Number of times you pierced the thread when threading for saddle stitch?

[NDphung]

Hi, it may be a stupid question but I was simply wondering the number of times you pierced the thread when threading needle for saddle stitch. I have been piercing my thread twice (habit) but has seen many doing it just once and even three times (ref. Peter Nitz Atelier). Any reason to do it more than once? Thanks for the help.

[AzShooter]

I do it once or twice on each stitching progress.  I'm getting better though. I stop and inspect the thread.  Take my needle and push it back through the thread, then carry on.

[Squid61]

Not a stupid question at all.  I used to pierce once but occasionaly had issues with the thread coming loose or bunching up making it hard to pull through.  I now pierce twice so the thread forms a sort of S on the needle, seems to work better and pull through more smoothly.

[mike02130]

Whatever works for you.  With .45mm thread I do 3 and with .35mm I'll sometimes do 4.

[Hairic]

Unless I'm missing something, this isn't something you want to do, When I first started hand stitching I would catch the thread and would back out if I noticed it in time.  You want to essentially create a knot every thread, assuming your saddle stitching, some needles are sharper than others, you don't really need a super sharp needle that will catch the thread like a sewing needle.  However if this is something that you are purposely doing, I know nothing about that lol... Im down to learn something new. 

Edited March 1, 2022 by Hairic

[NDphung]

27 minutes ago, mike02130 said:

Whatever works for you.  With .45mm thread I do 3 and with .35mm I'll sometimes do 4.

Any reason why you would do it 3 or even 4 times? have you ever tried to do it just once or twice. Thanks

[NDphung]

30 minutes ago, Hairic said:

Unless I'm missing something, this isn't something you want to do, When I first started hand stitching I would catch the thread and would back out if I noticed it in time.  You want to essentially create a knot every thread, assuming your saddle stitching, some needles are sharper than others, you don't really need a super sharp needle that will catch the thread like a sewing needle.  However if this is something that you are purposely doing, I know nothing about that lol... Im down to learn something new. 

My question is when you thread the two needles to begin not when you are saddle stitching. 

[tsunkasapa]

I don't pierce at all. Just thread the needle and sew. There is no need to do it.

[Hairic]

1 hour ago, NDphung said:

My question is when you thread the two needles to begin not when you are saddle stitching. 

Ahh, Ok, I pierce it every time then, However I don't think I have every tried not to, soo not sure what the out come would be.  Again assuming your talking about setting up two needles threading it through the needle hole then piercing it and pulling it tight to create a knot so to speak so it does not fall out, I do it always.

[Spyros]

Eh it depends if I'm in a hurry, I try to aim for two, but sometimes it's once, sometimes none 

[Handstitched]

It depends how lazy I'm feeling at the time, and sometimes on the size of the job. 

If I'm lazy, I just give the thread a little twist on itself , the wax seems to hold it together, or on a small job, I twist it. On a large job, the full length of both arms, thread the needles, & put back through the thread  once. 

So there   

HS

[billybopp]

I usually thread the needle and then pierce the thread twice - and leave a pretty big loop behind the eye of the needle when I'm using woven thread such as tiger.  The idea is to pierce the thread and create enough friction so that the knot does not work its way up to the eye of the needle.  When the knot works up to the eye of the needle it gets FAR more difficult to get the needle through!  A lesson that I learned the hard way early on!!

- Bill

[battlemunky]

I usually only pierce once but I've noticed that when the loop closes in on the eye it does get quite a bit harder to pull that lump through (similar to how @billybopp described above) so I've been considering a second piercing to make the "S".

[zuludog]

For years I sewed fabric to repair tents & rucsacs; I just threaded the needle, folded over the thread, and left it at that

Then I went on a leather craft course for a day and was shown how to do double hand sewing /saddle stitch including piercing the thread and locking it onto the needle ...... then I saw the same thing in a leatherwork book ...... then on YouTube videos ...... then I thought  - why?

So now I just thread the needle without bothering to lock the thread, and it seems to work well enough. The thread can be moved along to prevent wear on the fold over at the eye, and my thread is waxed well enough that the needle doesn't slide off of it's own accord.

Now I haven't bothered locking the needle for years 

[Dwight]

14 hours ago, tsunkasapa said:

I don't pierce at all. Just thread the needle and sew. There is no need to do it.

 

4 hours ago, zuludog said:

For years I sewed fabric to repair tents & rucsacs; I just threaded the needle, folded over the thread, and left it at that

The thread can be moved along to prevent wear on the fold over at the eye, and my thread is waxed well enough that the needle doesn't slide off of it's own accord.

Now I haven't bothered locking the needle for years 

This makes 3 of us . . . I don't do a lot of hand sewing . . . but when I do . . . I don't mess with it.  Thread the needle(s) . . . fold it over . . . and go for it.

May God bless,

Dwight

Edited March 1, 2022 by Dwight

[Hardrada]

Too many to count. Happens more often with thicker thread, obviously.

It's not difficult to fix, so no big deal.

Edited March 1, 2022 by Hardrada

[AzShooter]

When getting started I always pierce the thread about 2 inches from the end and tighten it up.  Seems to keep the thread from falling off the needle while stitching.

 

[Klara]

Generally twice, but polyester thread three or four times.

[NDphung]

On 3/1/2022 at 9:58 AM, zuludog said:

For years I sewed fabric to repair tents & rucsacs; I just threaded the needle, folded over the thread, and left it at that

Then I went on a leather craft course for a day and was shown how to do double hand sewing /saddle stitch including piercing the thread and locking it onto the needle ...... then I saw the same thing in a leatherwork book ...... then on YouTube videos ...... then I thought  - why?

So now I just thread the needle without bothering to lock the thread, and it seems to work well enough. The thread can be moved along to prevent wear on the fold over at the eye, and my thread is waxed well enough that the needle doesn't slide off of it's own accord.

Now I haven't bothered locking the needle for years 

I tried not locking thread on my needle. You are right I kind of manage with Tiger Thread which is very waxed, but when I switched to Vinymo thread it was frustrating  because my thread kept sliding off.  It somehow manage to slide off after piercing twice but that was a long stitch line.

[tsunkasapa]

The needle's sole job is to lead the thread through the leather. It is not a handle to drag the thread around with. As soon as the thread clears the leather, I grasp the thread and pull. I have never had a needle 'slide off'. YMMV

[JayEhl]

Great conversation.  I appreciate everyone's insight and their technique!

[DJole]

I have tried "locking" the needle onto the thread a couple times, but I don't do it anymore. Here is why:
When (not if!) I pierce the thread while stitching, if the thread is not locked onto the needle, I can just slide the needle off the thread, and then pull the thread out to correct the error. 
I then just thread the needle back on, and then back to stitching. 
I can hear people say, "Well, just don't pierce the thread!"  Of course, that's the ideal. I've gotten MUCH better at it lately (just once or twice per project maybe)...

[billybopp]

16 hours ago, DJole said:

I have tried "locking" the needle onto the thread a couple times, but I don't do it anymore. Here is why:
When (not if!) I pierce the thread while stitching, if the thread is not locked onto the needle, I can just slide the needle off the thread, and then pull the thread out to correct the error. 
I then just thread the needle back on, and then back to stitching. 
I can hear people say, "Well, just don't pierce the thread!"  Of course, that's the ideal. I've gotten MUCH better at it lately (just once or twice per project maybe)...

I don't have an issue with piercing the thread while sewing anymore.  I used to, but was politely informed by my significant other that the vocabulary lessons which such thread piercing elicited were not acceptable for any younger ears that might be within earshot.  It seemed easier to figure out a way to avoid that problem than to learn to sleep on the couch.  So after much thought, what I now do is run my first needle and thread through the hole and go about 3 or 4 inches long leaving some slack.  Then, as I'm inserting the second needle I pull the second thread backward a little faster than the second needle is moving making it impossible to pierce the thread.  It took conscious effort to follow that procedure at first, but became habit before long.  Vocabulary lessons mostly came to an end, I didn't need to learn to sleep on the couch.  Life is good!

- Bill

[NDphung]

On 3/22/2022 at 11:27 AM, tsunkasapa said:

The needle's sole job is to lead the thread through the leather. It is not a handle to drag the thread around with. As soon as the thread clears the leather, I grasp the thread and pull. I have never had a needle 'slide off'. YMMV

Can you tell me what kind of thread and size you are using. Is the thread waxed?.  and the needle? Thanks for the help.

21 hours ago, DJole said:

I have tried "locking" the needle onto the thread a couple times, but I don't do it anymore. Here is why:
When (not if!) I pierce the thread while stitching, if the thread is not locked onto the needle, I can just slide the needle off the thread, and then pull the thread out to correct the error. 
I then just thread the needle back on, and then back to stitching. 
I can hear people say, "Well, just don't pierce the thread!"  Of course, that's the ideal. I've gotten MUCH better at it lately (just once or twice per project maybe)...

Does your thread ever slide off the needle if not what kind of thread and size you are using? Is it waxed? Personally I always pull the thread down on the slanted hole and goes on top with the other needle. Less piercing of the thread. 

[tsunkasapa]

2 hours ago, NDphung said:

Can you tell me what kind of thread and size you are using. Is the thread waxed?.  and the needle? Thanks for the help.

I use 3 and 5 ply linen, or hemp, exclusively. I HATE synthetic thread. I do wax the thread. As to needle size, I don't pay any attention. What ever EYE I can get the thread through. I really believe you are over thinking this. It's NOT rocket science.