Laying Threads

Anytime you are stitching with more than one thread in the needle you should use a laying tool.  However, while this is necessary to ensure threads are layed smoothly and evenly, it is not sufficient.  Many people wonder, do you stroke the thread?  How do you guarantee that the threads will lay nicely?

There are several things that you can do to ensure that your laid threads look their best.

1.  Make sure that the threads in the needle are not twisted.

If your threads are twisted, pull the threads out of the eye of the needle, smooth them out, or let them untwist by letting the thread hang free.  You may want to separate strands if they kind of stick together - this may happen with cotton floss.  Then put the threads back into the needle.  The problem of twisted threads usually happens after you have been stitching for awhile.

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   2.  Try to position the canvas so that you are laying threads away from your body.  

1. Turn the canvas if necessary.  This technique is especially important when you are laying long lines of threads in the same direction - especially in a border.  Stitch problems in border areas really pop out at you.  Here is what I mean:
   
   

3.  Stroking the thread.

1. Place your laying tool underneath the thread at the hole it came up through the canvas, stroke it in the direction that it is being stitched.  Do not stroke back and forth, this may cause wear and a little fraying of the thread, especially some short staple silks and cotton floss.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   4.  Maintaining tension on the thread you just laid.
   Use the laying tool to maintain the tension on the thread by placing the tool at the place where the thread went through the canvas to the back.  Keep the laying tool there until you bring the thread to the front of the canvas through the next hole and can apply tension on the thread.  Obviously, those who like to use extremely long lengths of thread may find this difficult - another reason not to stitch with really long lengths of thread.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   5.  Turning the corner
   If you are turning a corner - turn the canvas so that you are laying threads away from you.
   
   
   6.  When threads need to be laid in several different directions for a stitch.
   It makes sense to turn the canvas if you are laying a long line of threads all in one direction (I’d say more than 2 to 3 stitches.)  However, if you are stitching a cross stitch, there is no way that you can turn the canvas for each stitch.  So use common sense.
   
   
   
   
   
   Some people ask about 2 threads in the needle, do you need a laying tool?  Is using your finger or thumb sufficient?  What about railroading the threads?
   My advice is - use a laying tool.  The more you use it the more used to it you will be and eventually it will be more natural to use one than not.  And the threads look best when you use one.