AlvaStitcher

As I mentioned in another post, I am hand quilting a top that I have had for many years. What do you do when the thread breaks at the knot as you are trying to bury it? Do you remove several inches of stitches to try again or leave it as is? Just wondering. I have done both but wonder about the resulting lack of good knot.

Onebyone

I hold my thumbnail on the knot while pulling it through. It really makes a difference. There is no pressure on the knot and less tension on the thread so it rarely breaks. The quilters that do bury knots won't be happy unless the knot is buried correctly so undoing some stitches and redoing the knot is the fix of choice.

Boston1954

I have done the taking out a few stitches in the past, but it is a royal pain for me, so I just let it go. I do not stress over it anymore.

PaperPrincess

You can also try a really small crochet hook. Push it thru the back of the quilt, grab the knot & pull it thru.

Tartan

​I kind of grasp the knot and gather the quilt. This gives me enough thread to grasp with my easy thread needle behind the knot and pull it through the hole where it is supposed to go. I then use my fingernail to close the threads over the buried knot and hold it while I smooth out the gather.

Bree123

Others have suggested some of the same techniques I'd try to push a knot through. If it broke before the knot, though, those aren't options. Yes, I would pull out some stitches & re-knot (then re-quilt that section). It's not fun, but better than having the whole line of stitching come unraveled later on in the wash.

If it breaks just past the knot (the knot is still intact) then I would make a loop of embroidery floss in a separate needle & use the loop to grab the knot & pull it through the fabric. I've done that and it's held up fine in the wash.

Genden

I don't undo threads back a ways when the thread breaks before the knot. I do go back a couple of inches and duplicate stitch over the existing stitches and go on. Obviously, if it is in a place that it would be unpleasantly obvious, it would be best to take out the stitches.

barny

I would take the knot out and redo the stitches. If I have a knot that won't go in, I stick my needle in the hole it should go in and pull on the knot. It always goes in. Knots don't look good sticking out on the top of the quilt. LOL

k_jupiter

Knots?

tim in san jose

soccertxi

I have a method to bury short tails. Not sure if I came up with it or someone taught me. I use it all the time and it has saved me over and over!

Thread a longish piece of thread on your needle...and then thread it BACK thru the same eye, leaving a loop on one side and both tails on the other. Tug on your short thread so you can see the little hole where the tail comes out of the fabric. Put your needle in that hole. As you pull the needle thru, make sure the tail gets caught in the loop. Pull both out , the loop will come all the way out and the tail will be left in the fabric. Trim any excess from the tail. If you have a knot, try a soft tug to see if the knot will bury itself in the fabric.

I hope this makes sense and helps!