How to Quilt>Hiding Quilting Knots Inside your Quilt

Hide the Knots in your Quilt

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Whether you are binding a quilt, sewing applique, or hand quilting, knowing how to hide a knot in your quilt can be very handy.

Years ago, a quilting friend of mine told me that the best way to start and end a thread of hand quilting was to take several stitches in the same place. It is like sewing a button on without having the button; or like marking time if you are marching.

Not knowing any other way, I hand quilted my first quilt using that method. As we used this quilt, we decided that this was not the best method. The stitches didn't look very good because they were bulky and several of them unwrapped themselves. Then trying to secure the thread of hand quilting was a nightmare.

Not too long later, I was happy to learn a way to hide knots inside my quilt.

The process is simple. It relies on getting the knot through the weave in your fabric, and most of the time, the thread goes right through and ends up inside your quilt.

Sometimes the knot goes in and then right out the other side. Not such a big deal, just try it again.

Sometimes you get a stubborn knot, and it takes some effort to pull through. It could be that the weave of the fabric is very tight, and trying a different spot will lead to success. The easiest way to do that is to cut off the knot and start again.

Here's the step-by-step:

	Begin with a thread about 18" long that has a single knot about 1/2" away from the end. Poke your needle into the quilt top approximately 1/2" away from where you want your quilting stitches to begin.

Push the needle back through the quilt top where you want your stitches to begin. Be sure that your needle only goes through the top and batting. If it goes all the way through to the backing, you will have large, unsightly stitches on the back of your quilt.

	Pull the thread until the knot meets the quilt top. Poke the needle through the quilt top just next to the knot. This will secure the fabric so you can pull the thread and pop the knot through the quilt top and in between the layers.

Once the knot has been popped through in between the layers of the quilt, there might be a small tail of thread. If there is, take your needle and lift the top layer of fabric. The tail of thread may put itself inside. If not, you can slide the needle around under the quilt top and pull the tail of thread inside.

With your knot safely hidden inside your quilt, you are ready to begin your hand stitching.

This video might help as well:

Happy Quilting!

Penny Halgren
www.How-to-Quilt.com
www.TheQuiltingCoach.com
www.QuiltBlockLibrary.com

Penny is a quilter of more than 27 years who seeks to interest new quilters and provide them with the resources necessary to create beautiful quilts.

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