Explore guide
Work a controlled bullion knot
Match the wrapped length to the intended span and use a needle whose eye passes through the wraps readily. Hold the coil while drawing the needle through.
Related lessons and tools
Match the wrapped length to the intended span and use a needle whose eye passes through the wraps readily. Hold the coil while drawing the needle through.
Before you start
Prepare a small offcut of the intended ground with the intended needle and thread. Mark the practice area lightly and support the fabric without stretching its grain.
How to do it
- Mark the two ends of the knot. Bring the thread up at one, take the needle down at the other and bring its tip back out beside the first without pulling it through. Wrap the working thread around the exposed shaft until the coil covers the marked distance.
- Hold the coil gently, pull the needle and thread through it, and settle the coil along the marked span. Take the needle down at the far end to secure it. If the eye jams, loosen the wraps or test a suitable milliner’s needle with a less pronounced eye.
Try this example
Mark a short span on a scrap and check the coil against it before pulling through. If it is too short, adjust the wraps rather than stretching the finished knot.
Check your result
- Release the frame and inspect front and reverse. The thread should lie as intended without distorting the ground; shorten a stitch or change the sample before pulling harder.
- Coverage and tension depend on the actual ground, thread and stitch length. A diagram shows the route, not a universal thread quantity or tension setting.
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