far as possible from that stitch (basically the length of the needle but you can scrunch your fabric up on the needle so it will go further)

#3 it should look something like this

#4 now pulling the thread taut, scrunch the fabric up against your last stitch, then snip the thread close to the fabric and let go

#5 voila! no peek-a-boo tails!

I hope this helps some of you and my directions are clear enough. I'll permalink it in a side column for future reference.

Comments

[Liesl]

Nice directions! I've never seen the no knot idea, and I love it. Will try it with my next project. Thanks for posting this!

[dk~loo]

Wow, thanks! It has been frustrating learning from books and this is the best tutorial I have seen!

[autum]

Thanks so much! I need all the helpful tips I can get! Thanks also for visting my site and your kind comments of encouragement!

[mary]

wow, that's great. Thank you!!

[molly]

wow cassi, that's brilliant. thanks!

[rebecca]

thank you so much for this tutorial!! these are both pet peeves of mine as well, and i've been struggling to find a good way to deal with them.

[abbyjane]

You take great close ups! These tips are such a good resource.

[persephone]

This is SO helpful. Thanks, Cassi! Think you might give a little tutorial of how to do a hidden stitch (for finishing stuffies, etc.)? I have yet to master this yet... :)

[Rose]

Thanks Cassi! I was just cursing a couple of knots in my work that I couldn't get rid of! This is very helpful.

[nina]

Thank you so much for posting that--tails begone!

[sally]

Wow, thanks!! Very helpful and detailed tutorial. And those owls are so wonderful.

[joy]

ooh oooh ooh!!! I love it! I too knew about the 2nd one but not the first....thank you!

[Susan]

Oooo! Many thanks for the tutorial.

[Cathy]

Thank you!!! I knew about the second technique but not the first. That is going to change the way I do needle my work considerably.