Organising Thrums
Tangle
In our recent “Waste Not Waistcoat quilt” Constance was glad to have this tangle of silk thrums to hand, from which she pulled single coloured threads to use in embroidering the seams.
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organise
But she thought it was a nuisance to have to go to the trouble of separating out one thread every single time, so she and I attacked the prodigious knot and aligned sets of like colours…
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card
…and we punched holes into some acid-free cards, and looped the threads through.
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Button hook
After a while, Constance got out the 1908 silver button hook…
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hooked
…which helped loop the threads through more quickly.
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Order
There is lots of chaos in the world at the moment…Constance thinks it will help if we can do our best to keep our own stuff organised, because every little bit helps!
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Quimper Hittys 
Aaaaahhhh, I’m in agreement with you Constance. Just looking at the orderliness of your thrums is relieving to me.
It was a great relief to Constance too! Now she just has to think up another project requiring colourful silk thrums!
A lovely and satisfying accomplishment!
The colours really clarified, once they were separated out from the giant knot!
Your button hook is beautiful, and just think of the chaotic times that it has passed through! I agree that finding order in these chaotic times is soothing and healing and a powerful metaphor!
It’s true that in the last 112 years, many trying times have passed…and this one too shall pass, the button hook is a treasure from my grandmother, pretty and functional both! I’ve always loved it, even though I’ve never worn button-up boots!
Oh Constance you are so correct. Every bit does help.
Wish we had button hook for Christmas lights.
Little things are sometimes all we can do, but little doesn’t mean insignificant – every bit does help!
I’m jealous of the button hook!
It is a beauty isn’t it! I don’t mind polishing it, because it looks so pretty all shined up!
I spent a productive couple of hours organizing my desk top AND sorting thru my embroidery threads . Constance would be proud of me. Love the button hook, and Constance’s apron.
Hooray for sorting and storing materials and desk stuff! We are both delighted!
Cool! That’s how I’ve organized my threads for about the last 13 years – ever since I had to figure out a way to separate huge skeins into sets for selling. It really is so much easier to find what I want! I had about 1000 3 x 6 cards punched by the local print shop with 5 1/2″ holes down the longer side. And a 1/4″ hole in one corner to put them on binder rings. I don’t have a beautiful buttonhook, so I had to do them all by hand. It’s still great for the long term, though!
I learned that technique from my great aunt, who was a wonderful embroiderer in Sweden! The idea of untangling the huge knot of thrums was a little daunting, but hooray – all done now!
That looks like it would make a wonderful Hitty sized wall hanging.
You might be right!