I finally remembered to pick up a new darning needle. The one I've been using since I started the little witch hats for the NICU, has a wicked point on it. I'm fairly sure it isn't a darning needle at all, but it was the only one I could find in the sewing room that had an eye big enough for worsted weight yarn. So it's what I've been using.
That thing terrifies me! Just the thought of stepping on it is scary. I make sure to keep it either in my hand or in my needle book, but things around here get moved. Now that I've got one without a sharp point, the wicked one is going back out to the sewing room. Just in case I ever figure out its real purpose and need it.
While I was looking for the darning needles, these self-threading needles caught my eye. I know I bought some of these when I was back in the midst of my cross stitching obsession, but I couldn't remember if I'd used them much or not. My thread keeps slipping out of the needle while I'm working on Hocuspocusville, especially when I'm trying to use those last couple of inches to get to the end of a line, so I decided to give them a shot.
The slot at the end of the needle shreds the embroidery floss. And then one strand breaks and gets caught on the back of the piece and tangles and I have to struggle not to say bad words in front of my kids. I'll give them a try when I bind my next quilt -- maybe -- but I've given up on them for embroidery.
I'm linking up to Try it on Tuesday at Jo's Country Junction. Leafs Me Happy continues -- Tuesday's bloggers are Till We Quilt Again, Sheila's Quilt World, Ferris Thoughts, Home Designs by Amanda, Quilt n Queen, polka dot classic, Moonbeams in a Jar, stitch stitch stitch, Sew Me Something Good, quiltingbydawn, My Collection of Things, and Jessica.
A lady in my long-arm club at my LQS recommended self-threading needles for burying the thread tails when the quilt is on the long-arm frame. I'm sure it would work if you were not long-arming.
ReplyDeleteI got sucked into buying those wretched needles. I thought they'd be so wonderful. The points were so dull you could ride to the next state on them and the "eyes" were so big they left big holes in my work. Listen up, people, stay away from them!
ReplyDeleteI don't use the self threading needles for regular sewing or embroidery. I only use them for burying threads in a quilt - then it's great because you don't have to get two threads through a tiny eye - you don't even have to see the eye to thread it.
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