A few errands, a hot soak in the tub, and I'm going to get right back to it this afternoon!
But before I go...any tips on managing multiple color changes when you're working a piece? I am using DMC...two strands, which means I am unwinding from a bobbin, stripping off a long length to double over, re-winding the remaining strands, and then loading the needle to do just a few stitches. Then what? I don't want to waste that thread, but re-winding is a pain in the heiney. So far, I've been using the arm of the chair as a clumping station, and when I need that color again I just pick it out of the pile.
Is there a better way? Inquiring minds would love to know!
Happy Sunday to you and yours!
I leave the thread on the needle to use later. I made myself a needle holder with a rectangular piece of foam glued into a Sushi take-out box. I use a long strip of paper, grid the paper into 1" or 1-1/2" squares, write the colors I'm using (in your case, the DMC number) in each square, and park the threaded needle until I need it again. I love being able to thread multiple needles with a frequently used color and en I don't need to stop to rethread each time. Of course, using this method, I have to be cognizant of taking breaks to rest my hands. I've seen similar needle parking lots for sale on-line, but my homemade one works for me. This is a lovely piece, BTW.
ReplyDeleteGreat idea. You can get a similar product at a craft store that has a magnet for hold the needles. Love this piece.
ReplyDeleteI sometimes just stitch it though the edge of my fabric so I can just pick it up when I need it.
ReplyDeleteI do the same leaving on sofa arm sometimes have to track down the thread as it sticks to everything. I do thread a needle per color & stick in pincushion attached to end table but sometimes those disappear as well. That's my stitching xersize getting up & down searching for errant threads. Blessings Baa
ReplyDeletei know that a lot of stitchers love the bobbin system, but i was not a fan ... have you tried Floss A Way? you can put the whole skein in the little bag (labeled with the number or name), and store the remaining strands and bits you're using there, too ... different sized metal rings (like binder clips, but without the binder) can hold all of your fibers or just the threads you are using for your project ... and it doesn't HAVE to be the brand-name bags - i use snack-sized (sandwich, but smaller) Ziploc bags with stick-on labels - and a friend uses baby-bottle liners ... i gotta admit that thread wound around a bobbin is much prettier than it is stuffed into a little baggie, though...
ReplyDeleteWithin one larger motif, I tend to "park" the threaded needle on the side until needed, gingerly weaving as I go.
ReplyDeleteI think Wenhke's sushi scheme makes good, orderly sense. I just marvel at those who do those jigunda pieces of confetti configurations in so many myriad colors parked in neat rows as they go without getting tangled. It appears they only change at thread's end. Wonder if
the reverse side looks like trame.... Perhaps FlossTube
holds the answer.
I use a threaded needle park...works perfect for me. Here's the link http://www.123stitch.com/item/Pako-Needle-Organizer/PAKO-700
ReplyDeleteI got mine ages ago at 123stitch.com but I'm sure Amazon has it...
Beautiful stitching
That is one of the reasons I don`t use bobbins, I use snack baggies to store my skeins in...holds all the odds and ends as well...
ReplyDeleteYou are making great progress, Coni. So very pretty!
ReplyDeleteBobbins are a LOT of work IMO. I use floss away bags. No winding and I can put the remaining floss back in the bag. Stores nicely too. I just add an index card to the bag and put them in a cardboard box stacked up like a card catlog (I miss card catalogs).
ReplyDeleteI use floss away bags, one color for each with the symbol and color number on the bag. I also use a needle for each color. I leave the needle threaded and just put it back into its bag. You use a lot of needles, but save so much time not threading the needle every time you change colors. When your done with the project, pull out the needles and rewind the bobbins.
ReplyDeleteI use a scrap of linen or 18 ct canvas to park my threaded needles until I need the color again. If I need to put the project away or to pack it for travel, it is easy to slip the strip with threaded needles into my project bag.
ReplyDeleteHi Coni. What about different needles? Keep a bunch threaded with different colors.
ReplyDeleteI have no earth shattering help for you on the thread front but you made some wonderful progress!! It is just soooooo pretty!
ReplyDeleteI don't use bobbins either as it takes away from my stitching time. I agree with putting each color floss in a different sandwich sized baggy and thread a bunch of needles with the need threads to have handy.
ReplyDeleteSuch a pretty project! Really, if you buy needles in bulk, using a separate needle for each color makes a ton of sense. I think I will try this too.
ReplyDeleteI don't use bobbins. Not only does it take away from stitching time, I find that the thread stretches and then it takes on bends and kinks. I use floss-away bags (or any old sandwich or snack bag). But, if you must use bobbins, you must put up with the pain of bobbins.
ReplyDeleteI don't care for the bobbins.... to many kinks. What I do use is a deck of decent playing cards... Kids go fish cards work also...and put a notch on the top and bottom of the card and and wrap my thread on that. The separated strands I wrap cross ways on the same card as I separate them. They are larger then the bobbins but fewer kinks and its easy to glance at the card and tell how many strands I have separated and ready to go
ReplyDeleteI use the Floss-Away bags, and put them on a notebook ring in numerical order and throw them in the project bag. I can't deal with the time wasted winding/re-winding every single skein of floss, so instead I clip long lengths off a new skein, store in the bag, and use what I need. When the project is finished, I re-store the bag with the rest of my floss, and then the floss is all set to go for the next use.
ReplyDeleteHi Coni, these flowers are beautiful ! Glad to see you back on tracks...
ReplyDeleteI use floss away bags to store most of my floss but bag a skein each (or whatever I need for a particular project) in little 3x4 zippered bags I buy at Hobby Lobby. I usually keep the whole project in a gallon zip bag while it's a wip.
ReplyDelete