Thank you for all of the excellent suggestions! I just had a big DUH moment thanks to them....stick DMC bobbin stickers in each of the thread circles with their color number on them! I have a set somewhere in the cube room, so as soon as I fish it out...problem solved!
When you're stitching a piece with a LOT of different colors, how do you manage your working threads? For example...I'm stitching Ellia from Mirabilia. There are several dozen colors. I pull the skein I need, pull off an arm's length, strip out one ply, and...then what?
At the moment, I'm using a design board and wrapping the working length into a circle and sticking it onto the board, but there is no way to know what's what.
What am I missing?
Suggestions/guidance greatly appreciated, Dearies!
Hi, I love reading your blog and look forward to it daily. I use floss bags to hold all my threads on a ring for each project. I then thread every color with a needle and put it in the bag. After I am done stitching with a color, I put the threaded needle back in the bag. I spend less time threading and unthreading needles. I know some projects have a lot of colors, but I find this method easier and quicker. When I am done with the project, I put all the needles in a needle book for the next project. I throw away needles as they become used and don’t slide through the fabric easily. I like to use #28 Bohin needles and order them in bulk on line. Give it a try and see if you like it.
ReplyDeleteI use the small floss bags filed in a shoe box by symbol, or by color number if the chart provides the number. If more than 50 colors. Otherwise the rings work ok for me.
ReplyDeleteWith DMC, I just loop the lose thread through the loop at one end of the skein. Or, if I'm using Floss Away bags, I just roll them up as you did and put them in the bag. If I put mine on a cloth like that, I'm pretty sure I would mix up at least one color eventually.
ReplyDeleteI punch holes down the sides of a piece of cardboard, write the number of the thread beside the hole and loop the thread through the hole. Works for me!
ReplyDeleteWith DMC, I use bobbins for each color and I use organizer boxes with 36 compartments. One color per compartment... For larger projects, I use two boxes....
ReplyDeleteLike a reader above. I use the "mop" method. I can easily pull of a length of thread, remove the strand(s) that I need and refile the remaining floss in the appropriate hole. I do use pre-printed cardboard strips when I am working with DMC, as opposed to making my own. (just lazy!)
ReplyDeleteI too am just starting this piece (and Lady of the Flag) and was a bit surprised at how many threads there were once I started pulling them.
Good luck with the stitching!
I use floss bags and store my little bits and pieces in the bag for the color. I use binder rings to keep the floss bags together.
ReplyDeleteThread Drops on a ring are the way I do it. Then any extra floss can just be slipped back on the Drop. I do use a felt covered board (similar to yours) to hold around 4 different working threads at at time...but any more than that and I'll forget what what numbers they are.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.123stitch.com/item/Access-Commodities-Thread-Drops-with-Ring/XSE-7272
hugs,
Violet
Oops, I see you're working with DMC, Connie. For that, I just fold up the extra thread and tie it around the DMC skein. I only use Thread Drops for specialty threads.
ReplyDeleteI use floss bags for my floss. Patti explained it well.
ReplyDeleteDMC goes back on the bobbins. Specialty floss goes back in floss away bags.
ReplyDeleteThose colors are gorgeous! And I am an organization disaster so I would add nothing to this conversation :)
ReplyDeleteLike Debby, I loop mine through one loop of the DMC or Threadworx skein. On other brands I loop it through the hole in the tag. It can become an unholy mess if I am working with a lot of colors, but much of my life is an unholy mess...
ReplyDeleteI use LoRan Project Cards. They are cardboard with holes on one side, a place to mark the number, color sign next to the hole. I loop my cut skein of floss in the hole, take out one six strand piece, then remove the two strands that I am using and put the others back in the hole. I guess I am a slow stitcher as I don't thread more than one needle at a time.
ReplyDeleteI use the off brand ziploc snack bags, you can punch a hole in them if you want to keep them on a ring. Plus they fit perfectly into the "shoe box" type of plastic container. I use to use bobbins but I read they cause knots to form easily and it seems like alot of wasted time considering the amount of thread we all have. The snack bags are also much cheaper than floss bags!
ReplyDeleteI personally am tired of reorganizing my multi colored floss into bags and hoops. I'm investing in a floss and needle organizer. I've seen them in oHerrchners craft catalog so many times that I am now ready to get a set.
ReplyDeleteFor anyone with a needle that doesn't slide, just run it thru the strawberry on your tomato pincushion. It contains emery and it gets the yuckies off the needle, including the eye.
ReplyDeleteI use the plastic thread bobbins for my floss and pull colors called for in pattern and put them in the small plastic floss boxes with other supplies for pattern such as beads,metallic threads scissors etc.
ReplyDeletethat's exactly what I do. And I also have a needle for every colour, so I can just wrap the threaded needle around the bobbin.
DeleteSusan from Canada
When you use your "felt pad" for unused threads, maybe you could write the color number on very small pieces of paper and pin them to the felt...inside the floss circle?
ReplyDeleteSimilar to what Toni said, just use a small adhesive dot circle and stick it inside your circles of thread with the number and symbol marked on the dot.
ReplyDeleteI was wondering this also. My current project doesn't have a lot of colors, but some colors are so similar the pad was useless. Thanks to the commentors on some solutions.
ReplyDeleteI was wondering this also. My current project doesn't have a lot of colors, but some colors are so similar the pad was useless. Thanks to the commentors on some solutions.
ReplyDeleteHi Coni, I've been away from the laptop for a week and just saw this post. How about the floss bags and a ring to put them on for all the threads? Works great! If you need bags and a ring, pm me and I'll mail them to you. Have a good week, praying as always.
ReplyDeleteI put the thread skein with label in a zip lock snack bag.
ReplyDelete