Quilting refers to joining multiple fabric layers to form stitches and patterns. Some people see it as the craft that brings bread to the table, while others see it as an exciting hobby. But regardless of why people do it, every quilting enthusiast needs to learn how to hide knots. So, let me shed insight into the subject, How Do You Hide The Knot When Quilting?
You can choose to hide the knot by hand or a quilting machine. If you are quilting by hand, you secure the thread’s end by tying the knot and letting it sink into the fabric. On the other hand, hiding the knot using the machine is similar to using your hand. The difference is that you are using added accessories, and you need to set them up.
Hiding the knot is an effective quilting technique. If you want to get to perfection as a quilter, understanding this method is a step closer. Also, it is easy to design with no tutorials or fancy equipment.
Read on to learn more about the craft.
What Is Quilter’s Knot?
A quilter’s knot is a tiny knot that you can pull through one fabric layer to hide the end from both sides. Please do not confuse it with a tailor’s knot. A tailor’s knot is a simple knot that only needs you to wrap the thread around your finger. Tailors often make two-at-a-time knots for stability and ensure that they do not slip through the fabric layers.
In addition, a quilter’s knot is special to a quilting fan because they can make larger knots just by wrapping the thread multiple times. This aspect does not degrade the tailor’s knot, as you can use the two knots interchangeably. However, it would be best to pick the knot that suits your fabric and seams.
How Do You Hide The Knot When Quilting By Hand?
The simple quilter’s knot will enhance your project design. Keeping your knot secure will ensure that people will not see it and thus gives you a neat look. Also, quilting provides beautiful artworks, and the method helps you to deliver sufficiently. Therefore, let me give you a step-by-step guideline on how to go about the craft.
- Thread your needle. Ensure that you thread the needle properly as you would do for other quilting projects and fabrics.
- Determine the proper thread length. It may not sound like an aspect you need to focus on, but it is key that you get your length. You can consider working with around 2 inches.
- Wind the thread around your needle’s shaft. Hold the needle at its eyelet and wind the thread carefully.
- Grasp the wound thread while holding the needle’s eyelet.
- Pull the needle with the hand holding the eyelet and the winding. Ensure that the thread does not go off until you get a small knot at the end.
- Then, pull the knot into the fabric’s middle position and start quilting.
- Secure the knot underneath. Here, pinch the thumbnail at the point as it will secure the knot underneath the top fabric.
Here’s how to hide the knot at the end using your hand:
How Do You Hide The Knot When Using a Quilting Machine?
Quitting is becoming popular by the day and learning how to hide a knot with a quitting machine becomes helpful. Ensure the beauty of your craft by following the steps below.
- The first step is always to thread the needle, whether it is by machine or hand. So, in this case, pull up the bobbin thread.
- Insert the fabric sandwich professionally.
- Install the needle into the quilt sandwich in the previous step. Also, ensure that you lift the presser foot.
- Pull the bobbin thread through the fabric’s top area_put down the needle, and bring it up again. You can also turn the wheel using the back and forth by hand and tug the thread’s top until you see a loop.
- Secure the threads on the quilt sandwich. Use the stitch reaper and pull the loop’s end through to the top. You will see the threads on the quilt sandwich.
Also, ensure that the needle is in the sandwich and hold the threads on each side. Then, lower the presser foot and begin quilting. Finally, after you have done some inches away from your starting point, bury your knot. Therefore, ensure that as you quilt, you create enough room for it.
- Tie a small knot using the thread tails. To achieve the knot, thread the tails in your needle, then insert it into the knot’s hole. You can also run the needle inside the sandwich layers.
In addition, ensure that you check the fabric’s backside as the threads should not be visible. Then, push the needle from the starting point. Consider around one inch away from the knot.
- Pull the thread ends while giving a gentle tug. Also, ensure that the knot is below the fabric’s surface. It would be best if you make the starting point neat on the fabric’s front and back.
How Do You End a Thread When Hand Quilting?
When ending a thread during a hand quilt, it is safe o stop sewing with around three thread inches. Continue with this practice until you get food at making knots.
Then, make a knot by looping the thread. But instead of pulling thread into the knot at once, hold it down against the fabric near the knot’s intended area.
How Do You Finish a Quilting Knot?
Fortunately, a quilter’s knot is easy to make. Please check out the instructions below to learn how to begin and finish the knot.
- Use a single-ply threaded needle and use your right hand to hold it. Then, pick the thread’s end with your left hand.
- Cross the needle over the thread’s end and pinch them together. Ensure that you use your right hand’s forefinger and thumb to allow the other hand to do the job.
- Then, use your left hand and wrap the thread close to its end around the needle. You are at liberty to repeat this process as many times as you want. However, three times is enough for regular quilting, while you only need to repeat the process twice for heavier thread or embroidery floss.
- Once you have wrapped the needle several times, use your right thumb and forefinger to pinch the thread’s coil. Please note that these fingers will also be holding the thread’s end and the needle. So, don’t let go.
- Use your left hand to grab the needle and pull it together with the thread through the coil. Ensure that you continue holding the thread’s coil with your right thumb and forefinger until you finish.
- Finally, when the coil gets to the thread’s end, pull it. And there is your quilter’s knot!
How Do You Secure Thread When Quilting?
You secure a stitch by first holding the thread tails from the needle and bobbin. This exercise helps you prevent the quilting machine from making a thread throw-up or bird’s nest on the quilt’s backside.
Below are additional methods that will secure your thread during quilting.
- Make a Knot With Fingers.
If you have been sewing for a long time, these knots are a walk in the park for you. However, it can be quite a task to explain the process to a beginner_but below is a simplified process.
Take the thread’s end and make two to three loops around your painting finger. Then, use your thumb and twirl it in the pointing finger_this This mixes up the loops. Finally, release the loops from the finger and tighten the thread by pulling the thread.
- Make Locking Stitch.
This technique does not involve making knots. Instead, you will make a tacking stitch to secure the thread.
Use up to two or three threads with your needle. Then, revisit the same place and take up two threads simultaneously. However, during the second time, make a loop and do not tighten it. By now, you have a secure stitch, but you can make one more to reinforce it. Then, cut the thread tail.
- Make Loop Knot Stitch.
This strategy also does not need a knot. But, ensure you adhere to the following procedures for a perfect stitch.
- First, fold the thread by the middle. Then, thread the needle with the thread tails and secure the fold on one side. Also, remember that the thread tail should be a shorter side.
- The next step is to take up your needle through the material. Then, insert the needle and bring it up through the thread’s fold without removing the thread.
- Finally, tighten the thread and carry on with your work.
- Make a Double Backstitch.
You can also consider a simple double backstitch on your beginning points. This move will help you to avoid having knots on your fabric’s backside.
How Do You Hide the Knot On the Back of a Quilt?
- As you sew, leave enough thread for a knot. Then tie a simple knot using the two threads. This exercise will help you secure the already-made seams.
- The next step involves you getting a suitable needle and threading it with the two threads. Then, use the needle to push the threads into the fabric right behind the knot. However, ensure that it does not go through the other side of the fabric because you want the knot to be ‘invisible’ on both sides.
- Bring up the needle from the fabric and tug the thread to pull the knot under the main fabric.
- Cut the thread and let it slip under the main fabric and tada! There you have your hidden knot!
As you finish up your sewing or quilting project, you may have an out-of-thread emergency_your thread tail is not enough, and you have run out of bobbin. Is this you? Worry not! I have a few tricks that will help you get back to work as soon as possible.
- Flip the quilt to the other side and work from the back. Then, use the stitch ripper to remove some stitches to help secure some decent thread tails.
- Tie the knot and thread the needle. Then, insert it through the same hole where you did the knot.
- Run the threads through the fabric layers and to the sides. Also, it will help if you tug at them until you notice that the knot disappears under the material’s surface.
- Trim the thread ends carefully as the knot will be completely out of sight.
- Finally, begin quilting again and turn your quilt over. Consider starting in the same way you finished and enjoy seamless and smooth starts and stops.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What Do I With Excess Threads When Machine Quilting?
The easiest method that will get you home is burying the threads as you would during hand quilting. We have two recommended methods to go about the strategy.
You can use a needle threader to get the thread ends through the needle and pull it into the basting. Alternatively, you can use a separate thread and needle to pull the thread ends through the middle.
- How Do I End a Knot?
Consider ending your sewing with three inches of spare thread. Then, loop the thread. Also, you can place your finger on the thread and hold it against the fabric at the knot’s area instead of pulling thread into the knot.
- When Should I Use The Quilter’s Knot?
A quilter’s knot works as a beginning knot for hand sewists. You do not have to use it exclusively for quilting or pulling through the first fabric layer. Instead, you can use it in other regular sewing projects. But, it is a good place to begin if you want to use it for quilting purposes.
Additionally, if you want to tie off a stitching line, a quilter’s knot may give you problems because the thread end is not free. Therefore, you can consider a single tailor’s knot for such a project.
- Is It Possible To Finish A Quilt Without Batting?
You can finish your quilt without batting. In addition, you can achieve it with both machine and hand sewing. But, experts prefer machine sewing to give professional results.
Machine sewing provides an even and uniform look. It also gives it an expert look and a perfect way to finish your quilt. Moreover, the process is easy for anyone with basic stitching knowledge.
- How Do I Make A Big Knot With A Thin Thread?
Working with a thin thread can be limiting, especially if you want to climax your seam with a big knot. In addition, some fabrics will look better with a big noticeable knot, and you would want to achieve it. Well, if this is you, here is a simple procedure to follow.
Use your thumb and middle finger to pinch higher up the thread. Then, slide the fingers down the thread and pull the twisted threads. Direct them into a knot at the threads’ ends and tug gently.
The big knot will come about as you twist the threads. Also, if you need an even bigger knot, you can wrap the threads around your finger twice. Please note that you may not get accurate results at first, but practice always makes perfect.
- Can I Tie A Knot After Threading The Needle?
Yes. You can tie a knot after threading your needle. Simply insert it through the center of the loop and keep pulling. This move will allow the loop to move to the needle’s base as you make the knot.
Then, tug on the needle carefully and let the loop tighten into a little knot near the needle’s eye. Finally, tie a knot at the thread’s end, and there you have it!
- Why Should I have Knots After Making Stitches?
During sewing, you will always work with a beginning, and an ending point_seams will always have where you started stitching and the area where you ‘tie the knot.’
Knots are significant as they prevent the starting and finishing points from stretching out of shape or unraveling. In short, they keep the stitches intact even if the garment is under pressure. Additionally, it is recommended to leave a long thread tail as you sew off the material. It will provide enough room for you to make a knot by hand.
Do you want locked stitches? Make some knots.
Conclusion
If you are a quilting enthusiast, knots will be part of your work, and you need to know how to handle them. Hiding knots ensures that your work is neat. It also presents you as a master in the craft. Therefore, whenever you are quilting, always ask,
How Do You Hide The Knot When Quilting?
Hiding knots during quilting is as easy as ABC. The most important step is to determine if you are hand quilting or machine quilting. Both techniques will present different approaches to hiding the knot. Fortunately, the basics are similar, just that in machine sewing, you have added accessories.
So, once you choose your preferred method, you are good to go!
