Some things are harder to teach than others. One of the most difficult things to explain is "how to start sewing without putting a knot at the end of the thread."
Like many tasks that I stumble over when teaching I made the fatal mistake of thinking "this is easy"
I think I need to draw diagrams?
What makes it worse is it's not that important when you are sewing a book signature how you "knot the thread" since it will be covered in glue later.
My students want an "Official Procedure"
I think this dynamic of people learning a task wanting formal official steps leads to people thinking that there is "One Right Way" to do tasks that can be done in many ways.
A frustrated teacher formalizes something that just isn't formal to avoid having everyone bugging her over and over "but how do I start it? how do I knot it?"
Will I cause someone in 20 years to be told "That's the Wrong Way to do it."
hmmm
@futurebird@sauropods.win tying shoes is like this. I thought my mom taught me The One Way To Tie Shoes. Then I met my wife and she had a completely different way of tying her shoes. When we had kids we each taught them our own separate ways of shoe-tying. Now that they are grown up I am dying to watch them tie their shoes to see which method they went with.
@bucknam@mastodon.social @futurebird@sauropods.win what? You don't have to have a knot to start sewing?
I just learned about better ways of tying shoelaces which don't come undone as much. I used to have to re-tie every few hours.
@va2lam@mastodon.nz @bucknam@mastodon.social
Yes, knots are overrated in much of sewing. Or rather by stitching so the thread overlaps and has friction with itself you can make a sturdy anchor without the problems a bulky knot might cause.
A knot probably should never be what is holding a book or garment together. It's too easy for it to pop through the hole and come apart.
Knots are psychological crutches.
@futurebird@sauropods.win @va2lam@mastodon.nz @bucknam@mastodon.social
I would really like a diagram of a way to do that...
@Anke@social.scribblers.club @va2lam@mastodon.nz @bucknam@mastodon.social
OK I've tried to draw it.
Do not overthink the details of these diagrams. Consider the difference between using a knot to hold the thread vs. using friction.
Friction is often a better, more robust solution. There are many ways to start sewing. Just overlap your stitches, back-stitch a few times until you feel it will not slide out.
myrmepropagandist
