Make stitching faster

[Ann_]

There are few tips that make my work faster. I want to share them with you.
1. I divide the project into smaller areas and each time focus on one area.
2. I devote to stitching hours and not minutes. Each time you are starting or finishing the next portion of your work you need to do some arrangements.
3. I keep the flosses short. This speeds up pulling of thread and also improves the quality of each single stitch.

[coffee_freak]

great tips!

i work in sections too..and i thread a few needles according to what color I know I'll be stitching

[Mabel Figworthy]

I'm a terrible one for cutting my threads too long , I will try cutting them to abut half the length I usually use -- as you say it should make every sttich both quicker and more importantly neater! Thanks!

[SusanF]

Could you explain what you mean a bit more in point 2 please. Anything that would speed up my very slow stitching will be gratefully accepted.

[Ann_]

Thank you, Susan for your question. Sorry for being unclear.

When your are starting your work - what are you doing? Getting out your needles, scissors, threads and so on... This takes a couple of minutes or even more.

When your are stopping your work- what are you doing? Putting back your needles, scissors, threads and so on... This takes a couple of minutes or even more.

It means that if you are working two hours continuously, you spend time on the such organization process once, but if you divide it to eight times of 15 minutes you'll be forced to do all the arrangements eight times.

[Ann_]

Just one more advise:
Cut the floss and separate it BEFORE starting. This is will accelerate the switching process not get you out of the stitching rhythm when you will change colors.

[SusanF]

It means that if you are working two hours continuously, you spend time on the such organization process once, but if you divide it to eight times of 15 minutes you'll be forced to do all the arrangements eight times.

Just realised that this is exactly what I do. I struggle to concentrate on stitching (or anything else) for a long time and end up flitting between things not spending much time on anything. Today for example, I think I have had at least 6 or 7 stitching sessions, none more than about ten minutes each. No wonder I take so long to finish anything!!!!!

I'm going to make a concious effort to sit still for a bit longer now

[MrXStitch]

I'm a terrible one for cutting my threads too long , I will try cutting them to abut half the length I usually use -- as you say it should make every sttich both quicker and more importantly neater! Thanks!

This is one of those moments of awakening that makes you go
I always have long threads, thinking it's efficient, and then spend half my time undoing the random knots that appear and generally cursing at my work.
Ann_ may just have revolutionised the way I work!

[Fljotsdale]

I'm a terrible one for cutting my threads too long , I will try cutting them to abut half the length I usually use -- as you say it should make every sttich both quicker and more importantly neater! Thanks!

Me too...

I know they should be shorter, but... I don't really like threading needles, lol!

[Fljotsdale]

Just one more advise:
Cut the floss and separate it BEFORE starting. This is will accelerate the switching process not get you out of the stitching rhythm when you will change colors.

Good idea. Sometimes I do that, mostly I just haul a length of thread from the skein.

[Fljotsdale]

I'm a terrible one for cutting my threads too long , I will try cutting them to abut half the length I usually use -- as you say it should make every sttich both quicker and more importantly neater! Thanks!

This is one of those moments of awakening that makes you go
I always have long threads, thinking it's efficient, and then spend half my time undoing the random knots that appear and generally cursing at my work.
Ann_ may just have revolutionised the way I work!

That's exactly what I do, too!

[Jess03]

I'm not allowed to use long threads anymore. Too many "hitting people with a sudden pulling out thread arm" casualties

[Fljotsdale]

Oh dear!

[agi]

This reminded me of a Hungarian folk tale. I will tell you, if you are good

Now, there was a poor little taylor, and the devil wanted to (can't remember all the details, so making them up as I go ) take his girlfriend. So he went up to the little taylor and told him: let's make a contest. The one who can make a coat faster will win the hand of the girl. And they started. The devil thought he was going to outwit the little taylor, and save time on threading the needle. So he put in a very long piece of thread, so long that he had to jump out of the window with every stitch so he could pull it through.
The little taylor did everything as usual, with short threads and re-threading his needle from time to time.

Who do you think won the girl?

For some reason the image of the devil jumping out of the window caught my imagination so much I still remember this little detail.

[Mabel Figworthy]

Wonderful story, Agi, thanks! Now whenever I cut my thread too long I shall think of the devil having to jump through the window to complete his stitches

[Fljotsdale]

This reminded me of a Hungarian folk tale. I will tell you, if you are good

Now, there was a poor little taylor, and the devil wanted to (can't remember all the details, so making them up as I go ) take his girlfriend. So he went up to the little taylor and told him: let's make a contest. The one who can make a coat faster will win the hand of the girl. And they started. The devil thought he was going to outwit the little taylor, and save time on threading the needle. So he put in a very long piece of thread, so long that he had to jump out of the window with every stitch so he could pull it through.
The little taylor did everything as usual, with short threads and re-threading his needle from time to time.

Who do you think won the girl?

For some reason the image of the devil jumping out of the window caught my imagination so much I still remember this little detail.

Nice story!

[sammy_v]

I will try to remember the devil jumpping out the window as i have the long thread in my hand, thanks.

[Lisa]

i guess im always jumping out of windows then and FD i am chopping them off straight of my bobbin as i need them as well

[freelady]

I don't suppose this will help most of you, but I always use a little metal needle threader like these. It makes that part of the job so much faster.
http://www.stitchpics.com/~rsgillett/threader.htm

[Lisa]

i dont know how to use those have given up trying now