How to Make a Hand Sewing Knot

Anytime you are working on a hand sewing project, there's no way around making a knot in your thread. While there are several different ways to make knots, a basic hand-sewing knot is the quickest and easiest. This method can be used with any type of thread and any type of needle, which makes it particularly useful for any hand-sewn project, from sewing clothing to quilting.

Things You'll Need

• Thread
• Scissors
• Needle

Instructions

1. Pull your thread from the spool to a length of 18 to 24 inches, but no longer. Snip the thread and hold onto the end of the thread where it was just cut from the spool.

2. Thread your "held end" through the eye of the needle. Pull the thread through the needle until there is about a 6-inch tail left on the other side of the needle. Because of the direction of twist when the thread is made, setting your knot in the newly cut end will reduce the amount of twisting and kinking while you sew or quilt.

3. 

   Cross about half of an inch of thread over the needle with the needle running horizontally and the thread running vertically, coming over the needle. Pinch the needle's end between your thumb and forefinger. Move your thread to be caught in the pinch.

4. 

   Rotate the thread around the needle with your other hand by looping away from you and down. Loop around the needle two or three times, depending on the size knot you need. Move the spiral of thread to also be caught in the pinch. Readjust your fingers if needed to be sure you are holding the loops and tail tightly.

5. 

   Pull the needle up through the pinched tail and loops. Continue holding the thread end while you pull the needle and the entire length of thread all the way through the loops. When you reach the end, pull the knot tightly. You should now have a knot with a half-inch tail.

Tips & Warnings

• If you are quilting, follow the same steps to create your knot at the end of your quilting line, and sink or hide the knot between the layers of fabric as you would at the beginning of the line.

References

• Hand sewing knot tying video