More ways to thread a needle

A couple of days ago I showed you the new embroidery threader by Clover (second left in the picture below).

Today I want to discuss some more ways to thread a needle, and the tools needed.

 

It was Julie of My Quilt Diary who reminded me that I have a 'steam engine' threader. A Japanese little device that works like this:

Insert the needle (eye down) into the chimney. Place the thread between the chimney and the engine.

Press the lever on the right and the thread is pushed though the eye to the outside.

Pull the needle out of the chimney and you've got your threaded needle.

Then there are self threading needles. These are made by Clover but there are other makes, too. For this type I'd recommend protecting your finger tip with a rubber thimble.
Mary Corbet writes about another kind of self threading needle here.

You can make a lasso of a thinner thread.

When the end of the thread is beginning to split, or the thread is fluffy, you can make a new sharp cut with a pair of scissors, of course

or use glue.

Place a tiny blob of glue/bond (or even nail varnish) on your fingertip.

roll the thread firmly between your fingers in the direction of the twist. Press hard and shape like a point.

The thread dries quickly and remains hard and sharp. This is a very useful method for TAST #35 Drizzle Stitch or when you want to add a bead to a thread and the eye of the needle is too small. The hard glue tip of the thread can usually get through the bead.

What about you, do you have any tips for threading the needle? Please share them with me, as I am always ready to learn new tricks.

Testing Clover's Embroidery Threader

Do you remember one of my purchases at Tokyo International Great Quilt Festival was an embroidery threader?

On the left is a traditional threader, easy to find anywhere (I would think), and on the right, with a green plastic handle, Clover's embroidery threader.

They are used in the same way; inserted into the eye of the needle, loaded with thread and pulled out. The difference is that Clover's version is suitable for long-eyed needles (crewel, chenille, tapestry, darners, larger beading).

Now a similar threader can of course be made with a piece of paper:

This method is often found in embroidery books (Mary Thomas's Dictionary of Embroidery Stitches, The Essential Guide To Embroidery...)

★The advantage of the paper method is that the paper is thin and a single strand of thread does not create any bulk.

★The advantage of Clover's threader is that it is sturdy and long lasting. 

I have found my new threader very useful for threading those short strands of thread, orts, I am trying to use on my Pile 'em On project.

TAST #102 Beaded Triangular Buttonhole Stitch

TAST stitch #102, Beaded Triangular Buttonhole Stitch, is as nice as its un-beaded version, that we worked last week (TAST #101).
To learn how to master it, head over to Pintangle.

I worked one row in blue 'jeans thread' and bugle beads, and a mirrored row in Cotton a Broder and seed beads.

Bead Control
What do you do about bead control? Do you have any problems with stitching with beads, keeping the beads from rolling around everywhere,  storing beads...?

Sharon gave us the advice to use a tapestry 26 needle, and I think that is sound advice, but not all beads have a hole that is large enough even for such a needle.

My advice in such a case, is to use either a milliners needle, or a needle threader like in the picture below.

These needle threaders aren't the best to stitch with, but they can handle any thread and slide through small holes in beads.

Another tip is to remove the needle and slide the thread into the bead and then thread the needle again. It takes a lot of time and is a bother, but if you do this, I recommend using bond to stiffen the tip of the thread. I wrote about this technique here.

How do you store your beads and keep them under control?

I store mine in small containers.

I also have a small triangular dish to keep the beads in while stitching; the corners make it easy to tip the left over beads back into the container.

Then I have this neat blue 'tacky bead mat' from Beadalon. It is the ultimate 'bead grip'.

Do you have any tips or idea to share?

The Early Bird Catches the...

The Early Bird Catches the... Worm, or in this case, the Stencils. I am of course talking about Sharon B's CQ stencils.

I am lucky enough to live in the same time zone, read her blog post when it was 'fresh off the press' and ordered the stencils quickly before they were sold out.
They arrived by post on Saturday and I have since then been playing around a bit.

First I scribbled on paper,

then made a little design which I have just finished stitching. Great fun because the stencils are so easy to use.

So these stencils are not only useful for marking fancy seams on crazy quilts, but also for marking other embroidery designs.

If you want to order your own, head over to Pintangle and leave a comment on the link above.