A few people have asked what’s going to be in my left-handed embroidery book, so now that things are a bit more finalised, I think its time to spill the beans.
I’m still not sure about the title, but “The Left-Handed Embroiderer’s Companion” is my current top choice. The idea is that this is the book that left-handers will have sitting beside them, as their constant companion, as they stitch. (And I think it sounds quite friendly!) I’d love to hear what you think about the name.
For each stitch, there will be written step by step instructions, with a diagram for each step, showing you what to do. There will be a photo of each finished stitch, and a colourful inspiration panel which will show you what you can do with each stitch, to get you inspired. Where the stitch has other names, these will be listed and indexed, so that if you know a stitch by another name, you will still be able to find it. Finally, there will also be a diagram of how right-handers do the stitch, so that right-handed teachers can see the difference between what they do, and what their left-handed student will do.
So, here’s the provisional list of stitches. Its a provisional list because you never know if I might have to take one out yet, or even add another one in.
- Antwerp edging stitch
- Armenian edging stitch
- back stitch
- zigzagging back stitch
- double back stitch
- threaded back stitch
- whipped back stitch
- pekinese stitch
- double pekinese stitch
- basque stitch
- braid edging stitch
- breton stitch
- bonnet stitch
- bullion knot
- overwrapped bullion
- bullion loop
- buttonhole stitch
- blanket stitch
- closed buttonhole stitch
- crossed buttonhole stitch
- knotted buttonhole stitch
- buttonhole wheel
- whipped buttonhole
- tailor’s buttonhole stitch
- up and down buttonhole stitch
- open buttonhole filling
- buttonhole filling with return
- fancy buttonhole filling
- cable chain stitch
- stepped cable chain stitch
- zigzagging cable chain stitch
- cable plait stitch
- cast on stitch
- double cast on stitch
- ceylon stitch
- ladder stitch
- chain stitch
- twisted chain stitch
- alternating twisted chain stitch
- zigzagging chain stitch
- detached chain stitch
- lazy daisy stitch
- whipped chain stitch
- threaded chain stitch
- interlaced chain stitch
- square chain stitch
- rosette chain stitch
- rope stitch
- knotted chain stitch
- magic chain stitch
- reverse chain stitch
- heavy chain stitch
- Hungarian braided chain stitch
- raised chain stitch band
- feathered chain stitch
- crested chain stitch
- chevron stitch
- pagoda stitch
- half chevron stitch
- raised chevron stitch
- chinese knot
- colonial knot
- coral knot stitch
- zigzagging coral knot stitch
- couching
- couched trellis
- couched burden stitch
- bokhara couching
- Roumanian couching
- New England laid stitch
- cretan stitch
- knotted cretan stitch
- cretan catch stitch
- cross stitch
- smyrna cross stitch
- long-legged cross stitch
- chained cross stitch
- diamond stitch
- drizzle stitch
- eyelets
- cut eyelets
- counted thread eyelets
- fishbone stitch
- feather stitch
- double feather stitch
- double feather stitch variation
- single feather stitch
- long-armed feather stitch
- closed feather stitch
- closed feather stitch
- upright feather stitch
- Spanish knotted feather stitch
- fly stitch
- tete de boeuf stitch
- Italian knotted border stitch
- French knot
- pistil stitch
- hem stitch
- antique hem stitch
- glove stitch
- French glove stitch
- herringbone stitch
- threaded herringbone stitch
- Deerfield herringbone stitch
- herringbone ladder filling stitch
- double herringbone stitch 1
- double herringbone stitch 2
- interlaced herringbone stitch
- long and short stitch
- irregular long and short stitch
- loop stitch
- Mountmellick stitch
- Mountmellick thorn stitch
- outline stitch
- Palestrina knot stitch
- long-armed Palestrina knot stitch
- sorbello stitch
- knotted pearl stitch
- Parma stitch
- pearl stitch
- plaited braid stitch
- rosette stitch
- running stitch
- whipped running stitch
- threaded running stitch
- burden stitch
- Holbein stitch
- satin stitch
- padded satin stitch
- seeding
- double seed stitch
- scroll stitch
- sheaf stitch
- shisha stitch
- smocker’s knot
- split stitch
- split back stitch
- spider web, whipped
- spider web, woven
- stem stitch
- Portuguese knotted stem stitch
- raised stem stitch band
- thorn stitch
- trellis stitch
- turkey work
- vandyke stitch
- wheat ear stitch
For those of you who have made it through to the end of the list, congratulations!
If all goes according to plan, this left-handed stitch dictionary will be available by the end of 2009.
White Threads is the blog of Yvette Stanton, the author, designer, publisher behind Vetty Creations' quality needlework books and embroidery products.
That looks fantastic Yvette – a great collection of stitches. I am right handed but do understand how difficult it must be for left handed people to follow the same instructions as I do.
Yvette, I am not a lefty, but my Mom is. I am sure this is long overdue for folks that have had to really suffer through the righty ways ALWAYS shown. I think your very hard work will be much appreciated by all left handed stitchers.
Congrats on completing a very massive project. I wish I could stick to a deadline. 🙂
BJ
I’ll be interested in the differences you find between Ceylon and Ladder stitch 🙂
Thanks MargB and BJ. Unfortunately though BJ, there's still heaps more work to do on it. The stitch instructions are written and their diagrams are done, but I have lots of stitching and photography to do. Then it needs to be edited and proofread… and on and on…!
Hi Elmsley Rose, I wondered what the difference was too. (And you'll see that if you search back through the blog). I think in the end, I went with what Mary Corbet or maybe it was Sharon B, suggested, in that ladder stitch has only two plaits, but ceylon stitch can have many columns of plaits. Does that make sense?
Hi Yvette!
Great idea for a book. I'm a righty but had a lefty grandmother as well as being taught by a friend who is a righty but stitches like a lefty.
The librarian is coming out in me and I was wondering if you were planning to cross-reference the various names of the stitches so that people who call a stitch one name will be able to find the stitch the way you know it.
Thanks again!
Mary
Hi Mary,
Rest assured that I love a good index too. As long as I know of any alternative names, they will be listed in the intro for the stitch, and cross referenced in the index.
Thanks for your encouragement!
This will be a great tool – I have a lot of left handed students and some stitches are very hard to teach – colonial knot is one of them!
I am waiting – this may be long, books take a lot of time to travel from Australia to Brazil!
Hi Paula, Aren't you lovely to let me know that you are looking forward to the book too?! As for posting from Australia to Brazil, the book will also be distributed in the US, when it is released, so you may find it it quicker to get yours from somewhere in the US.
Thanks!