How Do I Thread A Needle? Contemporary Community Textile Artist Teachings

Introduction: Why Teach Basic Stitch Skills To The Community As A Contemporary Community Textile Artist

Recently, in the depths of Derbyshire, in my roles as mother, partner or community textile artist, I have been asked, 'How do I thread a needle by hand and in the easiest way possible?' Sometimes this has been extended to, 'Can you take up my trousers?' People don't seem sure what a textile artist does,😂!

I'm really thankful for my textile lessons at school; to have this in standard education has become less and less a given. My teacher was so inspiring and made learning about the creative textile arts so much fun. She really ignited my passion.

In class, we first started with the obligatory hand stitching of running stitches, trying to stay tight to pencil-drawn lines on fabric scraps. At the peak of my learning, I collaborated with an external textile artist on a co-curated art project, wearing experimental costumes in the heart of Bolton's shopping centre before I left secondary education. I now realise I was very lucky.

As a small child, I made clothes for my Sindy doll, so threading a needle wasn't a new concept when I started to study textiles. Today, I realise that many people lack basic skills in stitching, based on the requests for help I have received. Maybe there was no inspirational teacher or the need to address the modesty of a nude Sindy; who knows?

How To Thread A Needle For Sewing Video

I've been bombarded by so many mending and darning tasks recently that I've started answering my mobile to my son with, 'Emergency on-call stitcher, fixer and mender; how can I help you?' So, I'd like to offer a video I made for an International Women's Day Stitching Event.

As we were in COVID when I was running this contemporary community textile arts event, there was a need to share, support, and teach remotely. I can't say I was a natural in using my mobile phone to film textile teaching and collaborative art textile skills, but needs must.

So, here's the video again, as it is buried in the bowels of my website. I've dusted it off. Recognise that it revolves around the stitching in a particular textile collaborative art adventure, but the principles are still relevant.

Applying my ideology of 'collaborative art' to any community artist project I lead means sharing as many of the skills needed with as many participants as possible. Hence, they begin to generate a degree of mastery (no matter how small.)

Ensuring Community Textile Art Skills Are Shared With All

I accept that the 'leave no one behind' method of working is labour-intensive, requiring time, encouragement and repetition. However, this not only builds trust, but it also leaves a lifetime legacy in the abilities of each member of the group as they can apply this new skill whenever and wherever they need; it is not merely confined to the walls of the room where they're working with a contemporary community textile artist. The need for trust is key to the success of a project which I've considered in a previous blog post, 'Networking & Building Trust For The Contemporary Community Textile Artist New Girl (Now In Derbyshire)'; I've shown that trust is fuelled by time, encouragement and repetition, so a win-win for skills acquisition and relationship building.

10 Things To Remember When Threading A Needle By Hand To Make It Easier

Here are my top ten tips, hacks, experiences and thoughts on threading that needle with ease and joy in your heart!:

1. Thread your needle in the best light possible (and with your glasses on if you need them - no room for vanity in this task.) If you can't clearly see the tiny eye of the needle or the end of the thread, then the task becomes hugely more complicated. (I've tried to thread a needle in the dimly lit depths of a museum gallery where I was working on a stitch project live in the community - boy, was it frustrating.)

   
   

2. Take a deep breath. Threading a needle by hand without a needle threader is tricky. It could be initially frustrating, but I urge you to persevere. It needs practice. Don't worry if you don't thread the needle on the first, second, third or even twentieth attempt; this is perfectly normal. Keep going. Even the most expert textile artist struggled with this skill at the beginning of their career.

   
   

3. Use the best scissors you have. Cutting a nice straight edge on the end of the thread can make needle threading much smoother.

   
   

   Here's a dollop of textile technology (hastily digging back into my degree now) to explain more and why it helps. Thread is made up of what are called 'filaments', which are twisted together. Filaments are lengths of fibre. Take a closer look at the thread; you'll see a tiny series of twists like a rope. Each twist binds the filaments together, creates a smoother outer surface and adds strength.

   
   

   Understanding how thread is made can help you successfully thread a needle. If you don't cut the end of the thread neatly and cleanly, the individual filaments can unravel, resulting in a jagged end with fibres sticking out in varying lengths and directions. It's like threading a miniature shaving brush head; no wonder this becomes impossible. As soon as you've caught one filament in the eye of the needle, another has gone rogue and is unravelling down the length of the thread.

   

   CAUTION: Now, this isn't very hygienic (and that's why I didn't teach it in the video), but generations of grandmas would bring the thread filaments into order by putting the end of the tread into their mouths, adding a little saliva, and gently pulling it through pursed lips to create a tip. Though this might make a thread point with filaments at different lengths, this mucus method aligns everything straight, giving you a better chance of getting the thread through the needle.

   
   

4. Use the sharp area of your scissors. Whatever scissors you choose, they do not have to be specialised or expensive. When you start, find a sharp bit on the blades to make a clean cut. I've often used kitchen, nail or even garden scissors when cutting thread. Irrespective of their type they can all work and need respect when being used. They all have the potential to injure (especially, believe it or not, dull ones.) It's good to know that scissors have a cutting edge on the inner edge of each blade where they come together to cut, so make sure you aim to use this area. However, depending on their use, some parts of the blades can become blunter. A helpful tip I use to make a cleaner cut with dull scissors is to cut the thread on the section of the blades closer to the handle. In my experience, this part is used less often and stays sharper for longer.

   

5. Find a needle with a nice large eye. Needles come in various shapes and sizes, with specific characteristics based on their intended use. To keep it super simple in this easy-to-use 'How Do I Thread A Needle?' guide, select a small needle with a lovely, large, long eye.

   
   

   The bigger the needle's eye, the more space you have to successfully wiggle your thread through...simples.

   
   

6. If you have a choice of thread, choose the least 'fluffy.' There is a vast range of threads on the market made from various types of filaments twisted to suit their intended use. Not all threads are the same. When starting off, you might pick up an inexpensive thread in a supermarket, in a mending pack, or from a charity shop. Recognise that generally, the cheaper the thread, the weaker and 'fluffy filamented' it will be, as this keeps the manufacturing costs lower. It takes effort to align filaments perfectly straight and make a thread strong. Use the hacks in this list to make 'fluffy' thread ends easier to wrestle into the needle's eye. Any difficulty you have in threading might not be due to your lack of skill but to the characteristics of the thread.

   

7. Check out charity shops or ask others for initial supplies. When beginning your textile stitching adventures, please don't feel you must hot-foot it down to a specialist haberdashery shop. Instead, have a cheeky look in your local charity shops or ask a friend or relative if they can share their stash. Cost should not prohibit you from trying out threading a needle. I believe in recycling, reusing and repurposing; don't buy new if you don't have to. Often, we have someone in our circle who has a sewing or crafting stash. I've met others and said in jest, 'Hello, my name's Amanda and I'm a craft hoarder.' To which I regularly get the reply, 'So am I!' We're often keen to share from our 'that's bound to come in at some point' treasures; just ask.

   
   

8. Knotting a thread for beginners can be bewildering as there are many techniques out there involving wetting fingers, looping, wrapping, pinching and pulling. In my video, I have just used two standard knots, one over the other. This is a little crude and hit-and-miss in trying to make the knot bigger, but it is easy to understand. If knots aren't your preference, you can simply thread your needle and start stitching by making two tiny stitches over each other at the beginning of your stitching line. Be sure to leave a good-sized tail (a few inches) protruding after the first stitch. Avoid pulling all the thread through the fabric, as it will just come out, requiring you to start again. This way, you'll have a little anchor point without messy knots.

   
   

9. Watch out for sweaty and greasy fingers. Sounds obvious but is sometimes overlooked. This can mean grasping the tiny, smooth metal needle can be more challenging. Opt for dry skin every time.

   
   

10. Be prepared to walk away and try again a little later if you can feel your blood begin to boil. Don't give in; it just takes a little practice.