Ask Penny Halgren :: How do I make a two loop knot to secure my hand stitching?

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How do I make a two loop knot to secure my hand stitching?

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Are you confused about how to place your quilt in a hoop for hand quilting? Have you read the tips for how to "rock" your needle, but it just doesn't make sense?

In this DVD, you will learn:

how to place your quilt in a hoop (I did this wrong for years!)
how to hold your needle
how to guide your needle through the quilt layers
your choices of quilting needles
your choices of quilting hoops

And, you can watch as many times as you want to, conveniently on your TV or computer.

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It seems that quilters are always looking for a quicker and easier way to do most everything, and tying knots to end stitching is one of those things.

For those of us who do some hand stitching, there are several options for ending your stitching so that it stays sewn but doesn't create bulk in your quilt. Here is a quick way to create a secure knot that will keep your stitching in place.

To make this knot easily, you should have about 4" of thread left - in other words, plan ahead!

The first step is to take a backstitch and create a small loop with your thread. Pull the needle and thread completely through the fabric, leaving a small loop.
Click on the picture for a larger image.

Thread your needle through the loop. Take care to keep the loop intact.
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Pull the thread through the loop and create a second loop.
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Thread your needle through the second looptaking care to keep both loops intact.
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Pull the thread through the second loop. Keep both loops intact.
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Pull the thread gently, creating a figure 8. This will be your knot.
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Pull the thread all the way through the loop creating a knot next to the fabric. If you pull it too tight, it will create puckers in the thread stitching.
Trim the excess thread, leaving a tail about 3/8" long.
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This quilt, made in the mid-1980s was done entirely by hand. The patches were cut individually with scissors, and each was sewn together using the techniques in this and other articles about hand sewing patches:

broken star quilt