Greetings fellow Tatters. I am looking for some help. I want to start larger projects but with smaller thread and I'd like advice on the correct way to hide threads, both starting and stopping a project, as well as adding. Do you weave the ends in the finished piece with a needle. What is your preference? Is there a special trick? I was taught to tie off and seal with fray check, but I really don't think that can be the proper way. I wonder if I am tatting to tight, on my size 30 and below tread I'm unable to weave the ends in without problems.
Thank You and Happy Tatting,
Bonnie
7 comments:
Hi Bonnie,
I haven't used size 30 but I can tell you what I do with sizes 20 and 80. I started hiding ends religiously a little over a year ago. I tat over tails in the beginning and I use a weaver's knot to add new thread and I T.O.T that. For the end threads I use a quilting needle for the size 80 thread and a size 26 emboidery needle for the size 20 thread and I weave the tails in and out of the double knots.
I hope this helps somewhat! And Yay for you for improving your skills!
Well I shuttle tat and I generally sew in the ends after with a needle. the beginning bits too... unless it's starting with a split ring, then i kinda tat the tail with the shuttle and pull the rest into the ring.
(and a tttiinnnyyy dab a glue does wonders if all else fails)
Hope that helps a little
I too tat over the tail ends when beginning or adding threads, but I use the "magic thread trick" to hide ends. Here are a couple of websites to help:
http://www.gagechek.com/slb/demo/demo5.html
and
http://www.georgiaseitz.com/classes2001/fall2001/magicthread.pdf
and
http://www.georgiaseitz.com/classes/ends.html
to add a thread try:
http://www.georgiaseitz.com/classes2001/fall2001/addthread.pdf
Marty
I have used all different kinds of threads and all kinds of sizes. I just avoid ends where possible, but because almost everything I tat is a new design I frequently have to cut off work where the stitch count didn't work or it was just plain ugly. It is counter productive as a designer to re-tat things that may not even be there in the final product so I try to hide ends as I go. First of all I add in new thread at a ring. I begin tatting with the new thread and pull the old thread underneath the first half stitch and out over the core thread away from me. The I tat the second half stitch and bring the old end back across the core thread toward me. I repeat this process, giving the old thread a tug to pull it in tightly after I've tatted a couple of stitches. When I've flipped the end back and forth 5 or 6 times so that it is secure I just leave it until I've finished the piece and then I cut it off close to the work. The new end I hide in the same way in the chain following the ring. The ends are hidden, secure and I don't have to sew it in later. When I get to the end of a project I tie a square knot. Purists will have fits about that, but I figure I want people to be able to use, abuse and enjoy the lace I make for them and not have to worry about ends coming out and pieces coming apart, so I tie a knot. Then I sew the ends under the caps of my stitches. I have used sewign threads that are size 100 and I still sew the ends in this way. I have several embroidery needles and hand quilting needles that I use for the job. The finer the thread, the finer the needle I use. I sew the ends up and down under the caps of the stitches. When I'm done, I have a hard time finding where the ends are supposed to be. I never need to use glue of Fray Check or anything else.
I agree with everyone and have used most of these methods myself. You just have to find what works best for you. I guess I work them mostly the way Lady Shuttle Maker does. I always hide them as I go, usually with a needle of the appropriate size. One thing I will mention that I do - if I am hiding 4 ends in one place YUCK I never clip the ends until I have them all hidden to my satisfaction so that I won't forget where they are and put another one in the same place. This also keeps me from accidentally pulling out what I have just hidden! I want things to last a long time and try to do a good job keeping them together.
Thank you to everyone for your help, I greatly appreciate that you are willing to help me. I printed out your techniques and I am anxious to try them. Thank you again.
I am new to tatting, and this is one of my all-time BIG questions also! So thanks, Bonnie for asking for advice! I found these pages ... with so many methods to try I am now HOPING for patterns with cut and ties! :)
On things like the butterfly I just tatted, which will be a fridge magnet... I didn't worry about the ends, except to make sure they were all on the 'back', which will be out of sight... and I might be able to glue the little magnets over the ends!! I did cut and tie and fraycheck.
On other things, I have used this first method, with good results in size 10... haven't yet tried it with other sizes:
>> http://www.frontiernet.net/~TammyRodgers/lilys_way.html
>> bottom of page:
http://www.angelfire.com/planet/newtatters/lesson3.html
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