I’ve been playing with stitches a lot in the last week, and I think I may have come up with a new one (yeah, yeah, there is nothing new under the sun!) so now I’ll need to see if I can find it in any books anywhere.
What’s your favourite lesser known or lesser used stitch? There are some that most stitchers are familiar with, even if they’ve never used or mastered them. These might include back stitch, chain stitch, running stitch, satin stitch, blanket stitch, French knot, bullion knot…
But then there are many that don’t get used so much. Many of them can be found in my left- and right-handed stitch dictionaries, but not all are! So what’s your favourite more unusual stitch? I’d be very happy for you to surprise me with something REALLY obscure!
In using this lesser known stitch, what have you used it for? Was it on a sampler, or a project designed by someone else? Or did you find it in a book somewhere and decide to use it on an embroidery of your own making? Or something else?!
Palestrina stitch is probably one of my favourites. There are so many ways it can be played around with, and when worked with a thick enough thread, it gives such lovely texture.
I love the Basque stitch. I have a beautiful tablecloth and napkins embroidered with the stitch that was worked by husband’s grandmother. She was born and raised in the Basque country and came to the United States about 1915. She did not know English and came to the high desert lands of Oregon and Idaho. It was completely different from the green seaside village in the Basque country.
I have done it, but now I’m off to refresh my memory! Thanks for the lovely story to go with the stitch. 🙂
I like nutmeg stitch. I learned it in a class at Nordic Needle. It was invented/ designed by Meg Thompson Shinall who is the daughter of Ginnie Thompson. She considered herself somewhat nutty, hence the name.