Starting/finishing threads on the front?

[BizzieLizzie]

Hubby has given me a magnifying lamp and chartholder for my floorstand as an early Christmas present and I absolutely love it. However, every time I go to flip my frame over to start/finish a thread on the back I have to push the lamp out of the way. Given the amount of confetti I'm doing, I'm constantly starting and finishing threads so this is really going to get on my nerves.

I know there are ways of starting and finishing on the front of the fabric and wondered what methods the members here use and whether you have any tips. Any help with reducing the amount of "flipping" I have to do would be very much appreciated!!

[Rose]

Sorry no help from me I have never seen or done any starting on the front of a project.

[adriennec]

Here is an explanation of how one stitcher does it. . .

http://www.morecambesands.com/morecambe ... -over.html" target="_blank

Hope this helps.

[skitzzzzz]

well i always start from the front its so much easier but i have to confess i dont tie knot i just leave a bit dangling at the front go in hols say 5 stitches away from were i am going to stitch then just go once its then caught at the back i just pull the dangly bit through with my needle
ok so i bone idle lol but it works for me and only have to go to back to finish off

[Mrs Milkybar Kid]

I do what skitzzz does for starting on some pieces (mainly the loop method though) - I never tie a knot either, too much effort for something you are going to snip off! I also finish threads on the front which is useful for confetti areas where you may have less threads to thread your end through the back - and when you get fed up of flipping your frame over for every single stitch!!!!

If you are stitching over 2 you can use the Pinhead Stitch for starting and finished threads on the front. I've never used this before but I know other members here do.

[BizzieLizzie]

Thanks for your tips!

I had a look online and have decided to try the waste knot method. When I've finished Coniferous Forest, I'm planning to do a large HAED on 25ct linen over one, so pinhead stitch wouldn't really work for that.

I also finish threads on the front which is useful for confetti areas where you may have less threads to thread your end through the back

How do you do this, Mrs MBK? Do you just run the thread under a few stitches on the front and snip off the tail in the same way you'd do it on the back? Doesn't it show through or make the front lumpy? I was thinking of "parking" my tail ends to the side of the column I'm working on and then finishing them off at the end of each 10x10 block so I'd only have to flip my work over once every 100 stitches, but if I can avoid flipping it at all without making the front messy, that would be perfect!!

[Mrs Milkybar Kid]

I am sooooooo rubbish at explaining stuff!! People finish their threads off at the front in different ways - depends how you stitch, can't remember if you work in columns or not? Anyway here is a pic of a piece I do this on (28ct 2 over 1 tent stitch):

Not the best pic as a lot of the ends have been snipped off (that one little eye had so many colours!) - but basically when I finish with a thread I take it an inch or so down from where I am working and pull it though to the front of my work. Then as I carry on stitching downwards this thread it being secured on the back by other stitches as I work them. Stitchers that work in columns pull their threads to the right of their work as they work the columns, guess it just depends how you stitch. Once the threads has been secured on the back by other stitches then you can snip the end off at the front.

If you are not already a member I would recommend joining the HAED BB as you can pick up loads of tips on working big projects and the endless ways of stitching them!

Hope this makes sense!!

[BizzieLizzie]

Ahh yes, that makes perfect sense! So it's basically the same as the waste knot starting method without the knot. I was thinking about leaving the ends hanging to the side of the column (to avoid getting them mixed up with the parked threads underneath the column) and then later pulling them through to the back to run under the "lllll"s as normal but if the thread end is going to be covered by subsequent stitches anyway I can totally see why there's no need to do that. Thank you so much, Mrs MBK, you've made my day!!

I'll try it on Coniferous Forest over the weekend and let you know how I get on.

[crafterglen]

I hope everyone's tips have helped? Thanks to you stitching Coniferous Forest it made me remember a holiday we had in the north of Scotland, we walked our collies through a forest just like this and so I have now ordered the chart, last weekend we went to Keilder Forest with our caravan and the photo of Coniferous Forest could have been taken there, maybe I was meant to order that chart after all? I just wish it would come! Good luck with your one.
Happy Stitching
Glen x

[BizzieLizzie]

Thanks for the kind words, Glen. I'm glad you managed to find the design and I hope it arrives soon so you can make a start on it! I'm really enjoying stitching mine and I'm sure you'll love yours just as much.

[carolanne]

Here is an explanation of how one stitcher does it. . .

http://www.morecambesands.com/morecambe ... -over.html" target="_blank" target="_blank

Hope this helps.

this looks pretty straight forward, I might try this.

[carolanne]

Mrs. M K's method looks good too. Glad I stopped in here.

[curly sue]

I mostly do small pieces. I often use the knot method on the front, and find it very helpful when starting a new piece or a new area. I hadn't thought of doing it without the knot.

[Nanna2Five]

What is HAED BB ???

[MaggieM1750]

HAED BB: Heaven And Earth Designs Bulletin Board

In the Tricks and Tips section, there is a Glossary thread of some commonly used terms and abbreviations used on this site

[BizzieLizzie]

when I finish with a thread I take it an inch or so down from where I am working and pull it though to the front of my work. Then as I carry on stitching downwards this thread it being secured on the back by other stitches as I work them. Stitchers that work in columns pull their threads to the right of their work as they work the columns, guess it just depends how you stitch. Once the threads has been secured on the back by other stitches then you can snip the end off at the front.

Hmm , I've been trying this and have to say it's not coming naturally to me! I feel a bit thick asking this, but I have two issues with it and wonder if any of you (Mrs MBK?) can shed some light on how I can get round them:

1) As I work in 10x10 blocks in columns going downwards, I'm pulling my hanging threads to the front to the right of the column but then I thought when I stitch the next column along, they'll get mixed up with my parked threads as I work my way down. So I'm now pulling the ends to the front more than 10 holes to the right of the column I'm currently stitching (i.e. beyond the next column). However, because the pattern involves so much confetti there are loads of thread ends waiting to be snipped and as I secure them with new stitches, it's becoming bulky at the back.

2) The other thing is that when I snip them off at the front, there's a tiny bit of thread that still pokes through to the front and threatens to show through the stitching. Is there a way of pushing it through to the back? I've tried pushing it through with my needle but it doesn't seem to work.

I don't want to give up on this method just yet because it could save me a lot of time in the long run, but I'm in two minds as to whether to persevere or give up and go back to my old method. Any ideas?

[Mrs Milkybar Kid]

Sorry it doesn't seem to be working out for you! I must admit, I don't park and I cross country stitch - so I don't have that mix up to worry about and work completely opposite to you it seems! There are stitchers on the HAED BB (where I got tip from) that finish threads on the front and park - so it can be done, it just might not be for you - so if its not working put it down to experience I guess! I would have thought that if you are stitching and parking downwards, by the time you get to working your next column your threads should have been secured enough to snip off to the right of your column (you are right to be pulling the threads to the front of your work more than 10 holes across - looking at others WIPs on the HAED BB that is what they do).

When it comes to dealing with the snipped threads, I guess it works easier for my as I don't stitch in columns maybe? Once I get close to the snipped thread I poke it through with the needle or pull it through to the back without flipping my frame - I know it will have been secured because it has stitches directly above it.

Sorry - I guess I have been of no help there! I do wish there was a sure fire way of dealing with confetti and making our lives easier and our backs not so messy though......!

[BizzieLizzie]

No need to apologise! At least I know I'm doing the right thing and the problem lies with the combination of confetti and parking, and not necessarily with me!!

It's certainly a handy method for saving time and I'll have a look at the HAED BB and see if I can find a way of making it work. Even if it doesn't work for my current WIPs, I'd definitely consider using it on a future project that lends itself more to finishing on the front.

Thanks again for your help with this.

[rcperryls]

I am wondering if that will work for the afghan. Since I use a hoop its not so annoying to have to "flip" it over, but anything that will help the back is always worth looking at. Is this tip in the tips and tricks section of the HAED BB? I don't go there as much as I ought to since I find it a bit tricky to maneuver through. It would certainly make the confetti go a little quicker. I don't park hardly at all and am also more of a cross country (or at least cross county) stitcher. and with marking the grid on the fabric its really easier and I will go as many as 10 stitches apart if I know that other threads will cover it in the back. This just seems like a good way to work if I can do it.

Carole

[BizzieLizzie]

Now, I don't want to tempt fate here but .... (*whispers*) I think I'm getting the hang of it! I had another go with the finishing-on-the-front method last night having tweaked it slightly and my stitching seemed to go faster with no frame-flipping. Yay!! I'll do some more over the weekend, and if I don't have any disasters I'll be sticking with this method.

Thanks for your help, everyone.