Professional sewing finish advice needed please

[23BeechHill]

Hello, can anyone explain to me how I can get a more professional finish to

a) closing up a stuffing hole (I have used the hidden stitch technique and although I am very neat I feel it's still visible and therefore not professional enough, well not for me as I am a bit of a perfectionist if I am honest)

b) if I am using applique (e.g. attaching felt flowers, faces etc) and using my machine, how do I get round the visible thread tail on the right side of the fabric when finished ? Do you just snip it of as close to the fabric as you can ? But wouldn't it start to unravel ?

Am I being really dim here ? I tend to stick to hand stitching but sometimes it would be so much easier and quicker to use my machine.
I am more or less hand taught so never been shown any tips as such.

Many thanks :horse:

[Seahorse]

HIya

I reckon as long as the stitches are neat you shouldnt beat yourself up about it, or keep practicing til your very happy with the stitches.

To get rid of the end of the thread,knot it off then thread the needle through the fabric(not front to back but horizontally) so the thread has a tail but its hidden with the fabric layers, then just snip it off just short of the fabric.

[23BeechHill]

OK, thank-you very much !

I don't think I have enough posts yet to show you what I have done but I will soon.

[Seahorse]

Your welcome, I hope it made sense.Im useless at explaining stuff.

Id love to see what youve made but il have to wait.

[Feather on a Wire]

Or you can use tiny stitches on the machine just before you trim them. That's normally good enough but I go the extra mile and bury all my threads. I first bury an easy threading needle in the top fabric just next to where the last stitch is, then I click the threads into that to bury them.
HTH

[JBJB]

Have you tried using invisible thread for your hand-stitching.

Although you're probably a perfectionist with your work, I really wouldn't worry too much about it if you're advertising it as hand-made.

I say this because I had a lady recently say
"have you made all this yourself?"
Me : "yes, I make everything myself"
Her, picking up one of my doorstops "Even this?"
Me : "yes, yes, I make everything"
Her : "where's your hand-stitching then?"
so I turned the doorstop over to show her and she was happy then. She still didn't buy it (sigh) but at least she could see it genuinely was hand-made. Whether she belived it was made by me I couldn't tell you!

So I think people like to see a bit of imperfection!

[craftyfoxni]

had the same thing at the craft fair today so i tend to finish my work well but not always to my highest standard or customers think you've got a job lot china and just cut the labels of :mf: