Stitchery 101 – Part C

Here is Part A of Stitchery 101.
Here is Part B of Stitchery 101.

Here is the pdf pattern

In the Part B I included instructions for backstitch. There are two more stitches in the pattern – french knots and satin stitch.

French Knots

The French knots are the centre of the small flowers and to save time and thread, it is best to stitch the centre and the petals of the flower at one time. (If you have already gone ahead and stitched the petals don’t panic and don’t unpick anything – it really doesn’t matter and will have no bearing on what your finished stitchery will look like).

1. Bring the needle up from the back of the fabric in the position you want the French knot.
2. Wrap the thread around the needle twice. (Note: there is much discussion – mainly heated - on whether a true French knot has one wrap or two. I am not a stitchery nazi and I like the bulk of two wraps. Wrap as much or as little as you want or as you think is ‘correct’.)

3. Put the needle down in to the fabric a few threads away from where you came up. Don’t pull the needle though. You also need to keep the thread taught.

4. Keep the wraps against the fabric and the thread taught and pull the needle thread through the fabric.

There is your first French knot. You start and finish the thread as you normally would. See here for instructions.

Satin Stitch

Satin stitch is basically back stitch but the stitches lie next to each other. Your needle will always come out of the fabric on one side of the shape (I prefer the bottom) and go into the fabric at the opposite side (again, I prefer the top). It can take a bit of practice to make the edges of the shape smooth but take your stitches slow and practice. If you make sure you are stitching (going in and out of the fabric) on the outside edge of the design line, your shape will be smooth. Keep your stitches close together (a thread of two apart – more depending on the thickness of the thread you are sewing with) to prevent seeing the fabric under the stitches.

1. Draw some parallel lines inside the shape in the direction the thread will be sewn. This helps you to keep your stitches straight.
2. Bring your needle and thread up at the bottom middle of the shape, making sure you are on the outside edge of the design line.

3. Following the lines you just drew inside the shape, put your needle into the fabric at the top middle of the shape and pull thread through.
4. Bring your needle and thread up again at the bottom of the shape right next to your first stitch.
5. Put your needle into the fabric at the top of the shape, again right next to your first stitch and pull the thread through.
6. Continue making stitches in this manner, completing one half of the design and making sure you keep your stitches parallel to the lines you drew inside the shape.

7. When one half is finished, turn your work over and thread your needle through the back of the stitches only so you can complete the other half of the design, starting from the middle.
8. When you have completed the shape, finish off your thread.

Tips for Satin Stitch.

This is one stitch that I think it is vital to use an embroidery hoop. If you don’t use a hoop it is very easy to pull too tight and pucker your fabric.
Make sure that even with a hoop you do not pull the thread too tight. It should lay flat on the fabric but will look slightly padded when finished.

After the Stitching

Now that you have completed the stitching, you need to remove any marks. If you can’t see any design marks and you haven’t used a blue wash our pen then you can probably skip this step.
If you have used a blue wash out pen you must get rid of the lines, even if they are covered by stitching. All you have to do is thoroughly wet the fabric in cold water. I fill a container with cold water (no soaps or detergents are needed) and dunk my finished piece in the water and swish it about so everything is wet. I then take it out and gently squeeze out the water without wringing it, which may distort the design. Place the fabric on a towel and roll the towel up to remove more water. The design can then be hung to dry. If it is a large piece it is best to lay it flat to dry. Keep any peg marks on the very corners of the fabric as you should not iron the piece as the pellon will flatten. If you must iron it, use a light hand.

Your stitchery is now complete.

What to do with your Stitchery?

Because it is such a small design, I am going to frame mine. The design will fit into a standard 4” x 6” photo frame which you can pick up almost anywhere. I am searching op shops for one that is a bit different.
You could add some borders around the design and make it into either a larger framed piece or a cushion. You could also incorporate it into a quilt as the centre of a block.

I hope you have enjoyed making this. If there is anything that isn’t clear in this post please let me know – it has been a long time since I have written instructions.

Happy Stitching
Emma