A helpful hint for feathering floss.

I have been lurking for quite a while. I have a few health issues I have to
deal with that are taking up a considerable amount of my free time. Nothing
too serious but time consuming just the same. Soooo in order to give back to
the craft that I love I'd like submit a helpful hint that Stitch Away Fabric
Mount users are familiar. You may print it out and distribute it as you
wish.

Those of you who cross stitch have an idea of what I'm about to talk about.
You know that wee tiny task that seems to take forever, separating the six
strands of DMC or Anchor floss into onesie/twosies. Yes you can blow on the
end, flick it with your finger or stick the end of the floss down the throat
of one of those little hand held car vacuums. Pain, pain, pain.

Next time you are in a discount store purchase some small Velcro tabs. Buy
the ones that have the little hooks on them. I got the ½" diameter stick on
type. They are cheap like borscht. Which I wish I had a bowlful of right
now. Find a handy spot on your Stitch Away Fabric Mount or scroll frame, I
picked a spot on the upper surface near the top and about center of the
fabric mount. Take off the sticky backing and put your little Velcro tab on
the spot that you have chosen.

Cut your floss to the lengths you normally like to work with. Pick the color
you want to use. Take one end and place this end on top of the Velcro Tab so
approximately 2" hangs over the Velcro tab. Place your finger or thumb on
top of the thread and hold it down on top of the Velcro tab. Now with the
other hand pull the thread out from under your finger. PRESTO! As the 2" end
of the thread is pulled out from under your finger the little hooks of the
Velcro tab combs the thread and separates the strands for you. Just think no
more huffing and puffing.

Hope this makes your needlework a bit more enjoyable. My next helpful hint
will be even better than this one. Stay tuned!!!!!

Back to lurking for a bit.

Fred
http://www.stitchaway.com

The closer you get to perfection
the harder it is to achieve.

On Oct 5, 4:05*pm, "Fred" wrote:
I have been lurking for quite a while. I have a few health issues I have to
deal with that are taking up a considerable amount of my free time. Nothing
too serious but time consuming just the same. Soooo in order to give back to
the craft that I love I'd like submit a helpful hint that Stitch Away Fabric
Mount users are familiar. You may print it out and distribute it as you
wish.

Those of you who cross stitch have an idea of what I'm about to talk about.

Those of you who cross stitch have an idea of what I'm about to talk
about.
You know that wee tiny task that seems to take forever, separating the six
strands of DMC or Anchor floss into onesie/twosies.

Maybe I'm missing something here. I find the easiest, fastest way to
separate the 6 strands of floss is to:
1. Cut the length you want to use --- all 6 strands at once.
2. Hold one end up and grab it between thumb and middle or index finger, no
more than 1/2 inch down from the top. All strands.
3. With the other hand, grab just ONE strand at a time, at the top, and
pull it up and out while still holding onto the other strands.
4. Repeat for each strand you want to immediately use.

They all come out nice and neat. No tangles. Lay them side by side and
then put them together, as many strands as you need. Put the rest away for
the next time you need them. I just wind them around those little cardboard
spool thingys that I store all my floss on.

KT. in MI

"KT in Mich" wrote in message
...

Those of you who cross stitch have an idea of what I'm about to talk
about.
You know that wee tiny task that seems to take forever, separating the
six
strands of DMC or Anchor floss into onesie/twosies.

Maybe I'm missing something here. I find the easiest, fastest way to
separate the 6 strands of floss is to:
1. Cut the length you want to use --- all 6 strands at once.
2. Hold one end up and grab it between thumb and middle or index finger,
no more than 1/2 inch down from the top. All strands.
3. With the other hand, grab just ONE strand at a time, at the top, and
pull it up and out while still holding onto the other strands.
4. Repeat for each strand you want to immediately use.

They all come out nice and neat. No tangles. Lay them side by side and
then put them together, as many strands as you need. Put the rest away for
the next time you need them. I just wind them around those little
cardboard spool thingys that I store all my floss on.

KT. in MI
I can agree with you to an extent but a lot of people have a hard time
selecting that single thread to pull. Passing each end of the six strands on
the Velco combs/fluffs them out making it easier to just select one strand
at a time. In addition depending on whether the six strands are wound
clockwise or counter clockwise and/or which end of the six strands is at the
top, tangles occur in many cases. Floss is wound two strands to a set and
three sets to the whole cut piece in either a clockwise or counter clockwise
direction. If you take a 36" length, fold it in half and cut it in the
center, lay them on a table, one length will be clockwise and the other
length will be counter clockwise. The only way to keep them all in the same
direction is to measure and cut each 18" length in sequence starting at the
beginning of the skien.

Fred
http://www.stitchaway.com
If nothing changes, nothing changes.
Don't back stitch to email, just stitchit.

On Oct 8, 12:29*pm, "KT in Mich" wrote:
Those of you who cross stitch have an idea of what I'm about to talk
about.
You know that wee tiny task that seems to take forever, separating the six
strands of DMC or Anchor floss into onesie/twosies.

Maybe I'm missing something here. *I find the easiest, fastest way to
separate the 6 strands of floss is to:
1. *Cut the length you want to use --- all 6 strands at once.
2. *Hold one end up and grab it between thumb and middle or index finger, no
more than 1/2 inch down from the top. *All strands.
3. *With the other hand, grab just ONE strand at a time, at the top, and
pull it up and out while still holding onto the other strands.
4. *Repeat for each strand you want to immediately use.

They all come out nice and neat. *No tangles. *Lay them side by side and
then put them together, as many strands as you need. Put the rest away for
the next time you need them. *I just wind them around those little cardboard
spool thingys that I store all my floss on.

KT. in MI

This is the method I use....very simple and fast!

just me,
Cathy from KY in CA

"Cathy from KY in CA" wrote in message
...
On Oct 8, 12:29 pm, "KT in Mich" wrote:
Those of you who cross stitch have an idea of what I'm about to talk
about.
You know that wee tiny task that seems to take forever, separating the
six
strands of DMC or Anchor floss into onesie/twosies.

Maybe I'm missing something here. I find the easiest, fastest way to
separate the 6 strands of floss is to:
1. Cut the length you want to use --- all 6 strands at once.
2. Hold one end up and grab it between thumb and middle or index finger,
no
more than 1/2 inch down from the top. All strands.
3. With the other hand, grab just ONE strand at a time, at the top, and
pull it up and out while still holding onto the other strands.
4. Repeat for each strand you want to immediately use.

They all come out nice and neat. No tangles. Lay them side by side and
then put them together, as many strands as you need. Put the rest away
for
the next time you need them. I just wind them around those little
cardboard
spool thingys that I store all my floss on.

KT. in MI

This is the method I use....very simple and fast!

just me,
Cathy from KY in CA

Same here.
Lucille

Fred had mentioned that some people have a problem grabbing the one strand
of floss when trying to separate them. When I am holding the 6-strands
about 1/2 inch from the top with one hand, with a finger on the other hand I
tap on the top of the strands. This separates them nicely so that I can
very easily grab the one strand to pull from the pack.

KT. in MI

"KT in Mich" wrote in message
...
Fred had mentioned that some people have a problem grabbing the one strand
of floss when trying to separate them. When I am holding the 6-strands
about 1/2 inch from the top with one hand, with a finger on the other hand
I tap on the top of the strands. This separates them nicely so that I can
very easily grab the one strand to pull from the pack.

KT. in MI

Not when you got stubby fat (well a bit anyway) fingers and short finger
nails like me. LOL
I need at least 1" to 1-1/2" fluffed out ends.

Fred
http://www.stitchaway.com
If nothing changes, nothing changes.
Don't back stitch to email, just stitchit.

"Fred" wrote in message
...

"KT in Mich" wrote in message
...

Snip

Ok I got question. I can see laying out the separated strands side by side.
For me they still have a tendency to flop around and tangle a bit as they
continue to unravel but no big deal. However I'm usually working three
colors at the same time so that means having eighteen strands to deal with.
I've tried making a thin cardboard holder about 18"high x 12"wide. I cut
eighteen slits (with a razor blade) about 1/2" long at the top 1/2" apart,
and did the same at the bottom of the cardboard holder. As I separated each
strand I would slide on end into a slit at the top, gently pull down on the
strand and slide the other end into the slit at the bottom. Like stringing a
harp. This goes pretty quick, about 1-1/2 minutes for each eighteen inch of
six strand. This gives me three cards of nicely sorted strands however it
doesn't take too long before the slits in the cardboard start to wear and
they won't grip the strands. I've tried thin plastic sheets with little or
no improvement. I've tried cementing small child hair barrettes at the top
and bottom to grip the strands but they take up too much space and the
springs in them are generally too weak. Eventual storage of floss has been
worked out by many and that is not my concern right here. I need something
while I'm stitching. The reason for securing at the top and bottom is that
if the strands are just gripped at the top and left to dangle/hang they
still have a tendency to unravel a bit and consequently tangle a bit. I
don't need the hassle.LOL

Anybody got a wild idea that might work better than cardboards??? Icing on
the cake would be something that looks nice when finished and in use while
stitching.

Fred
http://www.stitchaway.com
If nothing changes, nothing changes.
Don't back stitch to email, just stitchit.

"Fred" wrote in message
...

Ok I got question. I can see laying out the separated strands side by
side. For me they still have a tendency to flop around and tangle a bit as
they continue to unravel but no big deal. However I'm usually working
three colors at the same time so that means having eighteen strands to
deal with. I've tried making a thin cardboard holder about 18"high x
12"wide. I cut eighteen slits (with a razor blade) about 1/2" long at the
top 1/2" apart, and did the same at the bottom of the cardboard holder. As
I separated each strand I would slide on end into a slit at the top,
gently pull down on the strand and slide the other end into the slit at
the bottom. Like stringing a harp. This goes pretty quick, about 1-1/2
minutes for each eighteen inch of six strand. This gives me three cards of
nicely sorted strands however it doesn't take too long before the slits in
the cardboard start to wear and they won't grip the strands. I've tried
thin plastic sheets with little or no improvement. I've tried cementing
small child hair barrettes at the top and bottom to grip the strands but
they take up too much space and the springs in them are generally too
weak. Eventual storage of floss has been worked out by many and that is
not my concern right here. I need something while I'm stitching. The
reason for securing at the top and bottom is that if the strands are just
gripped at the top and left to dangle/hang they still have a tendency to
unravel a bit and consequently tangle a bit. I don't need the hassle.LOL

Anybody got a wild idea that might work better than cardboards??? Icing on
the cake would be something that looks nice when finished and in use while
stitching.

Fred
http://www.stitchaway.com
If nothing changes, nothing changes.
Don't back stitch to email, just stitchit.


To each his/her own. Sounds like a lot of work but if it keeps you sane,
then it is sure the right way for you! I am currently at the end of a 2
year project, Van Gogh's "Starry Night" as presented by the Scarlet Quince
folks. 83 blended colors on 18 mesh cloth. In order to keep the colors and
strands in order, I use 2 of those long thread sorters where one sticks a
threaded needle into a small spongy square with the stitch symbol above the
square. The 2 of them holds all 83 colors, all threaded in 83 needles.
Kind of like pulling crayons from the box to color. Works for me even if
the threads kind of clump together. After 2 years I can say I've never had
a tangle that prevented me from gently pulling the threaded needle out of
the sponge and using it. Not what I'd call "looking nice", but it gets the
job done for me. (Luckily, I do not have a cat who would make very short
order of this setup!) If and when (probably "when") I do another huge
project (probably "American Gothic") I will definitely use this threaded
needle storage system. I keep the unblended floss in a case, on the plastic
bobbins until I need to replenish a needle.

KT. in MI