Sunday Stitch School - Lesson 336: Shadow Stitch

Let's start the new set of five stitches with a classic one - Shadow Stitch.

Mary Corbet of Needle 'n Thread has an interesting article with several pointers. It is well worth reading. There are no instructions, though. 

So either check out a book like Mary Thomas's Dictionary of Embroidery Stitches or the online instructions of Sarah's Hand Embroidery Tutorials.

Actually, there are two ways to work this stitch - from the front or the reverse side of the fabric. The front will show you two lines of Back Stitch, and through the sheer fabric, you will see a shadow. You see, almost by magic, these stitches will, on the back, create a line of Closed Herringbone Stitch.

Now, if you work the reverse side with Closed Herringbone Stitch, the front will give you two lines of Back Stitch, and in between you will see a faint shadow of the Herringbones peeping through the sheer fabric.

Which stitch do you prefer, Back or Closed Herringbone? I like the latter far better than the former. My photo instructions will therefore be stitching the Closed Herringbone from the back of the work:

Start by selecting a sheer but strong fabric.

I used light blue nylon salvaged from a cheap ball gown.

Stretch the fabric tight in a hoop. Mark the design.

Place a waste knot far away (so you have a long tail

to fasten discreetly afterwards).

Work a line of Closed Herringbone Stitch

along the marked line.

Turn the work and do the upper line of the oval 

in the same way.

When you come to the end, turn the fabric to 

see the back-stitched line.

Fasten the working thread with a long stitch between 

the fabric and the Herringbone Stitches.

Cut off the thread as close to the stitched line as possible.

Remove the waste knot you started with and 

fasten the tail in the same way.

Here is the front side with the shadow in 

between the Back Stitch lines.

Here is the reverse side.

With practice, the stitches will be more even, I hope.

Homework:

Add to the samplers by using appliquéd sheer fabric.

Friday Revision Homework - Stitches 331 - 335

I'm sorry I'm posting this a day late. I have now recovered from the involuntary 'glue sniffing'caused by yesterday's maintenance work in my home.

Here is the Sunbonnet Sue revision homework for stitches 331 - 335.

REPTILE WARNING!

If you dislike slithering reptiles, stop reading now!

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

The Hungarian Braid Chain can be so snakelike, I decided to use this stitch for a snake tattoo on Sue's back.

Her coiffure is also made up of this stitch. 

The mirror frame has Damask Darning carvings.

Sue's towel has a Pachis Work pattern and an Astrakhan Velvet frilled border.

Sue's knickers are broderie anglaise cotton, and her earrings dangling stars. Both knickers and earrings are worked in Irregular Algerian Eyelet Stitch.

Friday Revision Homework - Delayed

 I should have had Sue ready for the Friday Revision Homework today, but...

a few craftsmen have been here to do some repairs. The thinner and glue they used is still making me lightheaded, groggy and has left me with a bit of a headache. 

I feel like this:

I should have worn protective gear:

I hope to have Sue ready for her curtain call tomorrow.

WIPW - Trudging On

 The Work In Progress Wednesday report today is a bit short.

Sunday Stitch School Indigo Stitch Sampler

I added four stitches: #318 Rhodes Circle, #319 Split Back Stitch, #320 Clown Collar Stitch and #321 Cornucopia Chain Stitch.

Mandala 

I have got halfway with the garlands. Four have been stitched on, four more to add.

Hexablooms

I added just six more flower blocks and now have 108.

It's getting more and more complicated to photograph.

Sunday Stitch School - Revision: Stitches 331 - 335

Let's have have a second look at the five most recent stitches, then use them to make a Sunbonnet Sue sampler.

Click on the title to see the stitch instructions.

331 Astrakhan Velvet Stitch

To make loops of even lengths for this stitch, use a pin.

332 Irregular Algerian Eyelet Star Stitch

With this stitch, you can make a sun, a star, a snowflake, an explosion...

333 Damask Darning Stitch

This is a beautiful Canvas stitch made up of two simple straight stitches, one vertical, the other horisontal. Yet it is hard to get it neat unless you use a grid for guidance.

334 Pachis Work Filling Stitch

Here is one of the great Indian stitches; again, only very simple parts are needed. Like the previous stitch, a grid is the key to success.

335 Hungarian Braided Chain Stitch

Some stitches come alive. This rich braided stitch can wiggle its way  across your foundation fabric,

Homework:

Queenie: Sunbonnet Sue, how on earth can I make a sampler out of these five stitches?

Sue: Trust me, you can. Just wait and see!

Friday Homework for Lesson 335: Hungarian Braided Chain Stitch

 What can you not like about this stitch? Nothing! It is simply wonderful, fantastic to stitch, elegant to look at and very useful. It takes curves nicely and could be used for text as well.

Aida Sampler

Sunday Stitch School Reference Chart

Mottled Wool Scribble Cloth

I used ribbon, which gives a very textured effect. You can almost see the 'snake' slithering away!

Good Bye Mottled Wool Scribble Cloth

The wool sampler is now filled with 137 different stitches.

 I started in the centre with #198 Whipped Wheatear, on 4th February 2022.

I finished on 20th August, 2025 with #335 Hungarian Braid Stitch.

The sampler was trimmed at the edges and equipped with a binding (I used a leftover apron sash made from shirt fabric).

For the next stitch, I will start a new sampler where a lovely red kimono silk will be the foundation.

WIPW - Handing over the Baton

Work In Progress Wednesday report of today shows the handing over of the baton. One sampler takes over from a full one.

Samplers

The Mottled Wool Sampler I use for Sunday Stitch School's homework is now full. I have trimmed the edges and put on a binding.

Here is a detail. I will show more on Friday.

I then selected fabric for a new sampler. This time, the freeform sampler is also of a challenging fabric - kimono silk. I added support fabric on all four sides to keep it steady in a hoop and give it good tension. 

Now, my worst fear is that this silk will be as hard to mark as the mottled wool was. After the upcoming revision Sunbonnet Sue Sampler, I will start stitching on the red kimono silk with stitch #336.

Sunday Stitch School Indigo Stitch Sampler 

The addition of #314 Split Stitch (purple), 

#315 Threaded Detached Chain Stitch (blue with green silk ribbon and orange metallic), 

#316 Detached Wheatear Stitch ( pink) and 

#317 Straight Stitch (metallic in various colours) can be seen here.

Mandala

I added another set of garland. There are now three done and five wedges to go.

Hexablooms

More assembly work. Totally,  I have 102 flower blocks stitched together.

Maintenance

This has nothing to do with stitching, but I cleaned the sewing machine of lint and grease. 

I wound a set of bobbins. I sorted out reels of thread and set aside bent pins for next year's 'Hari Kuyo' festival in Asakusa where broken pins and needles are stuck into a big block of tofu.

Storage

I sorted the leftover fabric pieces from the baby quilt-making and put them back in storage in my stash. The picture shows the unsorted pieces!

All in all, it's been a productive week.

Sunday Stitch School - Lesson 335: Hungarian Braid Chain Stitch

I have already introduced both the #37 Hungarian Stitch (a canvas stitch) and the #31 Braid Stitch (a nice braid). 

So it is time for a stitch whose name is made up of a combination of those two words. Add the word Chain and you have Hungarian Braid Chain. It will be the #335 stitch. 

Mary Corbet of Needle 'n Thread makes light work of this elegant braided stitch. Check out her video here:

You can also see it at Sarah's Hand Embroidery Tutorials, where it is named Braided Chain Stitch.

My step-by-step photo tutorial is here:

Go under the short stitch and into the same hole

you came out from.

For the second stitch, come out a bit below.

Go under the first short stitch once more.

Leave the new loop open and loose.

Like this.

Here is a better view of how it should look.

By doing this, it is easy to insert the needle 

under just the inner chain.

Now, pull tight.

From here, you just repeat the same

movements.

Make the last stitch before you anchor, short.

Pull through, and you have a nice finish.

Homework:

Add to these three samplers. This will be the last stitch on the Mottled Wool Scribble Cloth. I will soon show you the completed sampler and prepare a new one for future freehand stitching.