Floss Saving Technique

xstitch4life

Hi All!

Just wanted to share an old, but very useful, tip for cutting back and saving on the amount of floss that you use for a project requiring 2 strands of floss. Each skein of floss consists of 6 strands. Cut a length of floss that you would normally use. Personally, I usually cut off about a 24 inch length. Pull out just 1 strand from the batch of 6. Fold the strand in half, and place thread the two loose ends through your needle. Make your first half cross, and put your needle back through to the back of your project. Be careful not to pull the "loop" through. When your needle is in the back of your project, stick your needle through the loop, and begin your next half cross (or finish your first half cross). Your first half cross is now secure. You have used only 1 strand of thread but, because you folded it in half, you have 2 strands to stitch with! :) Hopefully this makes sense.

To word this a little bit differently, when a chart requires you to stitch with two strands of the same color of floss, pull out just 1 strand from a hank of 6. Fold the strand in half, put the two ends through the needle, leaving the loop on the long end (in the back of your project). Bring the needle up from the back of your project and make the first half cross stitch. Then go through the loop at the back of your project to make a nice, firm anchor before you make the second half cross stitch.

htsear13

Following this thread

manolimu

Siguiendo este hilo

magpire

I agree. I don't know if it saves floss or not but this is how I do it too.

abbysmom1976

Thank you  I will try this :)  

Whovian

That sounds brilliant!  I will have to try this :)

Biddy

That is exactly what I do. Never thought much about it saving floss but it does mean you don't have to worry about tucking the ends in when you start.

beckysbiz

cool, i kinda did that, by that i mean, i used i long strand folded in half but securing looked like a bird nest on the back of the work, thank you for the useful tip :)

maureen1959

This is exactly what I do too and there are no birds nests or knots at the back of my work :D

shazie

I have started cutting what strand I need, it is much neater.

Lightbringer

Thank you.  I also use this technique and I love that I don't have to fiddle with the start of a thread.

rteixeira63

Awesome tip will try that.