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Here we are again, it's Sunday and time for another stitch at Sunday Stitch School. A couple of weeks ago when I searched the web for information on the Figure-Eight Knot Stitch I came by the site of Sidney Eileen. She makes fantastic corsets and hand sewn medieval garments. On her tutorial page of Basic Hand Stitching she shows how to secure the thread at the end of stitching. Check it out here . It made me think - why can this method not be used as a 'Knotted Running Stitch'? As far as I know there is no stitch called 'Knotted Running Stitch', so I will use this name for today's stitch. If you have seen this stitch before and know its official name, please leave a comment below. First you make a line of Running Stitches, and start the return journey by knotting each stitch with a 'mirrored S'. Like this: Insert the needle under the last Running Stitch without biting any of the fabric.  Keep the thread under the needle.  Take the thread over and under t...

This was a lovely stitch, but I must admit it was easier to work on Aida, where there is a nice grid, than on even weave linen where you have to look closely for the right hole.  Twisted Shell Chain Stitch did behave well on a curve, though, as seen on the Sunday Stitch School Reference Chart. This is an unusual, but very easy stitch. I highly recommend it! Instructions are here .

I have two things to show for Work In Progress Wednesday today. Crazy for Crazy More embellishments have been added in the form of stitches and beads. Next step will be to add the bias tape edging. A Crazy Quilt Card I made a birthday greeting card by inserting a small cq block in this window card. I used a variety of stitches, made a thread button and a spray of Figure-Eight Knot Stitch flowers.

If you have taken part in TAST (Take A Stitch Tuesday) you might recognize this stitch: It is called Shell Chain, and as you can see each link contains a small Chain Stitch and a larger Open Chain Stitch. When I was leafing through this book I found a similar-looking stitch, but based on the Twisted Chain Stitch. The author, Madam Totsuka,  has not given it a name, just refers to it as a combination of 'Chain Darning and Open Chain Stitch'. I guess Chain Darning is her way of saying Twisted Chain, and her Open Chain is rather triangular in shape. Have you seen this stitch before, do you know its official name? If you do, let me know in the Comments below. For the time being I will call it 'Twisted Shell Chain Stitch'. I think Twisted Shell Chain Stitch makes an interesting bulky line, and I can tell you that it is both easy and fun to stitch. These pictures will show you how to stitch it:   Homework: Aida sampler SSS Reference Chart Make a line around this rectangular ...

The Figure-Eight Knot Stitch is an easy stitch, to learn and to do, but difficult to master. Confused? Well it is easy to stitch it, but the lower loop can come loose, move around and give the stitch an untidy look. It was hard to make it stay put. If you want something with wild structure or untamed style, then this is the stitch for you. Look at the stitches on the Aida sampler! The are ready to stand up and walk away! They seem to behave better on the Sunday Stitch School Reference Chart. On the scribble cloth I made a small flower, a blue clover? I think the Figure-Eight Knot Stitch looks splendid as a petal! So splendid I made another flower, I will show the rest of this crazy quilt block on WIPW next week.

Work In Progress Wednesday for today shows progress on Crazy for Crazy where the red ruby fabric is getting gilded. I made the Kumihimo braid longer than needed and tied up the end into a knot.  I ruched some areas on a red silk ribbon (to make 'carnations') and then stitched an undulating length of golden Chain Stitches. Sunday Stitch School's delightful Detached Twisted Chain Stitch was stitched into a star with a red bead in the centre. Two curves of Shell Chain were stitched, and a Laced Herringbone row. Then I made a Dorset Button. Oh, this was fun! I will love making more, and more advanced ones for future cq blocks. I first got my inspiration from Elizabeth Healey's book Stitch, Fabric & Thread, but there are instructions in many other books too, and of course online. This link goes to a video tutorial. I hope to have more progress next Wednesday.

Today we have another easy stitch. Its name is not easy, however. I found the stitch in 'Totsuka Embroidery Stitch Book 3 Arrangement' (戸塚刺しゅうステッチBOOK 3) which is all about variations of the Chain Stitch. There it goes under the name Figure-Eight Knot Stitch (8の字に糸をかけてとめる). On a search online I have found a number of other stitches called Figure-Eight Stitch, among them is the Colonial Knot, and a most interesting knotted Running Stitch, that I might take up in another lesson. Today I want to show you Madam Totsuka's Figure-Eight Knot Stitch as seen in the book above. Should you recognize this stitch and have a name for it, please leave a comment. I think it makes a very attractive detached stitch. Homework: Aida Sampler Sunday Stitch School Reference Chart Scribble something on the Scribble Cloth.

Oh, this was a great stitch, a real find! I filled in the Aida and Sunday Stitch School Reference Charts. On my scribble cloth I made a pink Awareness Ribbon with a pink ribbon! I made a school of fish. I made a star, and I love it! Such an easy stitch  with such great result.

Work In Progress Wednesday is here again! So quickly! Crazy for Crazy I made a new naked block in ruby red. Most of the fabric comes from remnants of evening gowns. A friend who is a seamstress and specializes in party frocks gave me a bag of scrap fabric. Red seems to be a popular colour, or are they all from party dresses for Christmas? The dark red fabric with machine embroidery at the top is a swatch used by a traveling salesman from Switzerland selling fabric in Africa many years ago. Through the generosity of the salesman's granddaughter it came into my possession. In the centre I placed a piece of red canvas onto which I have made three hearts in Cross and Half Cross Stitch. In my previous WIPW report I showed the kumihimo braid I am making. Several readers said this kind of braid making is confusing. With the pictures below I am trying to explain how it is worked. What comes out of the hole in the centre of the disc is this braid! It is not a complicated technique, but if y...

Let's go looking for easy stitches! Sunday Stitch School today focuses on the well-known Twisted Chain stitch, but used in an unusual way - Detached! I found it easiest to stitch it away from me, like this: The completed stitch reminds me of an  awareness ribbon .  No Swedish name found. Mattia suggests these names in French: - point de chainette détaché torsadé - point de bouclette torsadé Homework: Aida sampler SSS Reference Chart Play around on the scribble cloth

It is Sunday and I am presenting my Friday homework late.... well, never mind, here is my Sunbonnet Sue Stitch Sampler for Sunday Stitch School's stitches 51 - 55 51 Tent Stitch 52 Underside Couching 53 Sword Edging Stitch 54 Tramming 55 Tailor's Buttonhole Stitch (two versions, Reader's Digest and Yorkshire Tailor's) Sue is busy with spring cleaning, so busy her house dress is coloured in with crayon rubbed over a molding mat and not embroidered.