Laying Tools

Time for embroiderers to get laid! Some say stroked instead of laid, but are talking about the same thing. When you look at satin stitch have you ever noticed that some looks a lot better than others? The good stuff got laid. This requires two hands and tools. Who ever said getting laid was easy? It isn't for the faint of heart. Is this technique slow? Yes. It is very slow at first and will get only slightly faster with practice. Why would anyone bother? Perfect satin stitch. Absolutely, unbelievably perfect satin stitch. Ooohhh! Compare a small section of not laid work to laid work. The results are amazing.

First off, let's discuss the tools. Most laying tools look like a stick. Some are wood, some metal and a few are plastic or bone but they all are sharp pointy sticks. A trolley needle is so interesting it merits it's own paragraph. There are books that say use a collar stay or knitting needle but I'd only do that if I were working with pretty large stitches and acrylic yarn. That translates into never. Get a real laying tool and quit cutting corners.

I have tools that are held in the hand and have handles, ones that don't have handles and a trolley needle. The teko-bari is my favorite. It is only about four inches long and half of that is point. The other half is squared off and the whole thing looks a bit like a pencil on hallucinogens. Japanese made of crude steel it does not have a slick glossy finish. That's why it works so well. That slight roughness in the steel allows it to cling to the fibers and manage them with more control. A teko-bari will cost about $17.00. My next fave is also a Japanese made tool that looks like an awl. It is also pretty short, maybe four inches total and has a bulbous wooden handle. It's called a Woody (I had nothing to do with naming it) and sells in needlework specialty shops for about $8.00. Then there are the wooden ones. Price will vary greatly depending on the type of wood and the craftsman. The wooden ones are unpredictable since so many different people make them. I also have a bone awl that I can use for a laying tool, but usually use as an awl.

Trolley Needles get their own paragraph. These pups are the result of an argument between a thimble and a darning needle. The needle won. You put a slightly thimble like piece onto your hand and have a weapon on the end of your finger that you can now use as a laying tool. The useful part about these is that you don't have to keep picking up something and then putting it down again. The not so useful part is that you now have a weapon attached to the end of your finger. Don't forget and try to scratch an itch on your face.

Once you have chosen your actual tool, you use them all pretty much in the same way. I am assuming that you are using some sort of a frame or stand because this is going to take both hands. You don't have a hand free to hold a hoop. Bring the needle up through the ground and then stroke the laying tool up the thread a little bit. Make sure that the individual strands of your fiber are not twisted as they move across the tool. I like to lightly (very lightly) hold the fiber pressed against the ground by holding the laying tool down on top of it. I make sure that I have enough fiber smoothed out to complete the stitch and a bit extra. If the stitch will use 1/2 inch of fiber, I want 3/4 inch smooth. Then the needle dives through the ground to the back and the fiber ends up going across the tool. Instead of couching the tool down with the stitch, I gradually remove it as the fiber gets closer and closer to pulled through. When I am pulling the fiber from the back, it is sort of using the laying tool like a pulley, with the thread crossing over the tool. With very slippery tools, this is easy, with more grippy tools, like a teko-bari, you have to pay attention to your tension. Once you see this demonstrated it makes perfect sense.

If you can, watch the video from the EGA that is an overview of embroidery. It has a segment on Japanese embroidery. You can see a gentleman stitching on kimono, using a teko-bari to keep his silk smooth. If your VCR has good resolution and a freeze frame, look closely at his teko-bari. It has worn thin in spots. Silk meets steel. Steel yields. Rather like a Lazy Wench with a Honey-do list...

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