sealing a knot

[Blackbear]

When sealing a knot... which do you prefer and why? Also for what type of work..ie: peyote stitch, loomwork, leatherwork..

[ingrambead]

I don't use knots.

I do applique, lane stitch, and diagonal weave, which is my favorite. I learned to embroider when I was a child and knots are a no-no. It is easy to bury a thread and never use a knot. An embroider is judged by the back side of the work as well as the front. When doing applique and lane stitch on leather or buckskin I use only the top part of the skin. I don't run the needle all the way through the leather.

[Czechy]

tie me, oh tie me!!

It depends on what I'm doing and what kind of thread I'm using. For Peyote stitch, brick stitch and loom work and other types of woven beading, I don't use knots but will secure the ends into the work. For lane stitch, I do use knots but they go on the top side of the work and are hidden and protected under the rows of beads. If I'm using nylon thread then I secure the knot by melting it gently with a lighter flame. Same thing with applique work except the knots go on the backside. If I am using kevlar, cotton or some other thread, then I sometimes seal the knot with a little clear nail polish if I need the extra "insurance", so to speak.

[wildwoodswoman]

When I seal my knots I like to use Tandy's Leatherweld. I probably use it because I have gallons of the stuff left over from a leather shop I had once. It dries clear and holds well. It seems to hold up wet. (A lot of my dream catchers end up hanging in the trees.) Most of the time I don't seal my knots. I am a firm beleiver that a properly tied knot requires no sealant.

[MuzeBl]

In my peyote stitch work, I was also taught no knots....never never use knots.

Does anyone know why? Is there a story behind that tradition?

However, I am using knots like you do in my lane stitch...knot on top and cover it with beadwork and I usually don't go all the way through the leather.

[Black Eagle]

Well, I don't do a great deal of beadwork. not my specialty. I've done loom, peyote, and lazy stitch.

For loom work, I usually do a standard technique of weaving the thread through the warps a few times, then tying it off, and sealing with either nail polish or a glue called 527. Some of my first projects were sealed with Aileenes craft glue (bad spelling, comes in a brown bottle).

For my lazy stitch and peyote stitch, i don't use glue or knots to end it. I usually get to the end, and run the thread back through a couple of rows of the lazy stitch in a zig zag. Or for the peyote work, I run the tread down through the project about 1/2 inch to an inch, then back up, down, and up again, for a zig zag effect. Then I trim the tread as close to the bead as possible. Of course, this technique works best for beads with a hole that can handle 2-3 threads running through it, which most 12, 13 or higher beads don't have.