Friday 17 March 2017

Friday Homework for Lesson 15: Open Chain Stitch

Oh, it's Friday and time to hand in the homework assignment for Lesson 15, which is the Open Chain Stitch.

For this stitch my conclusion is that you have to check the tension so the stitches sit nicely. Open Chain Stitch can also be used in a more folksy, rough form, as seen here:
I made three parallell lines of yellow and formed a cross. Each side was then flanked with filling stitches in a blue space dyed perle until I had a round shape. This I circled the edges of with metallic cord which I couched down with Open Chain stitch.

I can't say I like the design but it was fun to make.

The other day I got a suggestion from CrazyQstitcher. She had found a neat version of Open Chain Stitch in A Handbook for Lettering for Stithers by Elsie Svennas.

Each three rungs of the 'ladder' of the Open Chain Stitch are bundled together, similar to the way you create a Sheaf Stitch.


With a piece of white card inside I made both these samples of Open Chain Stitch into small greeting cards. This is how I mount my cards.

I will add a small brooch in the centre of this one.










14 comments:

Julie Fukuda said...

I like that as an alternative to an ordinary couching stitch. I'm glad you have an index of all those stitches among your labels.

Pamela said...

I am sure the card recipients will love them!

Queeniepatch said...

It is a nice stitch and can be altered, with tying the rungs of the ladder, adding beads, coaching various fancy threads or cords or first stitching the Open Chain Stitch and then weaving a thread over and under the rungs.
I should have more stitches amongst my labels. That list is not updated!

Queeniepatch said...

I have just turned the Mountmellick and Norwich samplers into cards, too, and now have a little collection of cards.

Janie said...

Great results with your open chain stitch Queenie, lovely work.
Perfect tension too.

margaret said...

both versions have worked well and the fabric on the first one really sets your stitching off beautifully

Queeniepatch said...

Thank you for your kind words. Unfortunately the tension is NOT perfect, but I now know what to pay attention to.

Queeniepatch said...

It IS a striking piece of red fabric.

Deepa said...

Have you tried the Sinhalese chain stitch? When I saw this stitch, it reminded me of it. Then I looked around a bit and came to know that Sinhalese is a variation of open chain. :)

Queeniepatch said...

Thank you for this information. No, I have not seen or heard of this beautiful variation. I will have to give it a try!

Annet said...

Open chain makes a pretty filling, but I just love the second variation! I used this stitch as a variation to the whipped chain stitch.

crazyQstitcher said...

I like your circle and neat edging of the stitches themselves -the blue braid worked well too. Thanks for testing the other sample, which looks very nice.

Queeniepatch said...

Deepa told me about the Sinhalese Chain Stitch which looks like a Whipped Open Chain stitch but it worked differently.
The tied version was in a book of Monograms and this must have been the letter O.

Queeniepatch said...

Thank you for introducing me to this tied version. It makes an impressive circle and would look different if only two rungs are tied or the rungs placed closer.