I do a lot of hand piecing and recently I ordered Essentials thread, 3 spools. It works well on my sewing machine, but I find that it tangles when I try to hand stitch with it. Is there something that I'm missing. I use a condtioner, but it does not seem to help. Any suggessions?
Pam

I'm not familiar with this particular thread. Are you threading the needle with the end that comes off the spool, so that the knot is on the other end? Threads have a directionality to them (similar to hair), and they are less likely to knot if you are sewing in the direction that lays the fibers flat.

The thread may be just too soft. A stiffer thread is less likely to tangle when hand sewing. This is why hand quilting thread is so much stiffer than regular machine sewing thread. Instead of a conditioner, try running the thread through beeswax.

i found that it was me. i turned the needle a bit when removing it from the fabric and putting it back in. twisted everytime. i had to let it dangle every once in awhile.

[quote=Prism99] Threads have a directionality to them (similar to hair), and they are less likely to knot if you are sewing in the direction that lays the fibers flat.


I never knew that! Thank you Prism.

If you give the needle a little tiny partial turn after each stitch you won't tangle your thread. I think we all have a tendency to twist the needle as we hand sew. I know I do when I am hemming binding. I just give a little bit of a twist the other way, and it doesn't happen so much.

Hi , this may sound a little silly , but it works . Take an unused dryer sheet , cut into quarters . Fold in half lengthwise , place threaded needle in the fold pull through several times . Conditions the thread and will not knot . It really works ! Needle and thread both slide right through the fabric :thumbup: . I have been doing this for years now . Give it a try . Annie

All the things I learn on here. Love it.

This came from a recent Superior Threads newsletter:

When hand appliqueing or hand quilting, there is a school of thought that says you pull the thread off of a spool and knot the end you cut while others say you pull the thread off of a spool and knot the end you pull. The notion is that there is a twist to thread and pulling it one way through fabric is better than the other and pulling it the wrong way ends up causing problems. So, what’s the answer?
Answer: It will matter if you use a low quality, loosely twisted, budget thread. If you use a high quality thread with a tight, consistent twist (such as So Fine, Bottom Line, MasterPiece, or Kimono Silk) for hand applique or King Tut and Treasure for hand quilting, the twist is so smooth, precise and consistent, the direction does not matter

Whenever I am hand sewing with a thread that tangles, I use beeswax on it. I've tried other thread conditioners, but nothing seems to beat good old fashioned beeswax. If you can, run the thread thru the beeswax a few times then run it along a hot iron plate. Melts the wax into the thread and works great.

Another thing that will cause thread to tangle is working with too long a length.
While it's nice to not have to thread needles as often I have had to make myself work with a shorter length. Works much better, and I never knot my thread when hand piecing I just do about 3 stitches in a "backstitch" to secure a seam. It eliminates the problem of hitting a knot if you're hand quilting. I do use a knot when hand quilting though.