Stitch of the Month: Buttonhole Stitch & Rosette of Thorns
Hopefully you all enjoyed working some fly stitch over the summer break! One person who worked a sample was Winsome, who made this lovely colourful piece:
This month's stitches are buttonhole stitch, and once you've got the hang of that, Rosette of Thorns is a lovely variation that is easy to work and produces spiky crown shapes that follow lines and define edges really well.
Buttonhole stitch is also known as blanket stitch. Sharon B has some great instructions for how to work it here - something that helps me to remember where to start and which direction to travel is that you start at the Left, on the Lower of two imaginary lines - Lower, Left - both L's!
Here, buttonhole stitch has been used very effectively to build up a scene with reeds - the long stitches and strongly twisted thread work really well:
(From Magpies Laundry on Flickr)
Buttonhole stitch works well formed into circles, where it can make buttonhole wheels. This would look good alongside the whipped and woven spiders wheels that Janet W taught in her members session in May.
(From crf_kitty on Flickr)
Massed buttonhole stitches work brilliantly to build up texture. This piece was worked by one of the Birmingham Guild members, isn't it lovely!
Rosette of Thorns is a very simple stitch to work once you've got the hang of Buttonhole stitch. It is just the same stitch, but with the long lines worked in groups of five at an angle, creating a lovely linear stitch. See Sharon B's stitch dictionary for instructions.
I worked the stitch on one of my latest pieces of embroidery, using it to emphasise lines and edges in the design:
Once you've got the hang of working these stitches, you could try decorating the long legs of the stitches with a knot or bead, working them in a range of threads or sizes, and using the legs to couch down a thicker thread/wool. We'd love to see what you can do with the stitches!
Next month, Marilyn has very kindly agreed to do a sheet about Boullion and French Knots. If you'd like to do a sheet for members, please see Janet M at a session.
This month's stitches are buttonhole stitch, and once you've got the hang of that, Rosette of Thorns is a lovely variation that is easy to work and produces spiky crown shapes that follow lines and define edges really well.
Buttonhole stitch is also known as blanket stitch. Sharon B has some great instructions for how to work it here - something that helps me to remember where to start and which direction to travel is that you start at the Left, on the Lower of two imaginary lines - Lower, Left - both L's!
Here, buttonhole stitch has been used very effectively to build up a scene with reeds - the long stitches and strongly twisted thread work really well:
(From Magpies Laundry on Flickr)
Buttonhole stitch works well formed into circles, where it can make buttonhole wheels. This would look good alongside the whipped and woven spiders wheels that Janet W taught in her members session in May.
(From crf_kitty on Flickr)
Massed buttonhole stitches work brilliantly to build up texture. This piece was worked by one of the Birmingham Guild members, isn't it lovely!
Rosette of Thorns is a very simple stitch to work once you've got the hang of Buttonhole stitch. It is just the same stitch, but with the long lines worked in groups of five at an angle, creating a lovely linear stitch. See Sharon B's stitch dictionary for instructions.
I worked the stitch on one of my latest pieces of embroidery, using it to emphasise lines and edges in the design:
Once you've got the hang of working these stitches, you could try decorating the long legs of the stitches with a knot or bead, working them in a range of threads or sizes, and using the legs to couch down a thicker thread/wool. We'd love to see what you can do with the stitches!
Next month, Marilyn has very kindly agreed to do a sheet about Boullion and French Knots. If you'd like to do a sheet for members, please see Janet M at a session.
Comments