JAM

I am hand finishing the binding onto back of quilt using the blanket stitch. The thread keeps knotting and tangling when I pull it through to finish the stitch. Any tips to stop or control would be welcome. Thanks,Jeanne

madamekelly

If you run your thread across bees wax it will not tangle. If you don't have any right now, you can use a wax candle as a substitute, but it doesn't work as well. Also, if you dangle your thread and needle every so often and let it unwind, that helps too. Good Luck!

mom-6

Whenever it starts to tangle, let the needle dangle until the thread untwists. This works with embroidery thread for counted cross-stitch, so I don't see why it wouldn't work for any hand stitching.

MadQuilter

That's what I do too.

joan_quilts

I always use the bees wax! What a diffence it makes!

Minda

Put the knot in the end that you cut off the spool, and you will get much less tangling. It sounds silly, but it almost always works. I rarely use bees wax since I started doing this. :-) :-)

lfw045

Make sure you aren't working with a piece of thread that is too long.

ckcowl

sometimes we 'think' if we cut this thread 40" long and double it up we wont have to re-thread so often...and your right, you don't have to rethread so often, you just get to spend all your time untangling tangles. It really is much faster to cut 18" of thread, sew along till it 's gone then rethread. much nicer...
and i have been very guilty of this so i do know, it took me forever to finally give in and start cutting my thread much shorter, knot the cut end and
if you really don't want to stop and rethread...do what i do, i thread about 10 of them at once, line them up on the pin cushion...as i run out of thread on one i can just grab the next one...and if i run out totally it's is definitly time for a break anyway :)

nativetexan

i tend to mess mine up too. i must twist it every time i put my needle back to the binding. dangling is helpful.

joy

If you don't want to dangle, just twist the needle anti clockwise... same difference !!!