WIPW - A Cornucopia Spills Out

There is only one project to show progress on for the Work In Progress Wednesday.

Sunday Stitch School Stitch Sampler

One place of the design is almost like a cornucopia, so why not let it spill out lots of beautiful individual stitches? More to come next week.

#84 Star Darn Stitch (yellow), #209 Padded Cross (orange), #80 Corded Bar (teal) and #86 Anklet Stitch (beige).

Sunday Stitch School - Revision: Stitches 86 - 90

The last five stitches have all been very different. Anklet Stitch was a new find, Open Wave Stitch a nice filling stitch, Zig-zag Cable Chain a revelation, Chequered Chain Band a source of great confusion and finally Methodist Knot Stitch an easy and interesting linear stitch.

Let's review them. Click on the title for instructions and related blogposts.

86 Anklet Stitch

I found this stitch in a Swedish book, it turns out it is an Indian stitch, called Muvvala, which means anklet.

I like the potential this has to make a nice border, or to be used as individual ornamental stitches.

It is slightly difficult to get even on plain weave, but on Aida or even weave you get instant success.

87 Open Wave Stitch

This stitch is great for quickly filling a large area.

88 Zig-zag Cable Chain Stitch

I am sure I am not the only one who has had problems with making the Zig-zag Chain Stitch lie flat and even. 

It has a sister stitch, the cabled version, Zig-zag Cable Chain Stitch, and this is the solution to our problems. That little cable link is all that is needed to tame the unruly loops.

89 Chequered Chain Band

What a stitch! I found it in books and online, but all instructions were confusing. 

So I thought I was smart when I made my own photo instructions and marked the most important of the four threads with a star. 

However, where I found this easy to understand, my photos have been confusing for others. Instead of a nice 'Magic Chain' look, the threads tangled up in knots. I am so sorry for all the 'try, and try agains' that have been going on.

I have now updated the instructions with additional photos that I hope clear up the knotty problem.

90 Methodist Knot Stitch

This is basically a quilting stitch, used by Methodists obviously.
It uses up a LOT of thread as it is based on Back Stitch, and is difficult to reverse stitch.
Furthermore, on the back, you get 'toe-catching' long stitches.
On the other hand, it is a sturdy and strong stitch holding the layers together, and to boot, it's easy to stitch.

Homework:
As usual, the revision homework is to use the five stitches above in a Sunbonnet Sue design.

What is Sue up to this time, I wonder?

Friday Homework for Lesson 86: Anklet Stitch

It was interesting to see how the simple Fly Stitch can look when worked in this way.
Thank you to Deepa, who added more information. I think the Indian name, Muvvala Stitch is nice.

My homework:

Teal Tailoring Wool Scribble Cloth

Sunday Stitch School Reference Chart

Aida Sampler

Sunday Stitch School - Lesson 86: Anklet Stitch

Let's learn an Indian stitch today.
I first came across it in this beautiful book by Karin Derland.

'Brodera Fritt på Ylle' is about Swedish Free form embroidery on wool.
One of the stitches included is called Anklet Stitch. Why would you introduce an Indian stitch in a Swedish book? Because it is such an attractive stitch, of course!

I had never seen Anklet Stitch before, but after some research I found it is used in Indian embroidery for borders or around shisha mirrors.

You can read more about it here at Summers of India. Ms Sharma has made some interesting stitch variations and her instructions are very clear. Don't miss it!

Anyway these are my step-by-step photographs:

Make a Fly Stitch

but insert the end of the tail

not straight below the V, but to the right

Make a new Fly Stitch, staggered




and insert its tail to the left, in the same hole as the  previous tail.


You now have a V below a W.
 

 With longer tails the stitch looks different.

Repeat it many times and you have a nice border.
Use it individually for a Crazy Quilt block and add French Knot flowers in the cups.

Homework:
Include the Anklet Stitch on these three pieces: