"put the eye of the needle throgh the knot"
 

I was working on my cathedral windows quilt today on the bus. The woman next to me suddenly elbowed me and said "to make it work right and not come undone, you need to put the eye of the needle through the knot". Hmmm. I don't get it. So I asked her what she meant. She then began talking quite animatedly about making cranberry nut loafs. You find all kinds on the Boston city busses.

So my question is this - I have simply been tying a knot and letting 'er rip. Now I am afraid it will all come undone when washed (or even used). Was this woman right? and, if so, how do I "put the eye of the needle through the knot"?

Make any sense?

ps - I would google this, but my computer is quite old and no longer "googles". Not quite sure why.

Thanks!

Maybe she meant to do a french knot? http://www.needlenthread.com/2006/11...-tutorial.html When I googled "pass eye of the needle through the knot" I got several hits for french knots

yes. clear as mud... I will read that over and over until i get it. Thank you both for your advice!

I guess I am really dense! I do not get it other than maybe the french knot!

Unless she's talking about making a quilters knot? I still can't do one, it just pulls out every time.

I was baffled at first, and then I thought of how I make knots when I'm embroidering – I wrap the thread a few times around the tip and then slide the wraps (which become the knot) down over the eye of the needle, down the thread, till it's a knot at the end.

I never would have described it the way she did, but like you said, you find all kinds, and not just in Boston!

This was an interesting discussion for - being from NYC I would have just assumed she was nuts and moved on. Instead you all treated her comment as legit and I have learned how to tye a knot for embroidery. Thanks ladies for being kind and gentle.

If you have trouble popping the knot in the fabric, put your thumbnail over the knot and it will pop into the fabric with no pull on the fabric at all. Once the knot is inside the fabric it's going to stay there.

Quilters take their information from all sorts of sources and kindness is a virtue most quilters have. If only more people were like quilters perhaps it would truly be a kinder more gentler place.

I always use the quilter's knot for all hand stitching.

Amen to that one .. You said it better than I could of for sure .. Thank you!

This sounds like what I do and in our area, we call it a "surgeon's knot". I think of it like this: when you pull your thread thru the last time, leave a small loop or make a small loop with thread. Stick needle thru loop once then going the same direction, stick it thru loop again and pull tightly pushing knot with one finger & thumb down as close to fabric as you can get. Makes a great knot! Hope this makes sense! I also use these knots with my EPP diamond stars.

It is clear as mud now that I got it to work.

willferg has it right. I just learned to do it and the knots stay in really well and do not pull thru the thread. They are awesome!

they don't pull thru the fabric i mean sorry.

Now that we have established that the bus lady has quilting credibility...what were her cranberry nut loaf insights?

Alison

I'm always needing to increase my kindness level, so I'm glad I'm hanging out with the right people. And that is not a joke or sarcasm. You are kind people. Thanks.

LOL Alison. It did sound quite tasty. "Orange zest" is apparently a must. Will have to try it, once I buy a zester. LOL

Now I am in a PANIC, however, over knots. The woman who tought me how to do a cathedral windows said to do the following.

1. To start, tie a double knot and bury it in the folds of the windows. Cut the tail VERY short.

2. to end, get to the "end", then make two extra stitches, passing the needle through each before tightening.

So that is what I have been doing.

ACK - is this whole thing just going to fall apart??

[QUOTE=willferg;5776049]I was baffled at first, and then I thought of how I make knots when I'm embroidering – I wrap the thread a few times around the tip and then slide the wraps (which become the knot) down over the eye of the needle, down the thread, till it's a knot at the end.

I never would have described it the way she did, but like you said, you find all kinds, and not just in Boston!

I do my knots just like you do. It's called a quilter's knot and I've never heard of putting your needle through the knot. I'd say just count that as one strange encounter and go on about your business. Sounds like yet another kook loose in the world!

Can anyone answer this?
 

I asked this a while back but no one answered. Anyone know?

No, it is not going to fall apart. There are as many ways to make knots as there are quilters (well not quite). I have made my knots like you do for toomany years to count and nothing has fallen apart.

Thanks!!!!!

This is called a quilters knot; the one where you wet it wrap it around you finger a few times and slide it is called a spit knot. I had a hard time getting the quilters knot right since my grand mother taught me to wrap it around my finger, not always wet though.

Thank you a million times for this video!!!!! I have tried for years to make a 'French Knot' and it fell apart each time. I didn't understand how to do it by reading directions. Watcing it is completey different. I don't know why I didn't think of this before, but thank you!!!!

Oh Jeanne, sometimes I think you are my biggest fan!!! You are welcome!!