Finishing and Assembling

Check the back of your work for stitching errors.  I usually make at least one Kloster with five fabric threads instead of four.  Usually only 5 out of the 10 Buttonhole stitches are over four and the rest are over five fabric threads.  Read more about starting and stopping Buttonhole stitches at the hightlighted link. 

 I use a dolloly to bury the thread tails under the Buttonhole stitches.

Dolloly

Scissors

Buttonhole edges

 The perles have a tendency to creep up on the fabric.

This is a good thing, because I like to shove the Buttonhole stitches up out of my way before I cut the fabric under them.

I insert the scissors' point under the fabric threads and cut the first fabric thread under the Buttonholes.  Now that is something the stitch police never told you.  I just cut right across that fabric thread.  No way at this point do I try to cut up close to those Buttonhole stitches because they will roll back down and cover the stubs after you cut the fabric away.    

Another good tip is don't try this when you come home from work, you need to rest, so look at your stash when you are dog tired and cut these threads when you are fresh. And don't believe the 'guilt mongers' that we are lazy, I never knew such hard working people as stitchers, take good care of yourself, you are special!

This is what you work will look like as you cut, and one other point, if you have taken time to block your work, it will iron out beautifully.  Even though you will get some wrinkles the fabric threads will realigned when ironed and look just great.

I am always sorry to finish these projects as I enjoyed making them so much.  I hope you enjoy your stitching too.  ©2006, Linda Fontenot, www.AmericanFolkArts.com