I'm a 'beader' as well as a quilter. In 'beading' bees wax, Thread Heaven, and the new substance called synthetic bees wax, are used all the time. (It is difficult to drag a thread thru tiny beads and not get tangled). Synthetic bees wax doesn't harden like regular bees wax.....so has become a great favorite with beaders.

When I go to the yearly big beading convention in Milwaukee, each instructor had her favorite thread conditioner......and says terrible things about the other products. But now I use all of them, and carried over the use to quilting. Makes the thread go much easier.

My grandmother did, my mother did, I do and so my daughter.

When I remember I have it.

Here you go ... you see the little slots in the holder. You just pull your thread across those to coat the thread. Makes sewing so much smoother and keeps thread from tangling.

I think it could be softened by laying it in the sun for awhile, put it in the microwave for 10 seconds or put it in a baggie in hot water for awhile. I used to soften mine just by putting it in my pocket so the body heat warmed it. If all else fails, melt it and reform it into another shape.

Carol J.

I hate to sound like a quilt idiot ( i am a newbie) but how do you use it? Just pull thread through it or what?

Where do I get it?

How do you use it?
I mean, what do you do with it.
I do some hand sewing, and I am interested.

help!! do you pull the bees wax from the spool down or from the cut end? and how do yo remember which end to pull through the wax

I use it for hand quilting - not for machine...still got the same piece I bought in 1982.Goes to show how much hand quilting I do these days.