How to tie a knot for sewing: 5 basic methods

The knot you tie decides more than whether the thread holds. A big, lumpy knot grips burlap but leaves a bump under silk or a lining; a small, flat one disappears in fine cotton but can slip straight through a loose weave or a knit. Single and doubled thread call for different starts, and a seam that will be seen from both sides needs a finish that lies flat. Learning how to hand sew neatly begins with five knots, three to start a seam and two to tie it off. None needs a special tool, only a needle, a spool of all-purpose thread and a scrap of cotton to practice on.

A sewing knot holds only if it stays bigger than the hole your needle makes. A starting knot that is too small slips straight through the fabric on the first stitch, and a finishing knot that sits loose lets the seam open after a few washes. Matching the knot to the job prevents both problems.

Set up the thread and your hands

Cut 18 to 24 inches (46 to 61 cm) of thread, thread the needle, and pull 4 to 5 inches of the cut end through the eye. That short end stays unknotted; you tie the knot at the far end of the long side. Longer thread twists and tangles before you use it up.

The steps are written for a right-handed sewer: your right hand holds the needle or long thread, and your left hand forms the knot. If you're left-handed, swap every "right" and "left."

Single thread, with the short end left loose in the eye, is the default for seams, hems and mending on light and medium fabrics. Doubled thread, with both cut ends knotted together, is stronger and suits canvas, denim and repairs that take strain, but it tangles more often. A sharps needle in size 7 to 10, a needle threader and small thread snips cover the rest.

Three knots to start a seam

A starting knot sits at the end of the long thread and anchors your first stitch from the wrong side of the fabric. The finger-roll knot is the quickest, the quilter's knot is the neatest and most consistent, and the overhand knot is the standard choice for doubled thread on heavier or looser fabrics.

1. The finger-roll knot

Many home sewers learn this twisted knot first; Sew4Home's hand sewing tutorial teaches the same roll.

1. Hold the long thread with your right thumb and index finger, about 2 inches (5 cm) from its cut end, and let the needle hang.
2. Wrap the cut end once around the tip of your left index finger, at the base of the fingernail, so the thread crosses over itself on the pad of your finger.
3. Press your left thumb down on the crossing.
4. Keep the long thread taut with your right hand and slide your left thumb toward your fingertip, so the thread twists and the loop rolls off your finger.
5. Catch the twisted bundle between your left thumb and middle finger, then pull the long thread with your right hand. The twists close into a knot.
6. Trim any tail past the knot to about 1/8 inch (3 mm).

For a bigger knot on loose weaves, wrap two or three times in step 2.

2. The quilter's knot

This knot comes out the same size every time because the wraps go around the needle, not your finger. Patchwork Posse's quilter's knot tutorial covers this knot step by step.

1. Hold the threaded needle point up between your right thumb and index finger.
2. With your left hand, bring the cut end of the long thread up and pinch it against the side of the needle with your right thumb and index finger. The thread now hangs in a loop below.
3. With your left hand, take the long thread where it leaves your pinch, bring it up and wrap it around the needle three times just above your fingertips. Keep every wrap going the same direction (clockwise, seen from the point) and snug, not tight.
4. Slide your right thumb and index finger up over the wraps and pinch them.
5. With your left hand, grip the needle point and pull the needle up and out of the wraps. Keep pulling until all the thread has slid through your pinched fingers and the wraps tighten into a small, round knot at the end.

Use four to six wraps for thick thread. In hand quilting, you tug the knot through the quilt top so it lodges, hidden, in the batting; pull gently or it goes through the backing too.

3. The overhand knot for doubled thread

The overhand knot is the knot you tie at the end of a string. On doubled thread it joins both ends so neither can slip back through the eye.

1. Pull the two cut ends even and hold them together between your left thumb and index finger, about 2 inches from the ends.
2. With your right hand, lay the ends back over the doubled thread to make a loop about 1 inch (2.5 cm) wide.
3. Push the ends down through the loop, from front to back.
4. Pull the ends and the needle side in opposite directions. As the loop closes, slide it toward the ends with a fingernail so the knot lands about 1/4 inch (6 mm) from the cut ends.
5. For burlap, loose linen or knits, tie a second overhand knot on top of the first.

On single thread, this knot is too small for most wovens; use the finger-roll or quilter's knot instead.

Two knots to tie off a seam

A finishing knot locks the last stitch so the seam cannot unravel. Tie it on the wrong side, close to the fabric, while at least 4 inches (10 cm) of thread remains on the needle; with less, you cannot form a loop or wrap the needle. The loop knot is the everyday tie-off; the needle-wrap knot sits flatter.

4. The loop knot

This is the standard beginner tie-off, and Treasurie's guide to ending a seam uses the same sequence.

1. Finish your last stitch with the needle on the wrong side of the fabric.
2. Slide the needle under that last stitch, catching only the stitch or a few fabric threads, and pull slowly until a loop about 1/2 inch (1 cm) wide remains.
3. Pass the needle through the loop.
4. Pull the thread gently, guiding the loop down with a fingertip, until the knot sits flat against the fabric.
5. Repeat steps 2 to 4 once.
6. Insert the needle beside the knot, run it about 1 inch between the fabric layers, bring it out and clip at the surface.

5. The needle-wrap finishing knot

This knot works like a French knot laid against the fabric. It leaves a smaller bump than the loop knot, which helps on fine cotton and silk.

1. On the wrong side, take a tiny stitch at the end of the seam, picking up two or three fabric threads. Stop with the needle halfway through and leave it in the fabric.
2. With your left hand, wrap the working thread, between the fabric and the needle's eye (not the short tail), around the needle tip two or three times, snug against the fabric.
3. Hold the wraps down with your left thumb.
4. With your right hand, pull the needle and the full length of thread through the wraps. Keep your thumb on them until they close into a knot against the fabric.
5. Take one more small stitch beside the knot, pull it firm, and clip the thread close to the fabric.

Which knot fits which job

Choose the starting knot by single or doubled thread, and the finishing knot by how visible the back of the work will be. Single thread on woven cotton takes a finger-roll or quilter's knot. Doubled thread on heavy or loose fabric takes an overhand knot. Thin fabric takes the needle-wrap finish.

Why a knot pulls through or comes undone

Knots pull through most often on loose weaves and knits sewn with single thread, where the fabric threads spread apart under tension. Knots come undone when the tail is clipped flush or the knot was never pulled firm. Check your first stitch from the right side, and fix a knot that moves before the seam builds on it.

• If the knot slips through, add wraps to the quilter's knot, roll the finger-roll knot twice, or switch to doubled thread with an overhand knot.
• If it opens up, leave a tail of about 1/8 inch past every knot instead of cutting it flush, and pull each knot firm before the next stitch.
• If a quilter's knot forms partway up the thread, the wraps on it stalled: pinch more loosely so they travel to the end.

Frequently asked questions

Can you start hand sewing without a knot?

Yes. On a single strand, take two or three tiny backstitches on top of each other at the start; they hold as well as a knot and leave no bump. With doubled thread, use a loop start: fold one strand in half, thread the two cut ends through the eye, take a small stitch, and pass the needle through the folded loop before pulling snug.

How do you undo a knot that forms while you sew?

Stop pulling as soon as a loop or snarl appears; tugging turns it into a hard knot. Slide a pin or the needle tip into the loop and ease it open toward the slack side. If the snarl has already tightened, cut the thread, tie off with what is left, and start a fresh length with a new knot.

Which end of the thread should you knot?

A common rule of thumb is to thread the needle with the end that came off the spool first and knot the end you cut. The idea is that thread is twisted in one direction, and sewing in that order keeps the twist from opening up and fraying as it passes through fabric.

Should you knot embroidery floss?

Many embroiderers avoid knots on pieces that will be framed or pressed, because the bumps show through. They use a waste knot, tied on the front a few inches away and clipped once stitches cover the tail, or weave the end under stitches on the back.

How do you tie off thread from a sewing machine?

Leave tails of about 4 inches at the end of the seam. On the wrong side, pull the bobbin thread gently until a loop of the top thread appears, then pull that loop through so both threads sit on the same side. Tie two overhand knots and trim, or bury the tails in the seam with a needle.

Practice on a scrap of quilting cotton before you need these knots on a real project. Tie each starting knot five times in a row, then sew a short line of running stitches and finish it once with the loop knot and once with the needle-wrap knot. Tug the seam from the back: a good tie-off holds without the stitches loosening. Then put both to work on a drawstring bag or a pillow cover with a hand-stitched closing, hiding a quilter's knot inside the seam allowance at the start and closing the last stitch flat with a needle-wrap knot.