Floss length

How long in length should you cut your floss to work on a project.

Barbara wrote:
How long in length should you cut your floss to work on a project.

For every stitcher, you will find a different answer. I use long
lengths. I know how to handle the floss. I don't mind the waste
because the end will inevitably shred, but it gives me longer ends to
tuck in, while those who use short lengths try to get down to that last
nub and drive themselves bonkers doing it.

The usual caution is to use lengths about 18". For metallics about 12".
Metallics don't fare well going in/out of fabric, so the shorter
length makes perfect sense.

I recently finished a new course for EGA and one of the pilot stitchers
mentioned that I should have stipulated 18" to 24" for the length of
thread, since some stitchers will use too long a length. I worded it:
Use longer lengths of thread than you are used to so that there aren't a
lot of endings on the back. (It's a stuffed bear). I'm not changing
the text. grin I figure people should learn different ways and come
to their own conclusions.

Dianne

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On Nov 23, 4:41 pm, Barbara wrote:
How long in length should you cut your floss to work on a project.

However long it suits you to cut it. I don't like having it too long
because it's too much work to drag it through the fabric. Many
instructions call for 18 inch lengths. I think mine might be a little
longer, but not much. Metallics and anything else delicate, I keep
short.

Elizabeth

wrote:
On Nov 23, 4:41 pm, Barbara wrote:
How long in length should you cut your floss to work on a project.

However long it suits you to cut it. I don't like having it too long
because it's too much work to drag it through the fabric. Many
instructions call for 18 inch lengths. I think mine might be a little
longer, but not much. Metallics and anything else delicate, I keep
short.

Elizabeth

I generally use the loop method. If that is the case, I probably cut off
a strand of 36-40 inches if there i a reasonable amount to stitch. If
there are just a few stitches to be done, one cuts accordingly. I don't
think there really is an answer to the question...."it all depends"

Gillian

"Gillian Murray" wrote in message
...
wrote:
On Nov 23, 4:41 pm, Barbara wrote:
How long in length should you cut your floss to work on a project.

However long it suits you to cut it. I don't like having it too long
because it's too much work to drag it through the fabric. Many
instructions call for 18 inch lengths. I think mine might be a little
longer, but not much. Metallics and anything else delicate, I keep
short.

Elizabeth

I generally use the loop method. If that is the case, I probably cut off a
strand of 36-40 inches if there i a reasonable amount to stitch. If there
are just a few stitches to be done, one cuts accordingly. I don't think
there really is an answer to the question...."it all depends"

Gillian


I guess it all depends would be my answer too. Right now I'm doing a lot of
back stitch outlining using a single strand of floss and I'm using long
pieces in order to avoid too many ends. With metallics, I found shorter is
definitely better.

If I can use a loop start, I cut the strands between 36 and 40 something so
double is about 20".

I use loop starts, so if I cut too much floss, it tends to get wasted. I
count how many stitches of the next color there are to do, and cut off a
guestimate of how much I need to do just that many stitches, If I am
going to run out of floss before I run out of stitches, then I use two
pulls from the skein. With a loop start this means a length of one pull.
HTH.

I never measured , how much i cut, as i do it by `feeling`, thus out
of curiosity i measured my `regular` cut ,,, it is 40 cm long .
mirjam

F.James Cripwell wrote:
I use loop starts, so if I cut too much floss, it tends to get wasted. I
count how many stitches of the next color there are to do, and cut off a
guestimate of how much I need to do just that many stitches, If I am
going to run out of floss before I run out of stitches, then I use two
pulls from the skein. With a loop start this means a length of one pull.
HTH.

I was going to ask you what a hoop start was,but you answered it in your
email. Thank you
Barbara
P.S.
I have been cutting of pieces of floss no perfect size and ending off
with a piece of floss at the end of 4".Much to small.
Barbara

Barbara wrote:
How long in length should you cut your floss to work on a project.

My answer is like everyone else's -- it all depends :-). I'm like
Jim, I use pulls of floss from the skein as my measurement. I'm also
like Dianne and Gillian, etc. -- I use really long lengths but only when
stitching with cotton. I use a loop start so I generally measure about
5 pulls from a skein of cotton floss. For metallics, Wisper, etc. I use
about 18"; for silks I use 24". When stitching with the more delicate
fibers, I use a larger needle to help open the hole to reduce wear on
the fibers. CiaoMeow ^;;^


PAX, Tia Mary ^;;^ (RCTQ Queen of Kitties)
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their whiskers!
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On 11/24/08 9:34 AM, "Tia Mary" wrote:

Barbara wrote:
How long in length should you cut your floss to work on a project.

My answer is like everyone else's -- it all depends :-). I'm like
Jim, I use pulls of floss from the skein as my measurement. I'm also
like Dianne and Gillian, etc. -- I use really long lengths but only when
stitching with cotton. I use a loop start so I generally measure about
5 pulls from a skein of cotton floss. For metallics, Wisper, etc. I use
about 18"; for silks I use 24". When stitching with the more delicate
fibers, I use a larger needle to help open the hole to reduce wear on
the fibers. CiaoMeow ^;;^

Ditto on the "it depends" - what thread, what ground fabric, what stitch.
With cotton floss on linen, I probably use about 18"-22". I rarely loop
start- just depends. With some of the carded overdyes, I will open the
skein, and likely cut it at the knot, which ends up giving a good stitching
length. With some, that's a doubled lengthe. Otherwise - it's what I pull.
I also often will thread up 2 or 3 needles when I do that pull of thread
from a skein.

If I'm doing specialty stitches that have long "legs" between passing
through the fabric, I'm likely to use longer lengths. OTOH, I'm careful w/
delicate threads, or those that will fray, untwist, etc. Personally, I'm
likely to end threads and start a new one rather than have some stitches
start to look thinned. Particularly when I'm working on canvas. And,
agreeing w/ Mary, I will choose a needle to open the hole in the ground
fabric to prevent damage to thread. At the same time, I try not to have the
thread wearing in the needle eye too much.

When I teach, I try to be clear w/ length advice/instructions. One class -
which was being done on canvas - the stitch to be done is an
interwoven/interlaced stitch, and needs a long length so that you're not
stuck ending in some impossible fashion. So, I told the class to cut about
36 " length - a bit more than twice the size of their 16" stretcher bars. I
look up, and one of them has a piece pulled her entire armspan plus - about
6-7' = it was hilarious (she's about 5'10"), and had tried to do the first
stitch that way. Talk about trying to keep something straight!

Bottom line - what is comfortable for a stitcher to handle, in consideration
with what they may or may not notice WRT effects.

Ellice