Stitch School

floral monograms

2011-09-10T09:56:00.000-04:00

I found a very old embroidery booklet at an antique mall during the summer—Alphabets and Monograms by Anne Orr. Sixteen pages of designs, some of which have floral details like the one shown here. I've been redoing the designs into modern charts with the hope of reproducing the booklet. Not quite ready yet but I thought I'd share one of the designs with you.

I'm slightly embarrassed that I haven't posted anything since April - yikes! But I've been so busy with my business this summer that I haven't had time to post. So, the free monogram chart is my way of making it up to you (click through the small chart detail above to my Flickr page where you'll find a large size chart of the entire alphabet). Enjoy!

an easy (really) crochet edging

2011-04-29T14:53:00.000-04:00

I have several stamped-for-embroidery pillowcases that already have the holes along the edge for attaching crochet. I just never knew how to go about attaching it. Well, I sort of knew but, having never crocheted before and finding most instructions daunting, I've never even tried.

But, there may be hope for me yet. Kathleen Mower, on her blog Miss Abigail's Hope Chest, has a tutorial for an easy zig-zag crocheted edging that might be the perfect thing to finish my project. Perhaps yours, too. She added hers to a towel (and it took just 30 minutes!), but it should work equally well for pillowcases. If you want to try this, she suggests skipping over some of the holes, choosing ones that are spaced about 3/8-inch apart; otherwise there won't be enough room for the little diamond shapes.

Book Review: Embroidered Flora & Fauna

2011-04-10T10:57:00.000-04:00

This lovely book was first published in 2007 in South Africa, again in Great Britain in 2008, and reprinted twice more in 2009. Which tells you something of it's popularity with lovers of needlework. And the projects are simply stunning. You'll get plenty of basics as to techniques and materials, too, but it's probably not for the beginning embroiderer. Think of it as a next step when you feel the need to add some dimension and texture to your work.

And three-dimension and texture are what this book is all about. Techniques include fabric manipulation, wire-edged applique, barbola (unwired stumpwork), needle lace on wire, trapunto quilting, working with felt and ribbon, beading, and metallic threads. Used together as mixed media, which you'll see in the projects that follow, they provide endless ways of creating realistic flora and fauna.

The projects, which are all inspired by the natural world, are categorized by color inspiration. Red, for example, features projects for three-dimensional felt gerbera daisies and wired applique bougainvilla; green has a nesting weaver bird incorporating actual feathers and a praying mantis that uses organza ribbon for his transparent wing. There are flowers, butterflies, insects, and birds and even a project for a realistic fig made from felt, yarn and beads (see the book cover for a close-up of this). All projects are illustrated with gorgeous photos of the finished piece and many have close-up views as well so you can really see the fine detail.

The book finishes with a section of black-and-white stitch diagrams and patterns for the projects that require them.

I found my copy at my local fabric store but it's also available on Amazon (and if you want to purchase a copy, please click through the link included above).

at least she had time to finish her project

2010-11-22T13:12:00.000-05:00

This was published today in the Rochester, MN Post-Bulletin:

1935 — 75 years ago
A St. Charles woman was sentenced to 30 days in jail by Judge Burt Eaton for stealing 20 cents worth of embroidery floss.

According to the Consumer Price Index, that's $3.13 in today's prices. Just an interesting bit of embroidery-related news to brighten your day :)

embroidering on gingham

2010-10-20T09:00:00.002-04:00

Gingham can be a great fabric to embroider on, and not just for working chicken scratch. It's already got a perfectly square grid so any patterns designed for cross stitch will work equally well on it. Use the corners of each small square (or skip over a few if the squares are very small) for your needle entry and exit holes.

I found these two aprons recently at an antique mall—one pink gingham, the other yellow. Both have a row of brown and red chickens along the bottom. I'm including the pattern here — it's been a while since we've had a freebie! Enjoy!

Click the pattern image for a larger version.

redesign

2010-10-19T10:42:00.001-04:00

Cross stitch sometimes gets a bad rap, especially here in the U.S., with the predominance of cutesy kits in craft stores and overly sweet projects in magazines. There's the exception to be sure, but in general, I haven't been impressed with what I've seen.

So, I was happy to be asked to review the redesign of Cross Stitcher magazine. My big concern, since this is a British magazine, was whether we could buy it here in the U.S. They assured me that it's available in some Borders stores (although, sadly, not in mine) and also by subscription for £79.99. Or you can purchase digital editions— single issues for £6.70 and a 13-issue subscription for £60. But, with the exchange rate currently not in our favor, the best deal is at Magazine Nook for $23.39 with free shipping. If you're located in the UK, of course, you shouldn't have problems finding it on the newsstand. The redesign debuts with the current issue (Issue 232 November 2010).

I'm still awaiting my printed issue to arrive by mail but I got a chance to preview an online sample. I'm impressed, both with the colorful and fun design of the magazine and with the projects. The magazine opens with a free chart for embroidering gingham heart sachets (each issue includes a free project pattern). Following are lots more fun projects—like felt baby booties (so cute), a realistic Jack Russell cushion, covered buttons, the ever-popular owls, and designs for Christmas cards. Every issue has a section called The Savvy Stitcher—this time it features applique, using Bondaweb, stitching basics, and alphabet charts for personalizing your projects.

Be sure to visit their website, sign up to receive their newsletter, and become a fan on Facebook. They offer lots of freebies on all of these and a chance to interact with other readers and stitching fans.

reading patterns

2010-09-23T17:44:00.000-04:00

Stamped-for-embroidery projects originally came with a printed sheet that had color suggestions and instructions for which stitches to use to complete the design. Or, if you purchased your project at a department store, it came with a free booklet of instructions for all of that season's designs. This is what the Vogart Fall 1957 booklet looked like—

That's great but, it's fifty years later. What if you find a vintage piece, and the instruction sheet has been lost, or there's no accompanying booklet? Color is personal and you'll have your own preferences—we'll save that subject for a future post. Let's talk about the stitches.

Here are a couple of pieces from my collection that I haven't started yet (click through to the larger versions on my Flickr page if you need to see them larger). The designs are printed on the fabric surface and will almost always wash out after the embroidery is completed. Let's look at some of the standard "symbols".

A- All of the outlines in a design can be done in either stem or outline stitch. You could use any stitch with a continuous line—like chain or split stitch—as long as it's not too wide. You want to cover the line but not intrude too much on the space around it.

B- Any straight line that is less than 1/2 inch or so should be done in straight stitch. Anything longer and you run the risk of the thread lying too loosely on the surface. And that can lead to snagging.

C- Leaves and flower petals are always done in detached chain stitch, commonly called lazy daisy.

D- When you see a shape with a series of lines across it, this tells you to use satin stitch. Or, you can simply outline the shape and just go over the crossed lines with straight stitch. You'll see this used for facial features, such as the eyes, noses, beaks, and tongues of animals.

E- Little crosses symbolize cross stitch. There aren't any in the first example but there are lots in the second. You'll want to bring your needle up and down in a space halfway between the printed ends of the crosses; sometimes they're printed with a bit of space in between and you want to cover the printing completely in case it doesn't wash out.

F- Little open circles mean French knots. Commonly used for flower centers, random polka dots on clothing, and for making lambs look wooly.

That's about it. Don't feel that you need to learn all the advanced stitches to get started with embroidery. Most designs will use only these five or six stitches; some even less. Advanced stitches are nice when you're ready to add to your repertoire, but certainly not needed for most of your projects.

Having said that, you could try fly stitch for the Vs on the roosters neck or blanket stitch instead of the straight and outline stitches along his feathers and comb. The yarn ball in the kitten design could be done in a stitch with more dimension to make it fuzzier. Don't be afraid to try something different!

color your world

2010-09-16T10:22:00.001-04:00

In the premiere issue of Amy Powers' Inspired Ideas, Piper Wise shows how to add color to embroidery, a technique she learned from her husband's aunt. She uses the duck design from my Party Animals pattern to create a motif on a little girls dress.

You may have seen some of the vintage Vogart stamped-for-embroidery projects with colored areas already printed within the design. Here are a few examples:

Using Piper's technique you can mimic this effect yourself. Another way to add color is to use acrylic paints. Acrylic paints are plastic-based so the paint fuses with the fabric and becomes water-resistant when dry. The nice thing about acrylics is that you can dilute them with water if you want a softer, more watercolor-like effect.

Generally, with stamped embroidery projects, you embroider the outlines of shapes; adding color helps to fill in some of the empty spaces in your design.

embroidery in the news

2010-09-15T14:07:00.000-04:00

A few interesting embroidery-related articles for your reading pleasure—

Whimsical Pillows Embroidered ... by Convicts
Stitch in Time: The embroidery of the Ahirs of Kutch

Sorry for the lack of posting since July (yikes, it's a wonder anyone is still reading). I've been busy this summer and not doing much embroidery myself—I rarely do when it's hot outdoors. But, as the weather gets cooler I find myself turning back to it again. I'll try to be better about posting again.

cross stitch trims

2010-07-06T09:20:00.000-04:00

Today's patterns are courtesy of Sandro Ilg who lives in Berne, Switzerland. Sandro is a recovering English literature major who decided that wasn't the career for him and now plans to study fashion design instead. He sews and loves to shop for thrift store goodies—clothing, fabric, trims, and buttons. Especially buttons, which he admits he has an addiction to (me, too). Like we couldn't tell from the name of his blog, Mr. Buttons :)

Sandro found these vintage trims while thrifting and asked if I could turn them into charted patterns to share with my Stitch School readers. Of course!

The original trims are embroidered on white linen that's been hemmed top and bottom. I'd probably embroider them directly on a finished item rather than on something that needs to be attached. But, that will depend on your project. The flowers would be cute for a little girl's dress; the cherries for an apron, tea towel, or how about a row along the bottom of curtains in a cherry-themed kitchen?

(Click through for a larger version)

The only change I made is to add a few yellow crosses in the center of the flower—it seemed to need something there but you can leave it out if you like. Done in a medium purple-blue colored floss, they look very much like a flower we call periwinkle or vinca. Use whatever colors you like. Try brown centers with a yellow flower (like black-eyed Susans).

(Click through for a larger version)

Thanks Sandro for sharing your treasures. If anyone else has a vintage hand-embroidered item they'd like to share, let me know. I'd be happy to convert it for you. And I'm always happy to post photos of your finished embroidery projects as inspiration for others. Let's spread the embroidery love!

eat your veggies

2010-06-28T11:26:00.001-04:00

Or, maybe I should say, embroider them :)

If you're also a reader of my Primrose Design blog you may have seen that I'm working on quilted patchwork pot holders with food themes. I've run out of vintage linens to cut up so I'm embroidering some of the motifs myself. Today I showed some examples of peas and carrots that I found originally on a vintage apron; there was a yellow squash, too. And I decided to offer the patterns for free here at Stitch School in case you'd like to try them for yourself.

Each of the designs would be super cute on aprons as they appeared originally or perhaps on tea towels or framed pictures on your kitchen wall. All are super easy and shouldn't take more than an hour. No need to trace these onto to your fabric—just count the stitches for your cross stitch and do them first, then go back and freehand draw the stem/outline stitched parts. I used an even-weave linen/cotton blend (from an old tea towel) but you could use Aida if you like.

Click each photo for a larger version on my Flickr page.

move completed

2010-06-08T14:58:00.000-04:00

You're probably wondering why all the posts today. I'd been putting off completing the move of all Stitch School posts from the Primrose Design blog, but decided to devote the necessary few hours to getting it done today. And I did it. If you go to the original posts you'll be directed here, so I guess that means we're all moved in! There might be a few missing items here and there but I'll be checking for problems over the next few days. Then it's time for some new stitches!

Woven Filling Stitch

2010-06-08T14:10:00.000-04:00

The woven filling stitch, also called Queen Anne stitch is really more of a technique than a stitch. It starts with a series of parallel straight lines done in straight stitch and then the thread is woven back through to form a basketweave texture. I have a couple of stamped-for-embroidery projects with baskets of flowers and I'm going to try this technique to complete them. It really does look just like a basket!

I used a coarser linen for this because I found it easier to keep the weave even by counting threads. You could mark your fabic first or do it by eye—if it's not absolutely perfect it will look like a rustic basket :)

First make a series of vertical straight stitches, close together but not too close. You'll need enough space between the lines to do your weaving. And use all six strands of embroidery floss for a fuller effect.

Bring your needle to the front just to the right of the last vertical line and very close to the top.

Now weave your thread over the last vertical stitch and under the stitch next to it.

Continue weaving under and over the stitches, taking the needle to the back just to the left of the first vertical stitch and level with the line of weaving.

After pulling your thread through bring your needle to the front just below (I counted three holes) where your thread emerged.

Now start back, weaving from from left to right and working under and over the opposite threads from last time.

Keep going back and forth, going down at the end of a row and up again to start the next. I found that it helped to use the needle to pack the threads in tight against the previous row, like you'd use a shuttle for actual weaving.

Here's what it looks like finished.

I love the texture of this and can't wait to try it on an actual project. Because each row is secured by taking the thread to the back, you can see how easy it would be to have this conform to an irregular shape—like a basket with curved sides.

Wheatear Stitch

2010-06-08T14:07:00.000-04:00

The wheatear stitch, which resembles a sheaf of wheat when finished, is usually worked in a short, straight line. Drawing a vertical line on your fabric will help you to keep it even and, instead of working sideways as we usually do, we'll do this one working from top to bottom. As with most stitches, you can vary the appearance by lengthening or shortening the "ears" or by varying their placement.

We'll use gold thread to get the full wheaty effect, but this would also be pretty for a border in other colors, too. Bring your thread to the front to the left of the top of your drawn line. Then take the needle to the back on the line and about 1/4 inch down towards you.

Pull the thread through and come up again 1/4 inch to the right of the drawn line, directly opposite the first stitch. Take the needle to the back using the same hole as your first stitch.

Pull the thread through, forming a V shape. Come up again on the line about 1/4 inch below the bottom of the V.

Slide your needle from right to left behind the previous two stitches at the base of the V, being careful not to pierce the fabric.

Take your needle to the back again using the same hole in the fabric and forming a loop under the point of the V. Pull your thread through and bring the needle up to the left of the loop and in line with the beginning of the first stitch above it.

Repeat, using the hole at the base of the V for the end of each stitch and looping your thread through each time.

Continue working down the line and take a stitch to the back at the base of the final V. Here's what it looks like finished. Cool, huh?

Try this with a V that's less wide if you want a more compact-looking wheat sheaf—the loops and side pieces blend together more.

Vandyke Stitch

2010-06-08T14:01:00.001-04:00

The Vandyke stitch is another of the braided-center stitches. It's traditionally used as a border (and I'll show it done this way) but could easily be adapted to fill leaf shapes by varying the width as we did here and here.

We'll be starting with a cross stitch that's narrow at the top and wider across the bottom. Draw some guidelines to help keep your stitches straight if you like. Start by bringing your needle up on the left outer line then take a small stitch from right to left directly above it (needle down on fourth line and up on second).

Pull the thread through, then take a diagonal stitch from the right line back to the left line directly underneath and slightly below the beginning of the first half of the cross.

You can see the finished cross a little better in this picture. Now slide your needle behind the crossed threads being careful not to pierce the fabric.

Pull your thread through and this will be the beginning of your second cross. Take another diagonal stitch from the right line to the left slightly below the previous cross.

Pass your needle underneath but this time be careful that you only go under the previous stitches and that you don't catch any threads from the stitch above it. It makes quite a mess if you do. It may be a good idea to work this stitch with a tapestry needle—it's blunt tip will make this part easier.

Continue making crosses and passing your thread behind them until you've completed your length of stitching. When you come to the end take your thread to the back at the bottom right of the last cross.

It's really pretty easy although the fabric I used (cotton toweling) was a bit too soft for this stitch. I found it very hard to keep the tension right so my center braid and outer edges (even following the guidelines) are not perfectly straight. As with most of these more complicated stitches, they take a bit of practice before they feel comfortable. And, in this case, a stiffer fabric.

Up and Down Buttonhole Stitch

2010-06-08T13:56:00.001-04:00

This is a variation on the standard buttonhole stitch (which I called blanket stitch—same thing). There are actually quite a few variations (who knew?) and I'll try to show you some of them in the coming months. Here's the diagram from One Hundred Embroidery Stitches (yes, the second diagram is upside down. I should mention that you can hold your work any way you want—sometimes its easier holding it sideways or upside down—do what works best for you):

And now to the photos. Begin on the bottom line as for regular buttonhole stitch and pull the thread through.

Holding the thread with your left thumb, insert your needle on the bottom line and take a stitch straight up and alongside the previous stitch.

Pull the thread through in an upward motion. You'll see the little loop at the bottom tightens to hold the stitch. Take your thread back down through that little loop.

Repeat, and continue along until you've completed your length. Take your thread to the back and finish off.

Here's what it looks like when complete. If you look at this upside down it looks like little tassels—that might be handy for something in the future.

Twisted Chain Stitch

2010-06-08T13:51:00.001-04:00

Twisted chain stitch is a variation of the basic chain stitch that we learned earlier (see Lazy Daisy which is really a detached chain stitch). You work it the same way except for one slight difference and that difference makes the chain twist and form a rope-like chain. The closer together you work the stitches the more texture you'll get. I worked them spaced apart so you can more easily see what to do.

Here's regular chain:

And here's the twisted variation. Can you see the difference?

Begin as you would for chain stitch by bringing your thread to the front. Now, instead of inserting your needle into the same hole where your thread emerged, insert it slightly to the left. Take a small slanting stitch and come up on the drawn line. Your thread loops over and then under the needle.

Pull the thread through until it tightens and the loop rests on the emerging thread. This is the first link in the chain.

To begin the second link, take the needle from just outside the loop down to the drawn line. Again, keep your thread under the needle or it won't twist. With regular chain stitch you would take your needle down inside the loop not outside of it—that's the difference.

Continue making links in the chain and when you come to the end take a small stitch to tack the last loop down.

Here's a side view. Remember that it's OK to hold your work in any direction that works for you. I started this working top to bottom like it was shown in my book but quickly switched to working from right to left. Much easier.

The finished twisted chain:

There are quite a few chain stitch variations so I'll probably show you more in the future.

Split Stitch

2010-06-08T13:46:00.000-04:00

Split stitch is another stitch that is useful for outlining. I learned recently that this stitch was used extensively in the Middle Ages for embroidering faces because it lends itself to subtle shading when it's worked in rows as a filling stitch. It's also sometimes called Kensington outline stitch. Here's how you do it.

Bring your thread to the front, then take the needle to the back about 1/8 inch away.

Pull the thread through, then bring your needle up in the center of the first stitch, splitting the thread with the needle. This will work best if you use an even number of strands of embroidery floss. I used 4 but you could use 2 for a fine line or 6 for a heavier one. Pull the thread through to complete the first stitch and begin the second.

Again, take the needle to the back 1/8 inch away.

Pull the thread through and emerge in the center of the second stitch. Continue working your stitches in the same manner. Hide the thread at the back when you're finished with the line.

This is the first time I've done this stitch and I found it very awkward. My line looked better as I went along, but I still think it looks too much like chain stitch. And I don't think it's supposed to. So I think I need to practice this one a bit more. I'll revise these directions and pictures if I come up with an easier way to do it.

Last week I showed you how to do satin stitch with a drawn line. Another way to do it, and one that maintains a sharper line, is to outline your shape first with split stitch. Then work over the top of it, taking your thread over the outline so you're covering it completely, and angling your needle slightly towards the center. Like this—

I usually show examples from vintage linens that I own but I couldn't find any that used this stitch. Split stitch is not something you see that often and I'm not sure why. Maybe because it's underneath all the satin stitch :)

Spider Web

2010-06-08T13:43:00.000-04:00

The spider web filling stitch is another stitch from my 1964 Coats & Clarks booklet One Hundred Embroidery Stitches. It's also shown in another of my embroidery books but done with ribbon instead of thread and it resembles a rose much more than a spider web. So feel free to experiment with the material you weave through—it doesn't have to be the same as the base threads, which will be completely covered by the time you finish.

Start by drawing a small circle on your fabric—mine is about the size of a quarter. Mark the center and five evenly-spaced points around the outside edge. Bring your thread up in the center.

Take five straight stitches from the center out to each of the five points that you marked. Bring your thread up again in the center in between two of the "spokes".

Without going through the fabric, weave the thread under and over the five straight stitches, making sure to alternate between spokes.

Because you're working with an uneven number of spokes, the next time you come around the circle you'll be doing the opposite of what you did before, so each spoke will alternate under and over. As you go around, guide the thread around the previous one with your thumb. You can keep the thread tight near the center but make it looser as you work outward. Otherwise, if you pull too tightly, it will pull over the previous thread. This is a little hard to explain but you'll understand once you start working this stitch.

When you want to stop, take your thread to the back slightly under the edge of the outer thread and near one of the spokes. This will help to hide the end.

Here's what it looks like when you stop the woven threads partway out and keep the ends of the spokes showing. (I've used a fade-away marker for my circle, so the lines will disappear in a day or so).

And here's another version with a second color in the center (just stop one color and start another) and the weaving taken all the way to the edge. The weaving creates a raised-off-the-surface texture and would be a cool way to do flowers!

Scroll Stitch

2010-06-08T13:38:00.000-04:00

Also called single knotted line stitch, scroll stitch makes an attractive border. And marking a line on your fabric will help to keep your line straight when you work this stitch.

First bring your thread to the front. Make a loop with your thread to the right and in a clockwise direction.

Take a tiny stitch from from top to bottom beginning slightly above the marked line and coming up on the line itself. Make sure that the looped thread lays under both ends of the needle.

Pull the thread firmly so the loop tightens around the needle.

Then pull the thread through to complete your first stitch. You'll know immediately if you've done it wrong because there will be no loop holding the thread inside. If that happens (and it happened to me several times so don't worry) just undo that stitch and begin again.

Loop the thread to the right again and repeat.

And continue working your stitches in the same way until you've completed your line.

Voila

This would be good for waves, wouldn't it?

Roumanian Stitch

2010-06-08T13:34:00.000-04:00

There are several stitches with braided or plaited centers that are wonderful for creating leaves—Cretan, Fishtail, and Roumanian stitches are a few. I'll show you Roumanian today and we'll get to the others at another time. None of these stitches are hard but they need a lot of photos to illustrate them properly.

I'm showing this worked as a wide band but you can also use it to fill a shape by varying the length of the side stitches and the position of the knotted center (the knots will form the center rib of the leaf).

First draw three parallel lines on your fabric to serve as guides. Bring your thread to the front on the first (left) line. Keeping your thread below the needle, take your needle down on the third (right) line then up again on the center line. Make sure these align with one another.

Pull your thread through. With your thread above the needle, take your thread from the center to the lefthand line slightly below your first stitch. Pull your thread through and you'll see it form a small "knot" in the middle.

Start back on the righthand line slightly below the previous stitch and in line with your thread on the left and come up in the center.

Continue working stitches in this way, working from left to right, then right to left, and alternating the thread position from on top to below. When you reach the end, take your needle to the back at the center forming one last "knot".

Here's a completed row. I used three strands of floss and it made a very delicate stitch. In future I may try six strands for a more substantial look.

And here it is done with a chunkier (wool) thread.

I think this looks best when the stitches are packed closely together because the centers form a tight line of knots. But you can try it spaced further apart, too.

Portuguese Stem Stitch

2010-06-08T13:28:00.001-04:00

The Portuguese stem stitch is another of the knotted stitches. You start with a basic stem stitch and then wrap your thread twice around the middle before starting the next stitch. It looks like a heavy rope or chain and would make a nice variation on stem or outline stitches if you want a thicker line or one with more interesting detail. It, too, is from my One Hundred Embroidery Stitches booklet so I'll reproduce the drawings in addition to my photos. Sometimes it helps to see it both ways and this one was particularly hard to photograph.

So, working on a drawn line, begin as for a stem stitch (A in the above drawing).

Pull the thread through and pass the needle (from right to left) under the stitch you just made without entering the fabric (B).

Pass the needle again under the same stitch and below the first coil (C). Keep your thread above the needle.

Make another stem stitch (D), keeping your thread below the needle.

Again, pass the needle twice under the stitch and also under the previous stitch (E). I've skipped ahead a few stitches but you'll get the idea.

When you come to the end of your line, take the thread to the back in the same hole as the end of the previous stitch.

And here's what it looks like when complete (F):

Slightly tricky at first but you'll pick it up quickly!

Pekinese Stitch

2010-06-08T13:19:00.001-04:00

The Pekinese stitch, also known as Chinese stitch, blind stitch, and forbidden stitch, can be worked as a single line or in lines packed closely together as a filling stitch. For some gorgeous examples of traditional Chinese embroidery incorporating this stitch in both one- and two-color combinations, check out this web page.

I’ve worked my example in two colors so it’s easy to see what’s happening with the second thread. To do this stitch, you have to start with a perfect line of evenly spaced back stitches. If you've been following this series, back stitch was one of the very first stitches we learned. If you're just joining us, you can find it here.

So, do your row of back stitch.

Then begin by bringing your thread up at the very end of the row. Slide your needle up under the second to last stitch. You’re not piercing the fabric but working under and on top of the back stitches.

Your thread has now formed a small loop below the first back stitch. Slide your needle under this stitch from top to bottom, keeping your needle under the loop as well. Pull the thread through loosely. You want to keep some of that loop so don’t pull too tightly.

Slide your needle up under the third back stitch.

Then from top to bottom through the second back stitch.

Keep looping your thread in this manner until you reach the end of the row. Finally you'll have a row of tiny loops above and below the back stitch. This does take a little practice to keep the loops even so don't get discouraged if your first attempts aren't perfect.

If you look at the page I’ve linked to, they’ve used heavier silk threads for some of their embroidery. In that case, I think you could pull the loops tighter for a pretty knotted effect. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different kinds and thicknesses of thread for different effects. If you’re not sure how it will look or whether you’ll like it, do a test first. Work out any problems before you start on the finished piece—that’s much easier than trying to take out stitches later.

vintage monogram designs

2010-03-10T15:28:00.002-05:00

These pretty monograms are from a vintage 1954 pattern book of crochet edgings and were originally meant to be filet crochet patterns for trimming sheets. Because filet crochet designs are drawn on a grid they work equally well for cross stitch. Click here for a free pdf with the entire alphabet that you can download to your computer and print out next time you need to add a few letters to a project.

And I'll put a link under the Free Patterns section in the left sidebar so you can find it again easily in the future. If you'd like to see some examples of vintage monograms for inspiration, you'll find a post all about them here.

practice makes perfect

2010-03-05T15:24:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago I was contacted by Caron Lage asking permission to link to my French knot post from her blog. She gets a lot of requests about French knots for a very special reason. A couple of years ago she started a fiber art installation project to commemorate those who have lost their lives in the Iraqi War. The project involves making a six-inch square quilt for each American military death with each square having 212 embroidered French knots to represent the Iraqi citizens who have died.

The French knots are designed to form geometric patterns.

She's gotten a lot of help from family, friends, and embroiderers all over the country but needs to finish the last 600 blocks by Memorial Day. You know how I'm always telling you to practice your French knots? What better way to do that than by making 212 of them!

The blocks are completed with black knots on solid colored fabrics.

Read more about the project on Caron's blog And Still Counting? There are lots of photos to look at here. And, if you'd like to help with a block or two she has requirements and instructions listed in the right sidebar on the blog.

free Valentine's pattern

2010-02-12T14:42:00.001-05:00

I'm offering a free embroidery pattern to say Happy Valentine's Day and as a thank you for your support of Stitch School. I get comments nearly every day, especially on the French knot and blanket stitch posts, and I'm so happy that people are still finding those old posts helpful in their pursuit of embroidery.

Isn't he cute? The pattern is just one design of twelve in my Year of Cats pattern. You'll find a downloadable PDF of the February kitty here.

This is what what the design looks like embroidered on a towel with cute heart-themed fabric and pink rick rack trim. I love to use ginger colors for cats but gray, beige, or black work equally well. You can use whatever color you like for his striped pants—I picked up the green from the leaves in the fabric to tie everything together.

Stitch School's new home

2010-01-20T12:00:00.000-05:00

This will be the future home of the Stitch School posts you've come to love on my Primrose Design blog. I'll first be transferring the posts from there and then adding new stitches and more information about embroidery and needlework. But I'm crazy busy with the upcoming holidays and it may be a while before all that happens. In the meantime, find all your favorite posts here.

time for tea

2010-01-19T07:47:00.000-05:00

I recently helped out Susan at The T-Cozy by drafting a pattern from a very cute tea towel in her personal collection and she's now offering the pattern for sale on her Kitsch Encounter blog. The design is mostly cross stitch with a few outline and lazy daisy stitches so would be perfect as a first embroidery project for a beginning embroiderer. I used the colors from the original for the pattern (except for changing the leaves to green) but you could easily change that up to match your own kitchen decor.

It's $6 for the pattern and you'll receive a black and white traceable version, a color version that you can follow to count your own stitches (on open weave linen or cotton), a stitch guide, an instruction sheet on how to transfer patterns, and a color reproduction of the original tea towel, all packaged in a plastic sleeve. And shipping is included in the price!

You might also like the Home Sweet Home pattern I did for her a few years ago. But be warned—this one is pretty difficult. Lots of color changes, more variety of stitches, and hundreds of (or at least it seemed like) little flowers but great practice for French knots and lazy-daisy stitches!

couching

2010-01-02T16:39:00.001-05:00

In embroidery, couching is a technique for attaching a length of thread to a base fabric by taking tiny stitches over it at regular intervals. The word couch comes from the French verb "coucher" which means to lay down, so it really applies to attaching just about anything (embroidery floss, thin cord, wool, or even ribbon) as long as it uses stitches over or on top. You can couch a length of ribbon with a row of French knots running down the center or by laying a row of herringbone stitches over the top. I'm going to talk about the traditional embroidery stitch today but don't be afraid to think outside the box and use the technique for attaching other things besides thread.

Couching looks really pretty when worked in two colors and is a nice alternative for working outlines, especially ones that form loops and have lots of curves. I discovered a few examples where it's used this way in my linen stash. The first is from a runner with embroidered flower bouquets and ribbons and each of those ribbons is done with couching—the base thread is dark blue and the couching stitches are pink.

In the second example it's used as a substitute for outline stitch and is done with black stitches over blue.

This is a super easy stitch. Bring your base or foundation thread to the front and lay it on the fabric. I worked a straight line but you can use it for curves as well. In fact, it works very well as a freeform technique if you don't quite know where you're going.

Now bring your couching thread to the front just above the thread you’ve laid down.

Take a tiny stitch over the base thread and pull the thread through to the back.

Bring your needle up a short distance from the first stitch and repeat.

Here’s what it looks like finished—

And here are some examples using different foundations. The middle one uses several strands of needlepoint wool and the bottom one uses thin satin ribbon.

I mentioned earlier that you can attach just about anything this way. Artist Megan Jeffery uses couching to attach wool yarn with embroidery thread to felt—and you can see some examples of her work here and here. And embroidery artist Debra Spincic has some beautiful pictures of her work on Flickr, many of which involve couching with ribbon and alternate stitches over the top. Be sure to follow her photostream to see lots of examples of the stitches we've already learned.

back stitch

2010-01-01T16:36:00.000-05:00

Back stitch is yet another stitch that can be used for outlining. Not much else to say about it, except that it's pretty simple to do.

Bring your thread to the front.

Take your needle to the back one stitch length to the right from where your thread emerges and reemerge on the other side at approximately the same distance. Mine is a little off, but you'll want to keep your stitches the same length.

Pull your thread through, then take your needle to the back through the same hole where the first stitch ends. Reemerge on the other side at the same distance.

Continue along until you reach the end of the line. Take your last stitch to the back through the hole at the end of the previous stitch and weave in the end.

This is what the finished line looks like:

And this is how it looks on the back—sort of woven.

new beginnings, happy endings

2010-01-01T13:00:00.000-05:00

A reader asked a few weeks ago if I could talk about ending your work so it's both neat and holds up to washing and use. It's a subject that requires more than a simple answer, so I'm going to devote today's post to talking about it.

Preparing your fabric
You should always prewash your fabric before starting a project. There's nothing so disappointing as finding out that your fabric shrunk the first time you washed it and the embroidery floss didn't. You're left with a puckered mess and no amount of ironing will fix it. But, if you've purchased a vintage stamped-for-embroidery project DON'T wash it! The ink was designed to come out in the wash and it's likely that your design will disappear. You'll be glad of that later but finish your embroidery first :)

If you'll be working on a project that will take a while to finish you'll want to keep the raw edges of your fabric from fraying. Do this with a zigzag or overlock stitch on your sewing machine. Don't use masking tape to seal the edges because it might leave a sticky residue that will discolor the fabric and attract dirt. I always leave several inches of extra fabric around the design I'm working on. Fraying isn't an issue because I'll be cutting it away later. And it's nice to have some extra fabric to maneuver your hoop without getting too close to the edge.

Starting to stitch
When you're embroidering something that will get a lot of use—like aprons, table linens, pillowcases, or handkerchiefs—it's important that you secure the threads well so they don't come undone when you wash them. And, since you can see the back of all these things, you also need to keep your work very neat. If you're making a pillow or something where the back won't show, you don't need to take quite as much care as you would otherwise. You don't want lumps, of course, but if your work is a bit messy no one will know. But, in either case, you don't want to have your thread jump across a wide open area where it may show through on the front side. This is the most common mistake I see and it's an understandable one. You finish an area and there are a few more stitches in the same color somewhere else. And you think, why should I end here and start again over there? So you jump to the new area without thinking about the front. Don't do it!

OK, let's talk about some techniques for beginning and ending your threads. If you're embroidering on a textured fabric, one where a tiny lump won't be noticeable, using small knots to begin and end your stitches is perfectly acceptable. The texture does a good job of hiding them. And, if the knot will be hidden—like inside a hem on a towel, or between two layers of fabric that will be blanket-stitched together—by all means use a knot. But, if you don't have any cover, try one of these techniques:

Waste Knot

Knot the end of your thread and position it on the front of your fabric about 4 inches away from where you'll begin stitching. Bring your thread up and begin working. When you're finished, carefully cut the knot on the front. Then, pull the thread through to the back side, rethread it onto your needle and secure it by weaving under the stitching, cutting off any excess thread. (I've used this technique several times since I wrote this post and I've found that leaving 2 inches (the measurement I first posted) is not enough—use twice that—it's very difficult to rethread your needle and maneuver it when it's too short. Speaking from experience here!)

Back stitching

Bring your thread to the front in an area that will later be covered with embroidery, leaving a tail on the back. Take two tiny back stitches, splitting the first stitch with the second to make the thread very secure. Work over the area and after a short time, go back and trim the tail from the back. You can do the same thing when ending, but you'll work on the back instead of the front. This was a little hard to show in the photo, but you can look for the back stitch and split stitch posts in the sidebar if you need a refresher.

Weaving
Weaving involves taking your ending thread under and around some of your previous stitches on the back side. It's the method I use most often. When the back side of your work will be visible, the trick is to determine the best place to hide the tail thread. With satin stitch that's easy—the back looks just like the front so simply run your thread behind. With cross stitch, its a matter of running your thread between the rows.

The back of outline and stem stitch looks a lot like back stitch and you can take your thread through each individual stitch, following the line. When you're sure it's secure, trim off the tail.

If you have an area with a series of short straight stitches on the front, you'll see the same effect on the back. Run your thread underneath them for a short ways, then trim off the tail.

The secret is to not leave anything hanging from the back that could catch or pull. When you're finished with your project always go back and look over the back side for stray threads or tails on knots (if you've used them). Develop good habits from the beginning, then it will become second-nature and you'll always do neat work.

french knot

2010-01-01T12:00:00.005-05:00

French Knot or, as some of you have started referring to them, the dreaded French knot. Really, they aren’t that bad.

French knots are essential to embroidery because there’s nothing else quite small enough or that works so well for fine details—facial features like eyes and curls, for example.

They’re most often used singly for the centers of flowers, or massed together to form the flowers themselves.

They’re also very handy for making single dots—like for polka dots on a dress or for depicting fleece on a lamb (for a baby pillowcase, perhaps).

To start, bring your thread to the front. Hold the thread firmly between your left index finger and thumb and away from the fabric.

With the needle pointed away from the fabric, wrap the thread over and around the needle with your left hand. Wrapping twice will give you a smaller knot, three times will give you a larger one.

Holding the thread taut with in your left hand, turn the needle downward and start to take it to the back a few threads away. (If you try to use the same hole, the knot is very likely to pull back through and disappear). With the tip of the needle inside the hole, slide the knot down the needle onto the fabric pulling the thread taut with your left hand at the same time. This is where the tension comes in. If you pull the knot too tightly, the eye of the needle won’t fit through the knot as the thread goes to the back. If it’s too loose you’ll get a sloppy knot that won’t lay flat.

Slowly push the needle to the back of the fabric while holding the knot in place under your thumb. I usually hold the thread down with my thumb because it helps to see the knot. Begin to pull the thread through. Continue to pull until the thread disappears under your thumb and is completely pulled through.

This is going to feel very awkward for a while so you'll need to practice. The secret is to hold that left thread taut and, whether you use your fingers or thumb will depend on what feels more natural to you. This is one of those stitches that would be much easier to show you in person—kind of like knitting and crochet are better demonstrated than learned by looking at pictures in a book. So, if you're having trouble and want to ask questions, put them in the comments and I'll answer them there. I think you need to do this stitch as many times as it takes you to stop thinking about it and just do it. I'm like that with chopsticks. If I think about what I'm doing I can't use them but if I just relax and stop trying so hard, it starts to come naturally.

Here’s what the finished knot looks like:

And yes, mine is a bit too loose near the fabric. I need some practice myself.

coral stitch

2010-01-01T12:00:00.004-05:00

Today we're talking about coral stitch. Also called beaded stitch, German knot stitch, or snail trail, this stitch can be used singly to outline shapes, or worked in rows spaced closely together as a filling stitch, in which case you'll want to position the knots between those in the previous row. Here's how you do it:

Bring your thread to the front on the righthand side of your line and lay it along the line for a short distance, holding it in place with your thumb.

Keep holding the thread and take a small stitch from just above the thread to just below it. Your thread will form a loop and your needle should stay inside that loop.

Keeping your thread taut, begin to pull it through until a knot forms.

Lay your thread along the line again and take another small stitch in the same way. You can space your knots at whatever distance you like, just keep them evenly spaced as you continue along the line. When you come to the end take your thread to the back and end off (weave threads into back). That's it.

Here's a side view so you can see the knots better.

For a filling stitch, complete another row parallel to the first, spacing your knots so they fall in the open spaces between the knots on the first row. Then continue to alternate the knots as you fill your shape. Use a second color if you want a striped effect.

fabrics

2010-01-01T12:00:00.003-05:00

I neglected to talk about choosing fabrics for embroidery in the embroidery basics post, so created a separate post for it. A short post because you can embroider on just about anything and the end result you're going for will play a big part in determining your choice.

I mostly work on vintage stamped-for-embroidery projects so whatever fabric they're printed on is what I use. That's either linen or cotton and it usually has a weave that you can see. As a general rule, if you're doing stitches that involve counting threads then you'll want a fabric with threads that are easy to see—like linen, heavy cotton, or Aida cloth (specifically designed for counted cross stitch). If you're doing a lot of outline, lazy daisy, satin stitch, or french knots, then a fabric with a finer weave (a lightweight linen or smooth cotton) will work better. Smooth cottons work best for iron-on transfer patterns, too. I like fabrics with some crispness as they're easier to handle and stay in the hoop better without stretching and pulling. When you wash your finished project, that stiffness will usually wash out.

But, you can also also embroider on wool (try adding embroidery to a plain jane wool sweater), felt, flannel, gingham (chicken scratch embroidery), huck toweling—really, any textile that you can get a needle through.

There are linens called embroidery blanks designed specifically for embroidery—napkins, pillowcases, tea towels, and baby bibs. I buy my tea towels from Embroider This, and they have tons of other blanks for embroidering, too. I often recycle parts of linens that I've used for other projects—like if I've used the embroidered edge of a pillowcase for a pillow, I save the rest to cut up and use for other things. You can buy vintage towels at flea markets or on Ebay - the linen ones with stripes on the sides are particularly nice for embroidery.

overcast stitch

2010-01-01T09:05:00.007-05:00

I found this stitch in a vintage (1964) Coats & Clarks booklet called "One Hundred Embroidery Stitches"—the illustration is reproduced from that book. Called overcast stitch (or trailing) stitch it's kind of a cross between couching and satin stitch. It resembles a fine cord and would be perfect for stems instead of outline stitch. Here's how to do it:

Start by bringing what we'll call the laid threads up to the surface. I used six strands of floss because I wanted a nice thick cord; use less for a more delicate one. Rethread your needle with a second thread in the same color (I used three strands) and bring it to the front using the same hole as the laid threads.

Hold the laid threads in position on the line of your design with your left thumb.

Work small satin stitches very closely together over the laid threads. You're doing the same technique as with couching but with that stitch they're spaced farther apart.

When you come to the end of your stem, rethread the laid threads onto your needle and take it to the back. Then take your overthread to the back in the same hole. If you're working a short line it might save time and be less hassle to use two needles and keep the first threaded with the laid threads. Either way is fine.

Here's what it looks like when you've finished. My line is kind of wavy—I think I need to practice keeping it straighter :)

the basics

2010-01-01T09:00:00.001-05:00

Needles

Needles come in a variety of types and sizes and the size is given as a number—the higher the number, the finer the needle. Ideally, when chosing which size to use, the shaft of your needle should be about the same as the thickness of the thread you'll be using. The thread should just fill the hole left by the needle as it passes through the fabric. Here are some needles and the types of threads they're best for:

Chenille—a thick needle with a large eye. In sizes 18-24, this is suitable for thick threads such as tapestry and crewel wools, six strands of embroidery floss, no. 3 and no. 5 perle cotton, thick silk, and heavy metallic threads. Perfect for ribbon and wool embroidery.

Crewel (Embroidery)—a finer needle with a large, long eye that's relatively easy to thread. Size 9-10 is suitable for embroidery using one or two strands of cotton, silk, or rayon. Sizes 3-8 are good all-purpose needles for use with three to six strands of embroidery floss. This is what I use and what's shown above.

Sharps—a good general purpose needle with a small round eye that provides needle strength and prevents excess wear on the thread. More commonly used for sewing thread, I think.

Milliner's (Straw)—originally used by hat makers, this needle has a tiny eye and long, thin shaft. Size 9-11 is suitable for one to two strands of embroidery floss, silk, or rayon; size 5-8 for three to four strands. Sizes 1-4 are for four to six strands, no. 8 and 12 perle cottons, and metallic threads.

Tapestry—a medium length needle with a thick shaft, long eye, and blunt tip that is used to part the threads of your fabric rather than piercing it. Sizes 26-28 are suitable for decorative hemstitching on fine linens, fine counted cross stitch and petit point. Sizes 18-24 are for embroidery that uses counted threads—cross stitch, blackwork, pulled and drawn thread techniques, and Hardanger. This would have been a good choice for the woven filling stitch I showed you last week where the needle is going under and over the threads.

Thread

What you'll use for your embroidery depends on the look you're going for. You can use just about anything that will fit through the eye of your needle—even ribbons and string! But I think when people talk about embroidery they mean the kind that uses stranded cotton or embroidery floss as it's more commonly called. The most common brand (in the U.S.) is DMC and it comes in what seems like a million colors. Their website has several pdf color charts that you can download and print out. Buy your floss at Joann, AC Moore, Michaels, or Hancocks and do wait for sales—you can sometimes get them 4 skeins for $1!

I have some vintage embroidery thread from companies like Lily, Bucilla and J.P. Coats, but I don't believe any of them are still in business. I'd be interested to hear from non-U.S. readers which brands you have available where you live.

You can also use needlepoint wool—Paternayan is a good brand.

Or perle cotton, which has a single strand.

But, for our purposes we'll talk about regular DMC floss. It comes in six strands, and you'll separate out the number of individual strands you'll need for your project. That will be three strands for most uses. I sometimes use two strands if I want a more delicate or subtle line (like for a fine linen towel with delicate flowers) and occasionally will use one strand to outline an eye or for cat whiskers. In reading up on this subject I discovered a suggestion to do what's called "stripping" the thread. Separate the strands into six individual threads, then put them back together in the amount you'll be using. I have to admit that I've never done this but I'll try it and see what's different about it.

Some tips: Use short lengths of thread because long strands are more likely to tangle and wear thin from going in and out of the fabric. And if you find your thread getting too twisted let your needle hang free and the thread will spin back to the correct amount of twist.

Special Tools

There are a few things that will make your work go more smoothly. A hoop (wood or plastic) to hold your fabric taut while you work. These come in a wide variety of sizes and you may want a few different ones. I like a medium-sized hoop for most things and a small one for detail work. I've never liked the very large ones because the fabric loosens easily. You only work on a smallish section anyway—just move your hoop when you need to.

A needle threader is also a good idea, although I can't recommend the ones with the thin wire—I'm always breaking them. In fact, when I tried to locate one for the photo, all I could find was the metal part—the wire was long gone.

A small pair of scissors comes in handy. You can buy special embroidery scissors if you want to but any small pair with sharp pointed blades will work just as well.

What if I don't want to buy all this stuff—can't I just buy a kit?

Of course you can! If you're looking for a good beginner's embroidery kit, may I suggest the Sublime Stitching Stitch-It Kit from Jenny Hart. It includes an embroidery hoop, needle, seven colors of floss, two tea towels, and 35 cool patterns. All for $22.95. It's published by Chronicle Books but you can purchase it right on her website. If you're a bit more advanced you'll find stitchery kits in craft stores, too.

I have all the basics—where can I buy patterns?

Sublime Stitching has hundreds of cool patterns. You can search on Ebay for vintage embroidery kits and transfer patterns, although be prepared to spend a lot—they're a hot commodity. If you love vintage patterns but don't want the hassle or expense of finding your own, consider buying reproductions at Patternbee or Primrose Design. The Primrose Design patterns are digitally-traced designs from my personal collection of vintage stamped-for-embroidery projects. If you're artistically inclined you can trace photos or pictures from old books and make your own patterns, too. The possibilities for imagery are endless.

seed stitch

2010-01-01T09:00:00.000-05:00

Also called speckling stitch and isolated back stitch, seed stitch is mostly used to fill a shape with bits of color. You could also use it to show seeds if you're embroidering birds :)

This is an easy stitch—essentially two short straight stitches side by side—but easy is a good thing sometimes, at least to balance the difficult ones.

Here's how to do it. Bring your thread to the front and then to the back a short distance away.

Pull your thread through and come up again right next to the beginning of the first stitch—not in the same hole but one thread over. Then take your needle to the back right next to the end of the first stitch.

You'll have two small stitches side by side and it should look just like a little seed.

When you work these stitches place them randomly and angle them differently so they look like they're scattered over the surface—just like seeds would be.

No examples this time as I've exhausted my stash of embroidery and can't find any new or different stitches on anything I own. If any of you have examples of embroidery that you haven't seen before and don't know what it is, email me a picture and I'll try to identify it and figure out how to do it.

monograms

2010-01-01T08:58:00.002-05:00

Some beautiful examples of vintage embroidery can be found on monogrammed linens. It was very popular in the 1940s to embroider ones initials onto household linen—dinner napkins, sheets, and towels, and also onto handkerchiefs. This was done in two basic styles—tiny cross stitch (often done in redwork) and satin stitch (often in white on white or a pale color like light blue or pink). Some examples of monograms:

A redwork towel with monogram "MO" done in tiny cross stitch:

Cynthia's Antiques and Linens

An elaborately-embroidered handkerchief with the letter "H" surrounded by scrolls:

DeWitt and Co.

A light blue elaborate script letter "L" done in satin stitch:

Ebay

A monogram "G" done in a combination of stitches—outline, french knots and lazy-daisy:

Ebay

A two letter monogram done in a chunkier style. I believe this is done in tiny closely-spaced chain or Pekinese stitch:

Ebay

You probably noticed that some of my examples are from Ebay and that's a great place to find monogrammed linens, either to just look at examples or to buy some for yourself. Search for "French linen sheets" and you'll find beautifully-embroidered linen sheets with monograms done in both cross and satin stitches.

Em's Heart has some lovely linens and handkerchiefs for sale.

Cynthia's Antiques and Linens has beautiful linens for sale including many towels and handkerchiefs with monograms.

Some of my fellow craft bloggers have done posts about monograms. See Redwork in Germany's post Vintage Monogram Stencils. And from Kimberly at Niesz Vintage Home, monogrammed linens with tons of pictures of things in her collection.

To read more about the history of monograms see Monograms & More and Love Those Letters at Embroideryarts.com

And finally, some free online patterns for monograms—

Two sets of large initials that you can cross stitch on a variety of projects.

Some designs with roses.

A vintage linen handkerchief pattern.

And do check older needlework books at your local library—many of them will have alphabets that you can adapt to your work.

ladder stitch

2010-01-01T08:54:00.000-05:00

Ladder stitch is worked back and forth between two parallel lines and forms two chains with longer threads in between—just like a ladder! Here is the step-by-step diagram from my embroidery book in case the photos aren't clear enough. And when I refer to a letter in the directions it's this diagram that they correspond to.

First draw two parallel lines on your fabric. Bring your needle up on the left side (A). Insert the needle directly across on the right side (B), then up again to the left and slightly above the connecting line of thread (C).

Insert the needle again on the right side directly below the end of the first stitch (D). See how the thread crosses over the end of the first line?

Now come up on the left side slightly below the beginning of the first stitch (E). You'll want to leave just a bit of space in between and you'll see why in the next step.

Keeping your thread below the needle come up over and then under the first thread (F), forming a small cross like you see on the other side.

Now, on the right side, pass your needle from right to left under the first cross (G). Take care to not catch any threads from the last stitch when you do this.

Continue in this way, working back and forth, with the needle passing under the cross on each side to form the braided edges.

Finish on the right side by taking your thread to the back, forming the last cross on that side.

My biggest problem with this stitch was keeping the sides even and I didn't do a very good job of it. I found it really hard to keep the right tension—if you pull too tight the sides bow in; too loose and the long thread in between looks too loose. I'll need to practice this some more (see, even I need to practice). A slightly stiffer fabric might be a good idea, too.

interlaced band stitch

2010-01-01T08:49:00.001-05:00

The Interlaced Band stitch is what's called a combination stitch. You start with a basic foundation stitch—in this case two rows of back stitch—then you work another thread on top. I found this in a vintage embroidery booklet and I'm going to include the drawing that illustrated it along with the usual photos. It seems a bit tricky at first but once you get the motion down it will get easier.

Start by working two parallel rows of back stitch about 1/2 inch apart. They should be exactly even in length (one reason I used a fabric with a very visible weave) and the second row should have the end of one stitch directly in line with the center of the stitch above it.

Thread your needle with a second color and come up between the rows and in line with the left side. Now go over and under the first stitch in the top row.

Pull the thread through so it forms a loop but don't pull too tightly—you want to stay centered on that first stitch and not pull it down.

Now, take your thread over and around the first stitch in the bottom row.

Continue this motion, alternating between the top and bottom rows of stitches, always going over and around and keeping your needle on top of the thread in the center.

Here's what it looks like when you've finished.

herringbone stitch

2010-01-01T08:46:00.005-05:00

Herringbone Stitch is also called plaited stitch or catch stitch, and is often used to work decorative borders and to accent the patchwork in crazy quilting. This example is an unquilted crazy quilt top that I inherited from my grandmother and each fabric patch is stitched along the edge with herringbone stitch.

When you first try this stitch you’ll want to draw parallel lines to help you keep the spacing even. After you’ve practiced a bit you can do it by eye. Part of the charm of hand embroidery (and the reason I’m not crazy about machine embroidery) is that it’s not perfect. It’s hand done and it looks that way. Anyone can pop a template into their sewing machine and get perfect results. In my opinion, that’s not embroidery!

To start, bring your thread to the front on the bottom line. With your thread below the needle, take the needle from right to left on the upper line picking up approximately 1/16 inch of fabric. You can space this stitch tightly or loosely and vary the depth as well, depending on the look you want. The example in the quilt above and the towel edge below both have wide spacing and shallow depth. I'm using about 1/4 inch for both depth and width because I'm showing you a variation below where I'll need some space.

Pull the needle through. With the thread above the needle, take your needle from right to left on the bottom line, picking up 1/16 inch of fabric and spacing it the same distance away as your first stitch.

Pull the thread through. With the thread below the needle, pick up 1/16 inch of fabric on the upper line, the same distance away as before.

Continue working evenly-spaced stitches, alternating between the upper and lower lines.

Now, if you want to get a little fancier, do another row of herringbone stitch in a contrasting color in between your first row. Interlace your threads by weaving them under and over the first row. This is called double herringbone or Indian herringbone.

Here's how it looks finished. Pretty cool, isn’t it?

Here's an example from a tea towel, worked in a double row—

If anyone has finished examples of embroidery they've done as a result of these lessons and would like to show-and-tell let me know and I'll post a picture here or a link to your project if you have your own blog.

running stitch

2010-01-01T08:29:00.000-05:00

Running stitch is primarily used for borders and accent details. I’ve seen it trimming the bottoms of tea towels—a nice way to pick up some of the colors from your main image. This example is interesting because it shows the difference in how it looks if you keep your threads smooth so they fan out (top) or twisted like a braid (bottom). Either way is fine, just be consistent in each line that you do.

You can use it for stem-like scrolls—

And for structural elements—a trellis for flowers or a border like this Greek-key design.

Bring your thread to the front on the right hand side of the line to be stitched. I didn't draw a line because my fabric is linen and it's easy to use the holes in the weave as a guide. Take a small stitch, skimming your needle underneath the fabric along the line.

Pull your thread through, then take another stitch. Keep both the stitch length and the space in between the same each time. This is super easy when using linen—just count the same number of threads each time. At the end of the line weave your threads in at the back. And that's it.

I almost feel like I'm cheating you this time around—it's so simple. So I'll add a variation called a Whipped Running Stitch. This is a nice way to add a second color to your work and makes a great-looking braided line.

After you've completed a line of running stitch, change your thread color. Bring the thread to the front just below the center of the first stitch on the right hand side.

Take your needle from top to bottom under the second stitch, making sure that you don't split the thread or pierce the fabric.

Pull the thread through keeping the tension loose. Take the needle from top to bottom under the third stitch; pull through.

Continue to the end of the line and take your thread to the back under the center of the last stitch. Here's what it looks like finished—

guilloche

2010-01-01T08:19:00.006-05:00

Another stitch from Erica Wilson's Embroidery Book is the guilloche. From the French verb guillocher, which means to ornament with line. This is a border stitch and it uses a combination of two parallel stem stitched lines and a series of small blocks formed from three straight stitches in between. A second thread is woven through to make circular spaces for the French knots to be placed inside. All of which makes for a nice way to work in a lot of color.

Start by embroidering two parallel lines of stem stitch about an inch apart. Then work small blocks of three straight stitches each, horizontally across the center space, keeping them evenly spaced between the lines of stem stitch and from each other.

Then, using a blunt needle, slide through these blocks as shown. Leave the thread loose so that it curves instead of forming a sharp "V". You have to really work to keep them even (and I didn't do a perfect job of it myself).

Finally, work one French knot in the center of each circle.

I worked with aida cloth this time because it's really important that the spaces in between are even. You could use linen, too, and count carefully when you make your blocks of three lines.

satin stitch

2010-01-01T08:14:00.001-05:00

There are actually a couple of ways to work satin stitch. One involves outlining your shape with split stitch and we haven’t done that one yet. So, this week I’ll show you an easier way to do this stitch and next week I’ll do split stitch and explain the difference.

To do it this way you’ll need a clearly-defined shape drawn onto your fabric. I’m using a square but it can be any shape you like.

Bring your needle to the front at a corner of your shape.

Take your needle down at the opposite corner, then up again right next to where your needle first emerged.

Pull the thread through making sure your floss lays flat.

Placing your stitches close together, continue along until your shape is filled. Follow the exact guidelines you’ve drawn for a smooth, even edge. This is actually pretty hard to achieve so I'm looking forward to trying the outlining technique.

When you’re finished filling the shape, hide your ending thread behind the shape by weaving it in under the threads on the back. You'll notice that the back looks very much like the front.

Essentially you’re doing the same stitch we learned last week except that you’re packing them closely together to make a smooth surface.

With the split stitch technique you’ll first outline your shape then work over that outline. Another technique is called padded satin stitch. For this you make a series of small stitches in the center of your shape, then work the satin stitch over the top. This raises the surface of your shape slightly. You’ll see this technique used a lot in whitework.

Here are a few examples of satin stitch. It’s great for flower petals and leaves.

And for animal eyes and noses.

straight stitch

2010-01-01T08:09:00.002-05:00

I was wrong when I said that stem and outline stitch are the most common stitches. The straight stitch is even more basic. It can be stitched in any direction and any length and it forms the basis for many other stitches. This stitch is so easy that I almost don't need to show pictures, but I will anyway.

Bring your threaded needle to the front.

Take the needle to the back at the end of the stitch and come up at the beginning of the next one.

Pull the thread through making sure you don't twist the thread. You want it to lay flat and, oops, don't look too closely at my example because I didn't do this. At your last stitch keep your thread at the back and weave it under your previous stitches. Easy peasy.

Used alone, this stitch is great for detailing—like in these individual pine needles

For animal fur (and as the basis for those yellow cross stitches)

Combined with outline stitch for shading in leaves and flowers

Here's another flower, and you’ll notice that the sepal is also done in straight stitch but with densely packed together threads. This is called satin stitch.

When I work straight stitch I often use more strands of floss than I would for a stem or outline stitch. Those stitches become thick because of the braiding and overlapping of the threads and you don't get that with straight stitch. I've found that four strands is about right for most things.

granitos

2010-01-01T08:05:00.011-05:00

Another relatively easy stitch is called Granitos. As near as I can figure, granitos means "little grains" in Spanish—like in grains of sugar "granitos de azucar". It is a sweet little stitch so there you go :)

Granitos are done with small straight stitches laid side by side and using the same holes in the fabric. It makes a slightly raised elongated dot. Here's how you do it.

Bring your thread to the front, then to the back a short distance away. Come up again in exactly the same hole where you began.

Pull your thread through. Loop the thread to the left and take the needle to the back in the same hole (the second one) as before. It helps to hold the loop with your thumb.

Gently pull the thread through, making sure that it lies to the left and directly next to the first stitch. Your thumb helps here, too.

Repeat, but this time loop your thread to the right.

Pull your thread through, making sure it lays along the right side.

Continue adding thread and alternating sides until you've completed your shape. I used six strands of floss for this and four stitches on each side of the first one.

Perfect for flower buds and petals (instead of the usual lazy daisy).

four-legged knot

2010-01-01T08:00:00.006-05:00

The four-legged knot stitch looks like a simple cross stitch with a knot in the center, but the knot is actually part of the second crossed thread not done afterward and on top. A bit hard to explain but you'll see what I mean in a minute.

Take a stitch from top to bottom—this will become the first half of the cross. Then bring your needle up to begin the second half of the cross and pull your thread through.

Lay the thread across the center of the stitch and hold it with your thumb.

With the thread looped below, slide your needle diagonally from upper right to lower left and under both threads.

Pull the thread through gently making sure the loop is under the tip of the needle.

Continue to pull it through, guiding the thread with your thumb, until the knot tightens.

Then bring your needle and thread to the back to complete the cross. And it looks like this.

Here's a side view so you can see the knot a little better.

fly/twisted fly stitch

2010-01-01T07:55:00.007-05:00

Today we're talking about fly stitch, which is very similar to feather stitch except that it's done as a single stitch rather than a series of connecting ones. It can be worked in a "V" shape or a "Y" shape by varying the length of the anchoring stitch at the final step. I'll also show you a variation called twisted fly stitch where the final anchoring stitch is twisted through the loop.

Begin by bringing your thread to the front.

Take the needle to the back about 1/4" to the right and parallel to where the thread emerges. Loop your thread under the tip of the needle and bring the needle up again midway between the two and about 1/4" below.

Hold the loop in place with your left thumb and pull the needle through until the looped thread lies snugly against the emerging thread.

Take your thread to the back to anchor the loop. A short stitch here will make a "V"; a longer one will make a "Y".

For the twisted variation, start the same way but keep the looped thread above the needle.

Gently begin to pull the thread through. Stop when the loop reaches slightly below the emerging thread.

Take the needle up and over, then through the loop and begin to pull the thread through.

Continue pulling gently until it lies flat on the fabric (the center will twist). Anchor the stitch as you did above, making it whatever length you like.

The completed stitch:

raised fishbone stitch

2010-01-01T07:51:00.002-05:00

This stitch, the raised fishbone, is a variation of the fishbone stitch. The threads overlap one another and, by the time you've filled your shape, completely cover the threads underneath. It has a more pronounced woven center than the regular fishbone stitch and is raised up off the surface of your fabric for a nicely padded effect.

Like last week, you'll work with a drawn leaf shape but without the center line. You won't need this because your first stitch will form a guide for you to work over. So, start by bringing your needle up at the very top of your leaf shape and down again about 1/2 inch below it.

Pull your thread through and come up again on the outline to the left and directly across from the bottom of the first stitch.

Take your thread to the back on the outline near the top of the first stitch and just to the right of it. Then come up again to the left of it. You can do this in two steps or one like I've done here.

Pull the thread through. Now, take your needle down on the right side of the outline and directly across from the bottom of the center line stitch. Come up again on the left outline slightly below the previous stitch. Again, you can do this in two steps or in one continuous motion, whichever you find easier. I've shown it done with two, but did it in one in the later photos.

You'll begin to see how the threads cross at the top. Take your thread from right to left again at the top, working slightly below your last stitch and along the outline on both sides. Repeat from right to left again at the bottom and slightly below the previous stitches.

Continue to work your way down the shape, alternating between the top and bottom and always working from right to left (or left to right if you're left-handed).

See how the crossover is forming a pattern now. At some point you'll have covered your center line but you won't need it—just continue following the outside edge formed by the previous stitches.

Here's the finished leaf shape.

And here's a side view so you can see how it raises up off the surface. Pretty cool!

I know this one sounds complicated but it's actually easier to do than to explain how to do it. One you work a few rows and get past that awkward stage, you'll see how easy it is. I really love how it looks so will definitely be working this stitch into the ones I use regularly.

fishbone stitch

2010-01-01T07:44:00.001-05:00

The fishbone is another stitch with a plaited center that's perfect for embroidering leaves, feathers, or wings. The stitches cross slightly at the center and the resulting plaited effect forms the central rib. There's a variation called raised fishbone where the thread crosses over and behind the center. It raises the thread up a bit so it has a nice padded effect.

I've drawn a fat leaf shape with a center line that I'll fill with stitches, but this will work equally well for thinner and curvier leaves—like ferns (see more about that below). So, start by bringing your thread up on the center line near the top of the leaf.

Take the needle from the very top point of the leaf to a point along the left side that's at an angle to where the thread starts. Keep your thread to the right.

Pull your thread through. With your thread to the left, take your needle from a point slightly to the right of your first stitch to a diagonal point on the leaf outline.

Pull the thread through. This is the first half of the completed stitch.

With your thread to the right, take the needle from a point slightly to the left of the previous stitch and angled up towards the left side of the leaf outline. You'll see that your thread crosses over the bottom of the previous stitch.

Pull your thread through to complete one stitch.

Now with your thread to the left repeat on the right side.

And again on the left (I've jumped ahead a little here—there's a couple of stitches taken in between).

Continue stitching, alternating from left to right, until you've completely filled the leaf shape.

For a curved shape, increase the distance between the stitches on the outside curve and decrease the space on the inside curve. The sharper the curve, the greater the distance between the stitches on the outside line.

palestrina stitch

2009-12-31T12:00:00.001-05:00

Palestrina stitch, which is also called old English knot, double knot stitch, and tied coral stitch, creates a line of raised knots that is useful for creating outlines and borders. The secret is to keep your knots evenly spaced and fairly close together. Here's how to do it:

Draw a straight line on your fabric to use as a guide in keeping your stitched line straight. Take a short straight stitch from top to bottom on the line. After pulling your thread through, come up again just to the left of the bottom.

Pull the thread through, then slide your needle from right to left under the first stitch making sure you don't pierce the fabric.

Pull the thread through gently until the loop that is formed with your thread fits snug against the straight stitch.

Make a loop to the left with your thread, then slide the needle from right to left diagonally under the straight stitch and looped knot. Keep your needle on top of the loop and again, don't pierce the fabric.

Gently pull the thread through until it forms a knot over the previous one.

Begin the second knot by taking your thread to the back a short distance below and slightly to the right of the previous knot. I found that if you work directly on the line it tends to curve to the left.

Bring the needle up to the left of the line and straight across from where your needle emerged.

Repeat the previous steps, forming another knot. Then continue working knots along the length of the line until you reach the end.

Take your needle to the back close to the last knot.

Voila!

And a side view so you can see how they're raised off the surface.

Note: I used six strands of floss so the knots would be nice and chunky for the photos; using the standard three will make a more delicate stitched line.

blanket stitch

2009-12-30T12:00:00.005-05:00

Today we’re talking about Blanket Stitch and (no surprise here) it’s traditionally used to edge blankets. It also makes a great edging for tea towels, dinner napkins, and baby sacques, which are little flannel kimono-type garments that are open in the front and tie at the neck with ribbon. Here’s an example:

The top stitch in the second picture is called feather stitch and you'll find instructions for this stitch in the stitches list in the lefthand sidebar. Blanket stitch can also be used for attaching appliquéd pieces of fabric to a base. Here’s an example from a vintage baby quilt—

And here’s a holiday ornament I made from felt. The cardinal’s body is attached to the underlayer with tiny blanket stitches and the two circles are bound together at the edges with larger blanket stitches. Blanket stitch works very well around curves!

To start bring your thread to the front. Take the needle to the back about ¼ inch away (diagonally) and come down so the stitch is aligned along the bottom.

Making sure your thread loops under the needle, pull it through until it lies tightly against the emerging thread.

Take the needle to the back again and emerge ¼ inch away from the first stitch. Continue along until you’ve reached your desired length. You'll see that each new stitch secures and holds the loop of the previous stitch.

To finish, take a small stitch to the back to secure the last loop.

To make a blanket stitch edge for a tea towel, start on the back side by bringing your thread under the hem and through the fold. (If you'll be working from left to right on the front, start at the far right on the back.)

Turn the towel over and work your line of stitches along the edge. I used a towel that was already hemmed for these pictures but you could use this stitch to decorate and hem the towel at the same time. Just make sure that you catch the folded edge on the back with your stitches.

When you come to the end, take your thread to the back over the last loop to secure it. Bring your needle back through the fold to hide the ending and knot it.

feather stitch

2009-12-30T12:00:00.004-05:00

Feather Stitch is a little more advanced than some of the stitches we’ve been doing but I think you guys can handle it. It’s a delicate-looking stitch and is often used on baby and children’s clothing, like the flannel sacque shown here:

It’s also a common stitch for embroidering crazy quilts. This example is done with two colors of thread—pink and brown.

It will help a lot when doing this stitch (at least at first) if you mark your fabric with four parallel guidelines. I like to use one of those fade out quilt markers that make a purple line that disappears in a couple of days. You can also use the blue ones that will wash out. If you’re just practicing use a pencil or thin marker.

To start bring your thread to the front on the first line. Holding the thread down with your left thumb, insert your needle on the third line even with where the thread emerges. Then, working downward and diagonally, come up on the second line.

Keeping the thread under the needle point pull the thread through to make the first stitch.

Now insert your needle on the fourth line and parallel to where your needle emerged on the last stitch. Come up again on the third line.

Do the same thing again with the needle down on the first line and back up on the second. Continue working back and forth across the lines. You’re essentially making a series of scallops that are held in place by the beginning of the next stitch.

To finish, take a tiny stitch over the last loop.

And here’s what it looks like finished. I have to admit that this is the first time I've tried this stitch and, although it looks kind of tricky, it's really very easy. You'll be zipping along in no time at all.

The look of this stitch will vary greatly depending on the angle of the needle, the length of the stitches, and how far apart your guidelines are. Once you've got the basics down, don't be afraid to experiment to get some different looks. I've posted a diagram of some variations on my Flickr account so you can see them nice and big. And how cool would this look with French knots in a second color in between the loops?

cross stitch

2009-12-30T12:00:00.003-05:00

Cross Stitch is probably the oldest and best known of the embroidery stitches. It's essentially two straight stitches worked on the diagonal with one placed crosswise over the top of the other. You use an even weave fabric like linen, coarse cotton, or Aida cloth and you count the threads to keep your stitches the same size and evenly spaced. You'll sometimes hear this referred to as counted cross stitch and that's why. I'm using linen for my examples but will also show you an example of Aida below. Personally, I don't like the stiffness or look of Aida, but you may find it easier to work with at first—at least the holes are easier to see.

Cross stitch is done in a row, with the first half of the stitches worked in one direction and then completed on the way back across the row. Most people probably won't be able to tell if you haven't kept your stitches all in the same direction, but it makes for a neater and more professional look.

To start, bring your thread up in the space between threads in your fabric. Count up a certain number of threads (I used four) then to the right the same number. Take your needle to the back and pull the thread through.

Come up again directly below where the last stitch ended. And down again diagonally at the same spacing as before.

Continue until you reach the end of the row.

Now, working backwards and using the holes from the first stitches as a guide for your needle, complete each cross and finish the row.

And this is how it looks when finished.

Here’s what it looks like on Aida cloth. For the top row I used every other hole to make a larger stitch; on the bottom row I used every hole and made a smaller and more densely-packed stitch. You can see how pronounced the threads are on this fabric (that's what I don't like), but the holes are also more visible. It's really just a matter of personal preference.

Now for some examples. Black crosses used for a border on a towel with cherries (the cherries are done with straight and outline stitches)—

Crosses worked in a grid to fill the inside of a plum with color—

A cross stitch flower with three shades of pink and red—

A row of cross stitch chicks and flowers decorating a baby pillow—

A morning glory motif from a vintage towel—

And I have a little surprise for you this week—your very own pattern for this beautiful morning glory. Just click here to download a pdf that you can print out (you'll need to have Adobe Acrobat to open the file). Enjoy!

stem and outline stitches

2009-12-25T11:01:00.001-05:00

We may as well start at the beginning with the most common and widely-used embroidery stitches—the stem (sometimes called crewel) and the outline. Both are used primarily for (you guessed it) stems and outlining and they are very similar in how they are worked. For stem stitch the thread is always kept below the needle; for outline it’s always kept above. They look pretty similar when completed, too.

To work the stem stitch bring the thread to the front at the left edge of your drawn line. With the thread below your needle, take the needle to the back about ¼ inch to the right and re-emerge at the point where your thread began.

Pull the thread through. Repeat and continue along the line, keeping the tension even and the stitches the same length. Stitches that are close together make a tight line, ones that are farther away make a looser line.

When you come to the end of the line, take the thread to the back for the last stitch but don’t re-emerge. Secure the thread with tiny back stitches or weave it back through the line before clipping any excess thread. On both of these stitches you’ll see an even row of backstitch on the wrong side of the material.

And this is how it looks when finished:

For the outline stitch, do the same thing but keep the thread above the needle.

This is how it looks when finished:

Some worked examples:

Did you know that stem stitch is used extensively in redwork embroidery?

lazy daisy

2009-12-25T11:00:00.002-05:00

Lazy Daisy is the common name for the detached chain stitch, which is a looped stitch that can be worked alone or in groups. Once you master it, you can combine the individual stitches in a length (this is called chain stitch) or in clusters to make flowers and leaves. You can even get ambitious and try something like this:

But, first things first.

Start by bringing your threaded needle to the front. Then take the needle to the back as close as possible to where the thread emerges. Bring the needle to the front at the tip of the stitch.

Loop the thread in a counter-clockwise direction under the tip of the needle.

Pull the thread through. I’ve read directions that say to hold the loop down with your thumb to prevent the loop from twisting, but if you’re careful I don’t think that’s necessary. The tighter you pull your stitch, the thinner the loop will become. So, if you want nice round loops don’t pull too much.

To anchor the stitch, take the thread to the back just over the loop.

That’s it. And to make a chain, instead of taking the thread to the back, just continue along making individual stitches until you get to the end.

To make flowers, group a series of individual stitches in a ring. You can vary the length of the stitch depending on the kind of shape you want. Small loops make tiny flowers like this…

Longer stitches make long petals…

You can use a second thread in a contrasting color to create a flower like this…

You’ll see lots of French knots in the above pictures because they’re often used for the centers of flowers, either singly or grouped. You can see how to do that stitch here.

beads.3

2009-01-01T16:24:00.001-05:00

So, where can you find cool beads to embellish your needlework? Here are some ideas:

• Bead shops. With the recent popularity of jewelrymaking, bead shops have popped up in most cities and they're great places to see (and touch) beads in person. A bit overwhelming perhaps but, if you can survive a fabric store, you can handle this, too!

• Craft, hobby, and fabric stores. JoAnn Fabrics, Michaels, Hobby Lobby, and A.C. Moore all have jewelrymaking sections, usually an aisle or two of beads and supplies. Nothing too fancy or out of the ordinary but a good selection of basics. I bought those tiny pearl beads that I used for the second Beads post at A.C. Moore.

• Online. There are tons of online bead shops, some that are offshoots of retail shops and some that have catalogs as well. Here are some popular ones:

Shipwreck Beads—huge selection including 2,800 styles and colors of seed beads

Fire Mountain Gems—celebrating their 35th anniversary/free catalog available

Bead Studio—there's also a retail shop in Ashland, OR

Beadstore—beads and embellishments from around the world

Happy Mango Beads—handcrafted, fair-trade beads from around the world

• Bead shows. These take place in various cities around the country (links below) and are mostly for serious jewelry artists. Lots of exotic stones, African trade beads, Middle Eastern and Indian metal charms. I've been to The Whole Bead Show, held in the ballroom of the Hotel Pennsylvania in New York City, and it was incredible. I've never seen so many cool things in one place before.

The Whole Bead Show

Intergalactic Bead Shows

Bead and Button Show—an annual show in Milwaukee hosted by Bead and Button Magazine

International Gem & Jewelry Show

Bead Renaissance Shows

Lapidary Journal has a show list here.

• Ebay. You know you can find anything and everything here. Search in:

Crafts>Bead Art>Craft Beads

Crafts>Bead Art>Charms

Jewelry & Watches>Loose Beads

• Vintage. Don't forget to look for vintage jewelry at flea markets and antique malls. You want pieces that have lots of beads and that don't cost too much. I found this 70s multi-strand necklace at a local shop for $3—just look at all those beads!

Feel free to share your sources in the comments.

beads.2

2009-01-01T16:19:00.002-05:00

In the first beads post I showed you the basics of attaching beads to your work. But how do you attach objects with a single hole? And how do you make those cool hanging fringes like on the gray purse I showed in that first post? By sewing one bead on top of another, of course!

For sequins (like on the bird holiday ornament shown above) or for a button with one hole (my examples are German pink glass cup-shaped flowers) lay the object on the fabric, come up through the hole with your needle, slip a small bead (or pearl in this case) onto the needle, then go back down through the hole—the object is held in position by the bead.

You can attach anything flat this way—a cutout felt flower, a small metal washer, a length of ribbon (using a row of beads)—anything that isn't too thick and that you can make a hole in. All you need to worry about is that the top bead is large enough to not fall back down the hole in the object underneath. Sequins aren't a problem because the holes are tiny but if you decide to attach objects you'll need to consider this.

To make fringe, thread the beads onto your needle, pull your thread through, go around the last bead, then back through the others. Secure your thread back at the place where you started.

This is kind of like using a head pin in jewelrymaking with your top bead taking the place of the metal cap. And you can use a bead that's smaller than the others for your end bead—your thread will be less noticeable that way. Make sure you use a nice strong thread for this technique—you want flexibility and "swing" without your fringe breaking and scattering beads everywhere.

One more post about beads will be coming shortly—with some ideas about where to find cool ones!

beads.1

2009-01-01T16:14:00.003-05:00

Embroidery looks great all by itself, but sometimes you want a little extra something. Using beads is a great way to add texture and sparkle. Some of you know that I collect decorative purses—mostly vintage silver mesh and art deco beaded ones—but I also have a few more modern ones that use beads decoratively. Here are a few examples.

Anthropologie gray satin pleated purse with silvery beads.

Chinese drawstring purse with chain stitch embroidery and beads.

Now, for the how-to. You'll want to use thread (embroidery floss is fine, too) that is the same color as the beads or the same color as your fabric. I'm not doing that here because I want you to be able to see the stitches clearly in the pictures. And test first to make sure your needle is thin enough to pass through the bead opening.

Start by making a small knot at one end of your thread, or work several small stitches on top of one another on the back side of your fabric. Bring your needle to the right side and pick up a bead. Slide it down until it rests on the fabric surface.

Bring your needle to the back a short distance away—with your spacing equal to or slightly less than the width or height of the bead.

If you're sewing one bead, that's it. Knot or weave your thread in on the back and you're done.

For more beads (a cluster of three like the gray purse shown above, or a sprinkling over your fabric surface) just keep going, but make sure you don't leave too much space between your first and next bead—you don't want long threads on the back. And it's probably a good idea if the beads are spaced apart to take an extra stitch (or two) through the bead hole.

Use this same technique to attach charms or other items that have a ring or loop at the top.

You can also make a short row by threading several beads onto your thread and tacking it down at the end.

This post is already pretty long so I'll continue in a second part and show how to attach sequins (or other objects that have a single hole) and also how to make fringe—like on that gray purse shown above.

What got me thinking about this subject was a book I found at the library called Fashion Bead Embroidery by Natalie Giltsoff that had some great (although dated—it was published in 1971) ideas, including beaded bags, fabric-covered buttons, gloves, shoes, and dress necklines. There are tons of more modern books, too—just type in bead embroidery at Amazon and you'll find more than 600 of them! If anyone has a favorite resource, please share in the comments.

interlaced running stitch

2008-08-27T16:30:00.002-04:00

I found this stitch in Erica Wilson's Embroidery Book at the library (published in 1973 and a good reference book if you can find a copy). It's a compound stitch that uses running stitch as the base and then weaves another color of thread through it. An easy stitch that's perfect for me to cover this week since I'm busy with my houseguests.

So start with a line of running stitch, each stitch the same width and evenly spaced apart. Complete this to whatever length your finished line will be and finish off the end on the back. Rethread your needle with a second color and come up underneath and in the middle of the first stitch.

Weave this thread through the line of stitches, going over and under, without piercing the fabric.

When you come to the end, weave under the final stitch, then turn and come back in the opposite direction.

Go over and under each stitch again, making sure not to pierce the fabric.

When you come back to the beginning take your thread to the back in the same place where it first emerged and finish off.

Here's what it looks like with widely-spaced and smaller, more closely spaced base stitches.

You could use the same color thread for both and have a simple chain but I think it provides more possibilities using two colors.

chicken scratch

2008-07-16T09:00:00.005-04:00

Chicken scratch embroidery (also called snowflaking, Tenneriffe lace, or Amish embroidery) is a form of cross-stitch that is done on gingham fabric using the edges of the squares instead of counting threads. It's usually done with white thread so the end result looks like lace. You can also work the designs with thread that is the same color as your gingham—this is called reverse chicken scratch.

The technique uses three simple stitches—the double cross-stitch, the straight running stitch, and the woven circle stitch. I'll show you all three.

Double Cross Stitch

Work a cross stitch from corner to corner in one square of the gingham. If you're using the darker color for reverse chicken scratch (in this case, red), work in the white blocks.

Then work a straight cross stitch over this. Remember to do your cross stitches in the same order so all your threads go in the same direction.

Running Stitch

I talked about running stitch a while ago and this is essentially the same thing. Working from right to left, take a stitch from one side of each gingham square to the other, skimming under the squares in between.

Woven Circle Stitch

Bring your needle up in the same hole as the running stitch. Slip the needle under the running stitches to form a circle.

Go around the circle a second time, then insert your needle in the same hole that you started from.

Here's what they look like together.

These pictures are of a lavender gingham apron that's for sale on my website. Very simple design with rows of chicken scratch on the waistband, along the top of the pocket, and above the hem. It's exactly the same design I showed above; just repeat to form rows.

To read more about chicken scratch embroidery and to see some different designs check out:

A Feeling Stitchy post on Chicken Scratch.

LindaB's Flickr set with beautiful examples from her vintage apron collection.

General instructions including a pattern for a heart-shaped motif.

Some background and a pattern for an eight-pointed star.

braid stitch

2007-06-19T16:04:00.002-04:00

When I sat down to work on and photograph this stitch I ran into all sorts of problems. I'm embarrassed to say that I couldn't figure out how to do it, either from the written directions or from the drawings. Maybe I was overtired—who knows? But then I found the stitch in another book—one with photos—and I "got" it. And that's why I show you step-by-step photos. It's not that these stitches are hard to do. In fact, once you've figured them out and completed a few inches of embroidery, you'll laugh at yourself and wonder what the problem was. Just what I'm doing right now :)

So, without further ado, I present the Braid stitch. You'll want to work with two parallel drawn lines for this to keep the top and bottom aligned and you'll work from right to left.

Here's the original drawing, which doesn't look so bad now (but oh, those written directions made no sense at all)

Start by bringing your thread to the front on the bottom line. Then make a loop like this (first loop the thread to the left, then flip the loop over from right to left). This is an awkward motion and didn't come automatically to me for some time.

Holding the loop with your thumb (not shown in photo), take a long vertical stitch from the top line to the bottom. Keep the threads out of the way exactly as shown.

Now loop the working thread from right to left under the tip of the needle.

Pull the loop tightly around the needle.

Pull the thread through with a downward motion, holding the loop down lightly with your thumb. Be a little careful here to not pull too tightly. There's nothing holding the top loop, it's just lying alongside that top thread. If you pull too much it makes a real mess (trust me on this one).

Make a second loop like you did in the first step.

Again insert the needle through the loop, making a stitch from the top to the bottom line. Loop the thread under the needle as you did before. Pull the thread through to complete the second stitch.

Continue working until you reach the end of your line.

Here's what it looks like.

You may be wondering why my thread looks different this time. It's because I'm using something called perle cotton. Perle cotton is a tightly twisted pure cotton thread that doesn't get divided into strands when used. It was recommended for this stitch—for it's textural qualities—so I decided to try it. It comes in four weights and mine is perhaps too fine for this stitch. That's all I had on hand but I think a heavier weight would have worked better. It was also recommended that you work this stitch fairly small with the stitches close together. I didn't do either but it would have been impossible to show what was going on at a smaller size. As with all stitches, varying the length and spacing will give you different looks. Learn the basic steps first and then experiment to get the look you like.