No, no. I’m not embroidering with chopsticks. But I am embroidering in the company of chopsticks. And I don’t mean that annoying piano piece we all learned as kids – you know, the one that can effectively drive even the most resilient person nuts in a matter of seconds?

I really do mean chopsticks, as in Asian eating instruments.

You may remember that a couple weeks ago, I showed you my slate frame set-up for the commissioned embroidery piece I’m presently working on. And you might remember I was worried about the close quarters of the piece within the slate frame, because it didn’t leave me any room for tensioning the piece further if I needed to.

Enter: the best part of Needle ‘n Thread. You.

A reader (thanks, Cecelia!) suggested a solution that’s often used in Japanese embroidery – inserting a stick or a chopstick where needed, to add extra tension.

And it just so happens that I have a glorious set of matching chopsticks that I appropriated from my mother, who picked them up in Hong Kong some 50 years ago. Thanks, Mom! I bet you never noticed.

By inserting the chopsticks between the lacing and the side slats on the slate frame, I was able to get just that tiny bit of tension that I needed, and that I couldn’t get from adjusting the lacing because there was no room to pull the fabric closer to the slats. It worked really well!

And I discovered something else. When you just need a touch more tension, it’s much easier to insert a chopstick than it is to untie and tighten up the laces on the frame. It almost feels like cheating.

And I bet if I had to, I could insert two chopsticks. Or three! Or the whole set! And Mom will probably still never notice. Thanks, Mom!

Now you know: I’m a cheatin’ thief!

Next time you need a tad of tension on your slate frame – try a chopstick!