Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Thread Me....Please!

I had to learn to do some embroidery stitches so 
I could play along with the other Stitch Me Up hoppers.
After some not-so-good attempts, I think
I finally have the hang of doing some of the simple stitches.

BUT....
I hate threading that needle with embroidery thread!
It misses the hole.
It hits the hole, but splits the thread.
It, it, it.....MAKES ME CRAZY!

I've tried a few different needle threaders:

The little wire loopy ones...
great for regular sewing thread, but they break with thick thread/floss.

The little push-it-down and it threads...
most take specific needles and I like my
John James Size 9 needles which don't seem
to work in those gadgets. Of course, it could just be me.

HELP!
What or how do you thread your needles
with embroidery floss/thread/whatever that is thick?

P.S.  Don't forget this starts tomorrow!

10 comments:

  1. If the thread (or multiple threads) is too thick to easily go through the needle, I'll moisten and mash the end of the thread -kinda like the end of a tube of toothpaste. While it's flat(ter), I can get it started through the eye of the needle.

    I know there are many of Them out there that just clutched for their pearls when I said 'moisten [the thread]' - I've read that the eye of the needle can rust if you do that. Maybe, but think about it: How long does the moisture come in contact with the needle? What sort of metal rusts on contact like that? If I were using the needles from my grandma's sewing kit, well then maybe. But a new(ish) needle? Most of today's handwork needles are made of high carbon steel that is coated with nickel. It takes a powerful lot of exposure to get nickel to rust.

    If you're still concerned about the rust issue, run the eye of your needle through an emery strawberry to help keep it in tip-top shape.

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  2. If I have trouble I fold the thread over the top of the needle (the part with the eye) and squeeze the fold then thread that through the eye. No fraying at all that way and it usually goes through very easily. Figured that one out after many many years of cross stitching.

    ReplyDelete
  3. clover makes a really nice threader
    http://www.amazon.com/Clover-Needle-Threader-Embroidery-Needles-Apple/dp/B0013AK9HU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1363715811&sr=8-1&keywords=clover+embroidery+threader

    ReplyDelete
  4. It´s drive me crazy too ;-) I don´t know how many needle-treads I had broken the last weeks. So I´ll read all the tips you got in here :) Because I think most of the girls had some great ideas :)

    Take care!
    Marica

    ReplyDelete
  5. I feel your frustration. I wet and then bite the end flat with my front teeth and then slip it through the eye of the needle. It works for me even though I am sure there are those out there aghast, including my dentist. I dont worry about needles rusting, they wear out too fast for me to give that a second thought.

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  6. Oh yes, I understand. I do what Heather does, and I also use the the little silver threaders you can get everywhere. Now you could go with a larger eye but then the needle might leave a larger hole in the fabric.

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  7. If you don't mind losing a bit of thread, try the trick that teddy bear makers use and run the tip through some wax. I have a big lump of bees wax that I use. Hold the tip on the block with really good pressure then pull it hard. Once it is coated and threaded you cut of the waxy bit.
    Or the other trick is to use a loop of dental floss, like a needle threader - it doesn't break and you can pull the floss really hard. You are more likely to break the eye of the needle than the floss!

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  8. Kris is right about the clover thick thread threader and so is Mhairi about the dental floss threader. If I have neither of those, I'll go the suck on and bite to a thin "ribbon" and then thread!

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  9. Hope you solved the problem of threading needles with thicker thread. I use everything...large eye needles and every kind of needle threader they make. Sometimes they work, and sometimes they don't. I just keep snipping the thread until I have success...although the air does get a little blue at times and my thread gets very short!

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  10. I hear you sister ... and metallic thread is even harder.

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