Laying Tools
I have decided that my next needlework tool I want to try is the “laying tool”. Assuming this was something beyond laying my project down out of frustration, I went on a search for more information. Laying tools are slim pointy objects that let the stitcher control the threads or floss or yarns and get them to lay flat instead of twisting.
“Yeah, cool, but what is the big deal about that?” is what I’ve thought about wasting that extra precious time fiddling with a tool when I could be making progress on my cross stitch piece!
Frederick, however, has bent my proud knee; and I am ready to do something, Anything!, to get the threads to look pretty and flat. But now, now I have to actually acquire one, and figure out how to use it.
Luckily, Kaleidostitch has a user-friendly guide to using a laying tool.
In looking over all the purchasing options for these little gadgets, Practical Me says I could just use one of the little picks in the cutlery drawer, Not-Quite-So-Practical Me says to buy a metal tool, and Off-Dancing-With-Fairies me says that obviously the one I need is the Flameworked Glass Needlework Laying Tool. (Practical Me says “$90.00?!! Are you NUTS? That’s a lot of floss and fabrics and patterns and..and . augh!”)
Tags: Cross Stitch, Needlework, shopping, toolsRelated Stories
POSTED IN: Companies, Needlework Shopping, Stash, Tools and Accessories
2 opinions for Laying Tools
Ternezia
Mar 22, 2006 at 3:24 am
*is puzzled* What is this, a kind of needle? mm no, seems like an addition besides the needle. I might need more guidance here *g*
I like how the threads look after using the tool, though I mostly work on small count fabrics (16, 18) so you have to look with a magnifying glass if you want to see whether the threads are flat or not. Generally they are at mine’s. But such tool would be very useful with metallic threads - they twist a lot indeed!
Deb
Mar 22, 2006 at 9:08 am
It looks like it’s something like an ice pick, but perhaps narrower and more flat. I noted that some of them are sold with awls, apparently those are for helping make eyelets and things without destroying your fabric. I looked through the odds & ends I have that were my Grandmother’s, and while I have a nifty needle-threader with a plastic pearl-looking handle, and an odd assortment of crochet hooks, there aren’t any unidentified gadgets that could be a laying tool.
The next time I have the opportunity to go to the craft store I’ll see if there are any in stock to examine more closely. :D
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