What's the most dreaded part of the post-quilting process? No...not the binding...before that...the really most awfullest part.
BURYING THREADS!! Oh, you've chosen to block it out?
I am here to blow your mind!
This is what I used to look like. Don’t I clean up good?
You need very few supplies:
a needle and thread
a pair of snip scissors
good light, if you're of a certain age
Cut a 12"-ish (30cm) length of thread.
Thread the needle and knot the ends.
Notice the knot is positioned close to the needle. The technique works best if the knot is closer to the needle than at the opposite end.
Below is a little sample. The bobbin thread is a different colour so you can clearly see the steps. See how quickly, and easily, messy turns into spectacular. We'll focus on the circled area, below, left.
Messy.
Spectacular!
Following are quick and easy steps to bring you closer to that rewarding finish!
TIP: Typically loose threads are pulled to the back of the quilt for burying. However if the back of your quilt is very light, and the front has darker values, you might want to pull to the darker side. Your threads won't show up under the surface when they're buried behind a darker fabric.
Gently tug the upper thread (green in the sample) until the other thread peeks through (copper in the sample).
Insert the needle into the loop and gently pull so both threads are on the same side…
…like this.
Tie the threads in a double knot, close to the surface of the quilt.
Insert your threaded needle, semi-horizontally, into the point where your threads meet. Dip the point of the needle into the batting a little. This will help keep the thread buried.
Bring the needle back up about a half inch from the entry point. Remember to keep the knot in the looped thread closer to the needle…about an inch away.
Pinch the eye of the needle with thumb and forefinger, ensuring your thread is pinched too.
Gently pull until the knot of the threaded needle comes through to the top. Stop before you pull the loop all the way through the quilt.
Open up the loop and draw the two loose threads through the loop.
Pull the looped thread the rest of the way through the quilt until it is freed, and the buried threads are taut.
Tug gently on the pair of threads until the knot pops under the surface of the quilt. Ta da…Buried threads!
Trim threads close to the quilt. Rub the area gently…any sneaky bits of the cut threads will sink beneath the surface.
Use the same threaded needle to bury the remaining threads. Periodically, the thread on the needle may need replacing as it frays, but I have found the chore of hiding those pesky loose ends is much more palatable because you don’t have to thread a new needle EVERY.SINGLE.TIME. 😊
So the only thing left to decide...Will you quilt a bit, bury a bit, quilt a bit, bury a bit?
...Or are you a quilt, quilt, quilt, quilt, bury, bury, bury, bury kind of quilter?
Oh, and for the record...I love binding, but that's for another post. Much love, and stay safe. Karen, Living Life in the Pfaff Lane
