What is a tie-off knot?

• A. A knot used at the end of a seam only.
• B. A standard, modified seine knot used on all stitches except the starting stitch.
• C. A knot to join two pieces of fabric.
• D. A knot used to secure the lacing cord.

Answer: (B)

A tie-off knot is a locking knot used to secure the thread at the end of a stitched seam so the seam won’t unravel. The description here specifies using a standard, modified seine knot on every stitch except the starting one. That means after finishing the seam, you tie off the tail with this knot pattern to lock in the stitching along the entire seam, while the very first stitch isn’t tied off at the start to avoid bulky knots there. The other options describe knots for joining fabric or securing lacing, which aren’t what a tie-off knot does. So this choice correctly identifies the tie-off as a standard, modified seine knot used on all stitches except the starting stitch.