Tying a knot in the end of a length of thread for hand stitching should be pretty straightforward and simple, but I know a lot of people who struggle with it. When my Grandma Fricke was teaching me to sew, I remember her rubbing her fingers together with the thread in between, and VOILA! the thread was magically knotted. I still believe she had magic in those hands, but she shared her secret with me, and now I’ll share it with you. These instructions are for right handed folks, but I’d love to hear from a lefty to see if there’s a way to make it work for everyone!
Step One
Thread the needle with a double length of thread.
Step Two
Hold the needle between the thumb and forefinger of your right hand. Place the tail ends of the thread under the needle, making an X.
Step Three
Wrap the thread around the tip of the needle a few times. The number of wraps will determine the size of the knot.
Step Four
Gently encase the wrapped section with your thumb and forefinger.
Step Five
Slide the wrapped threads away from the tip, over the eye, and off the end of the needle, onto the threads.
Step Six
Keep sliding the wraps down to the ends of the thread. Gently tug on the wraps to tighten them into a knot.
Step Seven
Voila! Thanks, Grandma!
Karen Fricke Quilts 