If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. |
|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
|
#1
|
|||
|
|||
Strands of Floss
Hello, My name is Theresa. I've been lurking for 6 weeks or so. Thought I'd
drop a line and get some tips at the same time. I'm new to cross stitching. Years ago, I did quite a little bit of stamped linen surface embroidery. I found a set of pillowcases that had been hanging around for a while and decided to finish them. That was the initial steps to what now seems almost like an obsession. I'm trying to pace myself. I started with some bookmarks, on to finger towels, and now I'm right in the middle of Donna Kooler's "Celebrate" sampler. I have really high expectations and I've been collecting Paula Vaughan and Teresa Wentzler! My question is this - While you are working a piece what do you with partial strands. I've been using the single strand doubled and through the loop to start a color.. It has made a big difference in the neatness of the back. But right now, I have a wad of strands. i.e. 2 strands left on the length of white, 4 strands left on the yellow, 1 strand of red,light gray, dark gray, light medium and dark blue, etc, I don't want to toss them because the colors are used again in another section of the sampler. There has to be a better way. Any tips? |
#2
|
|||
|
|||
"Telnes" wrote in message ... Hello, My name is Theresa. I've been lurking for 6 weeks or so. Thought I'd drop a line and get some tips at the same time. I'm new to cross stitching. Years ago, I did quite a little bit of stamped linen surface embroidery. I found a set of pillowcases that had been hanging around for a while and decided to finish them. That was the initial steps to what now seems almost like an obsession. I'm trying to pace myself. I started with some bookmarks, on to finger towels, and now I'm right in the middle of Donna Kooler's "Celebrate" sampler. I have really high expectations and I've been collecting Paula Vaughan and Teresa Wentzler! My question is this - While you are working a piece what do you with partial strands. I've been using the single strand doubled and through the loop to start a color.. It has made a big difference in the neatness of the back. But right now, I have a wad of strands. i.e. 2 strands left on the length of white, 4 strands left on the yellow, 1 strand of red,light gray, dark gray, light medium and dark blue, etc, I don't want to toss them because the colors are used again in another section of the sampler. There has to be a better way. Any tips? I put mine on the paper cards. I think they are called bobbins? I wind the whole spool on it and then unwind the length that I work with and cut the number of strands that I need and then put the end of the whole thread in the cut on one side and then wind up the partial thread and put it through the other slot. It works best for me. I hope you can understand what I am saying. I do better when I can talk with my hands Judy |
#3
|
|||
|
|||
My question is this - While you are working a piece what do you with partial strands. I've been using the single strand doubled and through the loop to start a color.. It has made a big difference in the neatness of the back. But right now, I have a wad of strands. i.e. 2 strands left on the length of white, 4 strands left on the yellow, 1 strand of red,light gray, dark gray, light medium and dark blue, etc, I don't want to toss them because the colors are used again in another section of the sampler. There has to be a better way. Any tips? I put mine on the paper cards. I think they are called bobbins? I wind the whole spool on it and then unwind the length that I work with and cut the number of strands that I need and then put the end of the whole thread in the cut on one side and then wind up the partial thread and put it through the other slot. It works best for me. I hope you can understand what I am saying. I do better when I can talk with my hands Judy -- I also put my leftover strands back on the bobbin, but I wrap them in a perpendicular direction to the "regular" way and then tuck the loose end into the slot at the other side of the bobbin. That way, when I need a color, I use up the "used" pieces first. I loop start when I can but if I have a "short" set of floss to finish, I will just bury the ends and use the floss as is. If the leftovers are too short to wrap, I toss them unless I know that there are scattered stitches for which I may not want to start a whole new thread. Jim's idea of measuring fascinates me but I'm waaaaay to lazy to do it regularly. I do try to guestimate towards the end of a project, though, so as not to end up with more short lengths than I need to. Liz from Humbug |
#4
|
|||
|
|||
Telnes ) writes: Hello, My name is Theresa. I've been lurking for 6 weeks or so. Thought I'd drop a line and get some tips at the same time. (snip) My question is this - While you are working a piece what do you with partial strands. I've been using the single strand doubled and through the loop to start a color.. It has made a big difference in the neatness of the back. But right now, I have a wad of strands. i.e. 2 strands left on the length of white, 4 strands left on the yellow, 1 strand of red,light gray, dark gray, light medium and dark blue, etc, I don't want to toss them because the colors are used again in another section of the sampler. There has to be a better way. Any tips? I have a solution for this problem, but it is not very popular. It uses a "four letter word" which stitchers seem to hate; "Measure". What I do is to look ahead of what I am going to stitch, and count how many stitches there are of that colour or symbol. Then, knowing how many stitches I can get from a given lenght of floss, I can cut as much or as little as is required. Then one does not have too much in the way of pieces left over. Needless to say this technique does not always work, but it does most of the time. Also it takes quite a lot of trying before one can do this reasonably quickly by eyeballing the length rather than actually measuring how much is required. To continue a little on this, I cut my floss into standard lengths, first of all 6 at a time. When one has been partially used, I tie it through the hole in the bobbin, and next time, may not have to untie the knot. This also tends to speed things up. If by any strange chance you are interested in more about making measurements, dont hesitate to email me; rctners dont like the subject. HTH. -- Jim Cripwell. From Canada. Land of the Key Bird. This creature of doom flies over the frozen tundra in winter, shrieking its dreaded call; "Key, Key, Key, Key rist but it's cold!!" |
#5
|
|||
|
|||
"Telnes" wrote in message
... Hello, My name is Theresa. I've been lurking for 6 weeks or so. Thought I'd drop a line and get some tips at the same time. I'm new to cross stitching. Years ago, I did quite a little bit of stamped linen surface embroidery. I found a set of pillowcases that had been hanging around for a while and decided to finish them. That was the initial steps to what now seems almost like an obsession. I'm trying to pace myself. I started with some bookmarks, on to finger towels, and now I'm right in the middle of Donna Kooler's "Celebrate" sampler. I have really high expectations and I've been collecting Paula Vaughan and Teresa Wentzler! My question is this - While you are working a piece what do you with partial strands. I've been using the single strand doubled and through the loop to start a color.. It has made a big difference in the neatness of the back. But right now, I have a wad of strands. i.e. 2 strands left on the length of white, 4 strands left on the yellow, 1 strand of red,light gray, dark gray, light medium and dark blue, etc, I don't want to toss them because the colors are used again in another section of the sampler. There has to be a better way. Any tips? Hi Theresa! I also keep my floss on the card bobbins. When I stitch, I cut my thread at about 18" or so, pull out the number of threads I need and then wind the remainder back onto the bobbin. However, if I am working with a skein of floss, I take the unused strands, double or quadruple them and attach them with a larkshead knot around the remaining skein. (I think that's what the knot is called...you pull one end through the loop on the other end and snug it down...) -- BonnieBlue WIPs: Summer Patches pillow by Homespun Elegance Knitted Cardigan by Lion Brand Knitted Amish Throw with Manos Commit random acts of literacy! Read & Release at http://www.bookcrossing.com/friend/BonnieBlue |
#6
|
|||
|
|||
My question is this - While you are working a piece what do you with partial strands. Hi, Theresa. Welcome to the board. I usually have my colors in numerical order on the Loran project cards. If I have a big enough piece, I will just put it with the color using a lark's head knot. I have even been known to go into the sack where I put discards and dig thru that in order to find a piece long enough for just 1 more stitch. HTH. Frances Take Jacques out before replying. |
#7
|
|||
|
|||
"Ruth409028" wrote in message ... My question is this - While you are working a piece what do you with partial strands. Hi, Theresa. Welcome to the board. I usually have my colors in numerical order on the Loran project cards. If I have a big enough piece, I will just put it with the color using a lark's head knot. I have even been known to go into the sack where I put discards and dig thru that in order to find a piece long enough for just 1 more stitch. HTH. Frances Take Jacques out before replying. That sounds perfect to me. It's what I do too, including using the discards. I'm glad to know I'm not the only cheapskate in the group. Lucille. |
#8
|
|||
|
|||
"Lucille" wrote That sounds perfect to me. It's what I do too, including using the discards. I'm glad to know I'm not the only cheapskate in the group. No---Frances' description was my "system" to a T, right done to the discard bag. (But Theresa---watch that resused thread isn't too thin or frayed, the results are visible.) Dawne |
#9
|
|||
|
|||
"Dawne Peterson" wrote in message ... "Lucille" wrote That sounds perfect to me. It's what I do too, including using the discards. I'm glad to know I'm not the only cheapskate in the group. No---Frances' description was my "system" to a T, right done to the discard bag. (But Theresa---watch that resused thread isn't too thin or frayed, the results are visible.) Dawne A friend of mine bought me a very pretty "snippet" jar and that's what I use. Lucille |
#10
|
|||
|
|||
Hi Theresa
I know two respondents already mentioned bobbins! I just wanted to expound a little bit for you. At your LNS (local needlework shop) you will find translucent plastic boxes with the inside divided up into several squares, you might call them button boxes too, and these are used to hold your bobbins. A Bobbin consists of a nothing more than a die-cut piece of flat pasteboard (cardboard) and usually come 25, 50 or 100 in a package. They also make plastic or vinyl ones, but they are usually more trouble than they are worth. Many of us OPEN the skeins of floss and place them on the bobbins immediately upon purchase of the floss. How I do it is, I first write the COLOR NUMBER on the top edge of the Bobbin. Then I feed about 1 inch of floss through the hole near the bottom of the bobbin and hold this against the back as I wind the floss onto the bobbin. Most bobbins have little slits in the pasteboard near the top to hold the loose end of the floss. Then these filled Bobbins are placed into the plastic box in numerical order. As an aside: Because some needlework calls for single strands, some two strands, some three strands, etc. Before using the bobbins for the first time, I add three additional slots to the bottom of the bobbin on the protrusions. That way I have a place to rewrap divided strands. I had noticed that you said you use a single strand in the needle and double it over, thus stitching with two strands. Although there is nothing wrong with doing it this way, it can become quite tiresome on the old arms. An alternative method is to start with two strands about 18 inches long, feeding BOTH strands through the eye of the needle, then doubling back so that you have 4 strands passing through the material when you stitch. However, you leave the leading end about 6 inches short of the tail so that after pulling the needle and floss through the backing you end up with only two strands making the stitch. This way you are only moving your arms about 9 inches on the first stitches and less as you progress consuming the floss. As the tail of the floss nears the leading end, you allow the floss to slide through the eye of the needle so you once again have about 6 inches of tail. Everyone on this newsgroup will be glad to offer other tips that make stitching more fun and enjoyable. TTUL Gary |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
Uneven strands of floss | Mavia Beaulieu | Needlework | 0 | December 27th 04 05:55 PM |
Floss usage experiment. Results. | Gary V. Deutschmann, Sr. | Needlework | 0 | August 5th 04 02:28 PM |
Floss usage experiment. Suggestions. | F.James Cripwell | Needlework | 0 | July 22nd 04 03:15 PM |
Computer programs and floss usage. | F.James Cripwell | Needlework | 37 | May 24th 04 08:15 PM |
Victoria Sampler's Hierloom Christmas sampler | Addie | Needlework | 6 | January 4th 04 01:46 PM |