babeegirl

It's been so long since I hand quilted I can't remember how you bury the knot from the top when tying off a run of hand quilting, rather than knotting it from the back. Help!

Moonpi

just knot the end while the needle is still on on, sink it in the batting, and pull firmly til it "pops"and the needle comes up a ways away. pull the thread, cut it, then when you straighten the piece, both thread and knot are buried within. As soon as you do it, you'll remember.

babeegirl

I seem to remember wrapping the thread around the needle a couple times and pulling that through. It may seem wierd that I can't remember, but 6 years ago, I had, let's say, an extremely traumatic event occur in my life that caused PTSD. "Everyday" things I used to do before that are very fuzzy in my head and I remember parts and pieces kind of like snapshots all mixed up. I can see myself wrapping the thread but it doesn't have the continuity necessary to remember it from start to finish. I;m wanting to remember how to do that knot when I get to the end of a line of quilting rather than the start. I have many moments like this where I realize I just cannot remember and it's so frustrating it makes me want to cry that those tiny little pieces of memory are just gone. I don't even know what cute things my kids did that I loved and now those are maybe gone too. All that really hits home sometimes and it's just a silly little knot.

Moonpi

from http://www.freepatterns.com/content/...content_id=285
Knots should not show on the quilt top or back. Learn to sink the knot into the batting at the beginning and ending of the quilting thread for successful stitches.
When you have nearly run out of thread, wind the thread around the needle several times to make a small knot and pull it close to the fabric. Insert the needle into the fabric on the quilting line and come out with the needle 1/2 to 1 away, pulling the knot into the fabric layers the same as when you started. Pull and cut thread close to fabric. The end should disappear inside after cutting. Some quilters prefer to take a backstitch with a loop through it for a knot to end.

Making 12-18 stitches per inch is a nice goal, but a more realistic goal is seven to nine stitches per inch. If you cannot accomplish this right away, strive for even stitches -- all the same size -- that look as good on the back as on the front.

You will perfect your quilting stitches as you gain experience; your stitches will get better with each project and your style will be uniquely your own.

auntluc

To end a line of quilting, it's necessary again to bury the knot within the batting layer.
Hold the thread a couple of inches above the quilt top. Wrap the thread 2 times around the needle (still threaded).
Pull the needle and tighten the knot. Ideally, the knot should be about 1/4" from the quilt top.
Hold the thread out of the way in the opposite direction from the way you were quilting.
This allows you to see the hole made by your last stitch.
Insert the needle back into the hole made by the last stitch
and travel in the batting layer about 1/2" away.

Come up through the top and pull until the knot is laying against the top layer.
Tug and pop the knot into the batting layer. No knot is visible on either side of the quilt sandwich.
Cut the thread close to the top, taking care not to snip into the fabric of the quilt.

You can read the entire article from Hand Quilting 101 at this link
http://www.handquilter.com/html/newtip.html

babeegirl

thank you moonpi and auntluc, so much. I know with the instructions, my hands will remember eventually after some practice:)

bearisgray

I saw this on youtube. Maybe it will help.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bh5Fg_JqJ-A

tootsie00

There is an excellent video on this for you. Go to: http://www.quilterstv.com/?bcpid=131...ieced_projects

On the video section in the center, scroll down to the video titled From Feathers to Flowers and click play. Use the fast forward button to go to the end with the section with Cindy Walter. It will be about 18:40 on the time. She will show you how to do the knot start to finish.