bodner059

So here is my second, and third attempt at making a handmade keyhole buttonhole. Last week's unsuccessful keyhole on the left. This week's on the right, and this time it WAS stitched in the right direction. It is just slightly more tidy than the first attempt, and once again the light gray gimp shows through the stitches. I then made a third buttonhole, using felt, so there was no need to worry about fraying. They say that practice makes perfect. Well, at least practice gives a bit of improvement, even if only slight. What have I learned? Practice, and you will  improve. Get into a rhythm and don't stop once you have started stitching. This is the best way to make even-ish stitches. Make sure the gimp and buttonhole silk match the fabric (unless you want a contrasting look). Use a generous length of thread. To cast on the thread you need to have enough thread to maneuver. It was worth repeating the lesson. 

Work In Progress Wednesday Look at the difference on Crazy for Crazy Last week and this week There is a pile of purple beads in the piece in the middle. There is some metallic thread on the lace flower There is a 'worm' of kumihimo braid on the circle of visible mending The Kumihimo braid was made on a foam disc with 8 strands of variegated perle, (that is the first tail that comes off the disc, for the second part, in the working, I have added another 8 threads to make it a thicker 16-thread braid to be used on another project.) Next week I will be putting on a bias tape edge around the octagon.

Sunday Stitch School will offer no new stitch or five-stitch summery today. Instead the homework for #55 Tailor's Buttonhole Stitch is extended to next Friday.

Oh, what a week! I spent quite some time on Tailor's Buttonhole Stitch, doing more research and trying out the various versions for my homework. If you remember,  the HOMEWORK was to: Try out the five variations of the stitch , taught last Sunday's lesson Pick a favorite Work a row on the Aida sampler Fill in a square on the Sunday Stitch School Reference Chart Make a couple of button holes or Play around with free form embroidery 1. Several readers have commented that they work the stitch in a different way from the five I showed.  So I thought I should check out how professional tailors and dressmakers make a hand stitched buttonhole, as it might differ from the embroidery  Tailor's Buttonhole Stitch.  Here, videos turned out to be very informative and interesting. I found a number of different ways. Here are two: The Yorkshire Tailor Aluminiumfish/Mr Pasquale Mr Pasquale used a stitch that reminds me of the basic Hedebo Stitch, used in Danish Hedebo Whitewor...

I have a lot to show for Work In Progress Wednesday this week. Crazy for Crazy  is getting dressed up. Compare last week's progress with the present state.         More 'bling' will be added!

Attention: This is a long post with many pictures! Here is your last lesson of historic stitches, well for the time being at least. We are looking at a stitch in one of the most controversial stitch families, Tailor's Buttonhole Stitch of the Buttonhole-Blanket Clan. For further reading about the Buttonhole and Blanket stitches, how they differ and how their names cause so many discussions, please check out Mary Corbet's article at Needle 'n Thread. (My impression is that on a hand hemmed blanket, where the space between the bars is wide, the stitch might be called Blanket Stitch. The same stitch,  worked tightly together, just like the enforcement stitching around a buttonhole would be Buttonhole Stitch, ... BUT for embroidery I use the term Buttonhole Stitch whatever the spacing!) Now, let's focus on the Tailor's Buttonhole Stitch. French names: point de feston tailleur or  point de boutonnière. I have had a look at several of my stitch dictionaries and found va...