Many beaders use the pinched thread between fingers way of threading a needle easily. Indeed this was the way my mother taught me. The eye of the needle can then be aimed at the isolated thread end. You can see a demo by Sarah Homfray Embroidery.
It helps to cut any frayed thread at an angle or use beeswax to taper and stiffen the thread end. But you can also double up the thread and use the folded part to pass through the eye. This is useful if your thread is prone to fraying. I like Sarah's tip on how to make that fold "crisp"!
There are a number of videos which show a popular threading hack - rubbing the eye of the needle on the thread resting on the hand. You will be more successful if you place the eye right on the thread. See this video by honeybee. My mother once shared a video (not available) which shows the user laying the thread, not on the hand but on a fine toothbrush before rubbing with the needle.
Fireline can be a pain to thread. I like this tip from Potomac Beads where Allie. the instructor, burns off the Fireline end and then uses chain nose pliers to flatten that slightly bulbous burnt end. The flattened part becomes fan shaped and becomes easier to pass through the eye of the needle.
Allie also shares her tips on what size needle to use with the different Fireline threads.
Before You Go:
- How to Wind Cord, Thread or Make Tassels for Jewelry Making the Easy Way
- Professional Tips and Tricks on How to String and Knot Pearls
- How to Use Silk Wrapping Technique on a Wrapped Leather Bracelet
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Original Post by THE BEADING GEM
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Helpful videos Thanks, I learned new things.
ReplyDeleteYou are welcome. This blog post also serves as my notes for when I next need to thread.
Deleteas a beader, using very small-eyed needles, i learned to "needle the thread" rather than thread-the-needle, using the first method of pinching the thread and putting the needle onto it. It works for me so i never tried any other way! great info, Pearl!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for sharing these great tips, Pearl! My aging eyes don’t see as well as they used to, so I’ve been finding it increasingly difficult to thread a needle without using one that’s too thick for the application I’m using it for. These tips look like they’ll help me a lot!
ReplyDeleteGreat tips, some I knew, some are new to me and I will certainly try to see which suits me better.
ReplyDeleteBecause I work with such a wide variety of threads and materials, these variations of threading are terrific. I can see a use for each! Thanks for pulling these together!
ReplyDelete