pins and needles

Hows Christmas going you ask?

Well it's not...not yet,

we have way too much diy stuff happening to think about 

anything festive.

 So I thought I'd answer a question regarding my quilted star garland instead!

Mad cat quilts asked :

 Lovely! How did you attach the string to the back? Can you show a pic?

*

Over the years I have developed my own way of

doing things

I do not like anything too 'frou frou'.

(fussy bows and ribbons need not apply)

As with my patchwork style

I like to mix and match.

I love using the rough with the smooth

or the new with the old.

I use garden twine for many of my decorations

but as it's Christmas I have splashed out with a

festive stripe!

 Okay back to the question!

Sometimes those hand me down bags of vintage 'stuff'

contain gems like the awesome set of needles*.

I'm not about to start repairing tents or the like

I am just sharing the tools I use to wangle the larger threads

through my creations.

One of my pet hates are decorations that have the loop running from front to back

which means I am forever twisting ornaments round.

So the above picture is my all time favourite hanging method.

Thread an upholstery needle 

and make a running stitch at the top of your decoration,

remove the needle and pull the threads so they are even.

Next pull out the stitch (just a little) to form a loop,

 feed the ends through and pull up tight.

Finish off by knotting the ends together.

In answer to the question about the stars

I simply thread the twine through the backs

using a running stitch

which means the stars are not stuck in one position

and can move about.

That was all a bit too heavy

 for such a simple question!

I think I need some light relief!

*a certain amount of force is still needed

even with these giant needles!