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The other day I was reading through an on-line collection of needlework tips, submitted by other readers. The first thing that popped into my mind was, "The blind are leading the blind." Most of the tips were not bad, like keep everything handy so you don't have to search for lost parts. Some were very good, as in baste counting lines on the fabric for complicated projects. But some were not useful at all. They were cut corners for a shoddy result. Yikes!
Not all Lazy Wenches have been stitching since dirt was new. Not all can execute difficult stitches using textbook perfect technique. I certainly don't claim that ability. But I know the difference between doing something the easy way and doing it wrong. If I were to follow some of these tips, I'd be turning out some pretty lousy looking work.
One tip was to tie the fiber to your needle to prevent unthreading. If I tie my fiber to the needle, I solve the problem of the needle accidentally unthreading but I create a problem of uneven thread tension. Uneven thread tension affects every stitch. It is when one strand is shorter than another and creates lumpy stitching. One strand wil lie tightly to the ground and the other will be loose. My needle will unthread perhaps once or twice in an hour of stitching. If I hold on to the fiber, not the needle, my needle won't unthread and my tension will be even. The tip wasn't useful. It wasn't the best way to solve the problem and it created new problems. There is a time when I want to tie a fiber to my needle, but I won't do it to prevent unthreading.
The right way isn't the same for each stitcher. We all know that if you cut too long a thread, you have more wear and usually more knotting. We all know that French knots take two hands to do. We all know that the eye of the needle will wear a frayed spot on the fiber if you leave it in one place for too long. But there are right and not nearly so right ways to solve these problems. If you are starved for new and useful tips, I recommend you check out the Lazy Wench Booklist.
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