playing with stitches

When you try out a new stitch, what do you do? When I try out a new stitch, I try to play with it as much as possible. In my playing with unusual stitches class in Maitland last week, my aim for the students was to get them to try some new stitches, and then to play around with them to see the different effects they could get with them. And they did well!

When you try out a new stitch you can (not all of these will apply, depending on your stitch!):

• change the spacing between stitches
• change the width of stitches
• change the length of stitches
• change the angle of the stitches
• work it from narrow to wide, and back again
• change the type of thread you’re using, e.g. fluffy, smooth, highly twisted, loosely twisted
• change the thickness of thread you’re using
• work it in a circle or ring
• if the stitch, such as buttonhole, has distinctly different sides, try alternating it, so that it swings from one side to another e.g. with buttonhole, if you do this, you’ll get feather stitch
• work it in a zigzag
• combine it with another stitch e.g. one chain stitch then one buttonhole

Grab yourself some fabric, and a variety of threads, a copy of either The Left-Handed Embroiderer’s Companion or The Right-Handed Embroiderer’s Companion and have a play. My guess is that you could happily spend a few hours being creative in this way, and you might even discover a new favourite stitch! If you want some suggestions of stitches to try, how about Palestrina stitch, cretan catch stitch or sorbello stitch?

For some inspiration, here’s an embroidery I did last year that’s all about playing with stitches.