Sunday, 8 March 2026

Sunday Stitch School - Lesson 356: Brueten Stitch

First, let me start the lesson with a bit of information about the Japanese language.

Japanese writing is made up of four types of script: 

1) Kanji, where each individual character has a meaning, and combined with others, make up words (冬 winter + 花 flower = 冬花 winter flowers). A problem is that there is no indication of how to pronounce the characters.

2) Roman letters  (Aa, Bb, Cc ....), which are often used for well-known abbreviations (SOS, WC, BMW) or iconic names (Toyota, Hello Kitty, MIKIMOTO)

3) Hiragana is a phonetic alphabet with a total of 71 characters/combinations of characters. Children's books are often written in Hiragana. (ね ne    こ ko     ねこ neko = cat). Hiragana is also often used to indicate the sound of difficult or unusual kanji. It is then written in small print next to the kanji characters.

4) Katakana is also a phonetic alphabet. It, too, is made up of 71 characters and combinations. Katakana, however,  is used to write out the sound of foreign words. クku   ロro   スsu   クロス = Cross.   For example, Cross Stitch is written クロスステッチ

So, when I looked in '1000のステッチ',  called 'The Technique for over 1000 Stitches Embroidery' in English, I found a stitch whose name was written in Katakana, i.e. a foreign name.

                                            ブリューテンステッチ  

Now, how would you write that in Roman letters?  Brüten Stitch? Brueten Stitch? Bryten Stitch?

What language is it? German? Dutch? Norwegian? English?


I am sorry, but I have not found any stitches by that name in any of my other stitch dictionaries or online.

If you know the official name of this stitch, where it is from and how to spell it, please leave a comment below.

Until I know better, I'll use this spelling -  'Brueten Stitch' . It is made up of four Detached Lazy Daisy Stitches, where you pull the chain out of shape, and the result is a cross. Let me illustrate it with these photos:


Mark the cross or use a gridded fabric.




Don't anchor the stitch, instead pull it out of shape.


You will get a lump


Repeat in a different direction of the cross.






You could stop here, for a single version.

1000のステッチ though shows a double version,

so repeat with a second set of pulled Chain  Stitches.



Anchor in the middle.


If you opened up the arms of the cross,

you could make a sun!














Friday, 6 March 2026

Friday Revision Homework - Stitches 351 - 355

Finally, Sunbonnet Sue is here! 

Sue needed to STRETCH the time with an extra week before she could show up here for the Revision Homework of stitches 351 - 355.

What has she been doing, then? Well, she's been STRETCHING and working out in the gym to be bikini fit for summer!







Wednesday, 4 March 2026

WIPW - Back to some form of Normal

 This week I can report that I am back on track on my Work In Progress Wednesday projects.


Hexablooms

I am now stitching the long bands of hexiflower blocks previously made, 


to the flimsy.






Sunday Stitch School Indigo Sampler

I will have to add the latest stitches to this sampler tonight before the end of Wednesday.











Sunday, 1 March 2026

Sunday Stitch School - Friday Homework Progress Report

 I have gradually got some free time, which I have spent on stitching. 

Therefore, I  have made some progress on the review homework for stitches 351 - 355. Sunebonnet Sue is not finished, but here is a snippet of Stem Stitch with Buttonhole Loop. Surely the stitch ought to be called ....Buttonhole Cross!



The full picture will be published on Friday.

Friday, 27 February 2026

Friday Revision Homework - Stitches: 351 - 355 NOT FINISHED

Yes, just as I guessed, I have not managed to finish this week's homework. I will show the completed Sunbonnet Sue sampler next Friday.


Also, there will be no new stitch on Sunday. My needle is sleeping.








Wednesday, 25 February 2026

WIPW - Scant Progress

Most of my time has been taken up with paperwork for work, so Work In Progress Wednesday quilting and sewing progress has been scant.


Hexablooms

I just prepared some more hexagons and hexagon flower blocks.


............................................................................................

I hope to have the Sunbonnet Sue homework done by Friday, but I might not manage it.

Sunday, 22 February 2026

Sunday Stitch School - Revision: Stitches 351 - 355

 It's time to review


351 Twisted Chain Stitch (Learn it here)




352 Battlements Stitch (Learn it here)




353 Brick and Cross Filling Stitch (Learn it here)





354 Stem Stitch with Buttonhole Loop (Learn it here)






355 Double Wave Stitch (Learn it here)




Homework:

Make a stitch sampler with Sunbonnet Sue.





Friday, 20 February 2026

Friday Homework for Lesson 355: Double Wave Stitch

The name of this stitch pulled me down a deep rabbit hole. I have found a number of stitches that include the word Wave.

The first four are well documented, as you will see. Basically, they are the same in looks, but are started with either a short Straight Stitch or a Fly Stitch. Open and Closed explain how close they are placed to each other.

Royal School of Needlework's Stitch Bank: RSN
Reader's Digest Complete Book of Embroidery: RD
Mary Thomas's Dictionary of Embroidery Stitches: MT
Sarah's Hand Embroidery Tutorials: Sarah's
The Embroidery Stitch Bible: Stitch Bible
A-Z of Embroidery Stitches 2: A-Z2
The Techniques for 1000 Stitches: 1000

Here is a summary in sketch form:




1. Wave Stitch (Straight Stitch)                  RSN/RD
2. Wave Stitch ( Fly Stitch)     Sarah’s
3. Closed Wave Stitch (Straight Stitch)      RSN/MT/Stitch Bible
4. Open Wave Stitch (Straight Stitch) MT
I used it for Sunday Stitch School's #87 stitch


…………………………………………………………………………………………..
Number 5 is totally different, use no foundation stitch to start with, and is used for Pulled Work

                                                              
5. Wave Stitch Filling RSN/MT/A-Z2

The triangle is pulled out of shape and has no pointed V-shape.

…………………………………………………………………………………………..
And here is the latest Sunday Stitch School stitch, #355, which is used for Surface Embroidery

6. Double Wave Stitch (surface stitch)     1000 

.........................................................................................................................................

Eventually, I will introduce a single version of it - my own interpretation.

7. Single Wave Stitch      to be introduced by Queenie



......................................................................................................................................
Finally, for the Homework:

Aida Sampler



Sunday Stitch School Reference Chart


Red Kimono Silk Scribble Cloth





Wednesday, 18 February 2026

WIPW - 100 Hina Dolls & A Birthday Present

Work In Progress Wednesday. 


A Birthday Present

I had a plain store-bought pot holder, and it was easy to decorate it with an appliqué Hexagon Flower block. I also added a line of Knotted Feather Stitch along the bias tape edging.



Hina Hanging Doll Ornaments

To start, do you know about the Japanese festival of Hina? If not, please read last year's blog entry. You can also click on HINA in the tabs above.

Every year, I aim to make three new ornaments to add to the mobile of Hanging Hina Dolls.

Last year, the count was 97 small dolls and other ornaments made of scraps of kimono silk and Japanese crêpe, chirimen.  With the three new ones, I now have 100 (one hundred!)  Hina ornaments!


This year I made 

1) an open needle keep, to hope for good sewing results in the future. The keep has two threaded needles and one floral pin.

2) a Dalecarlean horse, in celebration of the Year of the Horse

3) a cherry blossom, as I expect the cherry trees will start blooming earlier than usual this year








Hexablooms

I made a few white hexagons, and I also cut out new cards to stretch the fabric over. Slow work, lack of time...











Sunday, 15 February 2026

Sunday Stitch School - Lesson 355: Double Wave Stitch

 I found this stitch in a library book, the Japanese '1000のステッチ',  called 'The Techniques for Over 1000 Stitches Embroidery' in English, although there is no translation. The Japanese issue is out of print.


Here is my photo tutorial for this very easy stitch:










It almost looks like a line of slanted Seed Stitches!


Homework: