Aficots and Laying Tools

You may recall from my Etui post that around the end of November I ordered a custom aficot and laying tool set from a craftsman in Georgia. I found the set on Etsy and couldn't resist it. There were multiple wood options, but I chose the bloodwood because it was so beautiful and I have a passion for reddish woods. 

It took about six weeks for the set to arrive (because they're custom made to order), but it got here late this week to my delight. Here is the lovely aficot:

The wood is satiny smooth, and there's a little abalone shell inset, as you can see in the picture above. It's just beautifully made.

For those who don't know, an aficot is a burnishing or polishing tool. You gently rub it across finished satin stitch elements (in the direction of the stitches) to help them come together smoothly, like this:

Using an aficot helps achieve an extra satiny smooth finish on your embroidery after you've finished stitching it. (Now, in real life, I would do this before I added the silver trim, but this is just to give you an idea.)

This particular aficot came with a matching laying tool:

It's beautifully turned and just as silky smooth to the touch as the aficot. At the top end, it also has a small inset circle of abalone.

A laying tool has a similar function to an aficot — to help threads lie smoothly and neatly — but you use it while you're in the process of placing the stitches. You generally only need it if you're using two or more strands of floss at a time because its purpose is to keep the strands from getting twisted around each other. I insert mine under the threads as I pull the needle down through the fabric and gently stroke the stitch towards the needle side to make sure each strand of floss remains smooth and separate. It's particularly handy with satin stitch and battlement couching. 

Now I do have a laying tool already — the metal tekobari version that I use for my Japanese embroidery. I actually use the tekobari for any embroidery where it would be helpful to lay the threads down perfectly smooth and straight. But, hey, it's always nice to have a second one. And look how lovely the set goes together:

I think they're gorgeous, and I'm so happy to have them. Incidentally, they do fit perfectly in the lovely etui I also bought on Etsy. 😊