Friday Revision Homework - Stitches 91 - 95

Wow! Of all the 19 Sunbonnet Sues I have made with Sunday Stitch School's stitches, this one was the most fun.

Here a prehistoric Sue is a Viking maiden weaving a Rya rug, a 'fake fur' coverlet.

I used stitch #91 Double Fly for the flowers,
#92 Parma for the timber weaving frame,
#93 Rya for the fluffy tufts of wool in the weave, as well as Sue's long hair,
#94 Smyrna for decorations on her dress and
#95 Chemanthy for the sun - Vikings worshipped the sun.
The rest of the picture is made up of Stem Stitch (outlines of body, and warp) and Needle Weaving (weft).

I hope the next set of five stitches will give me as much enjoyment!

Sunday Stitch School - Revision: Stitches 91 - 95

As we have learned five new stitches it is time for a revision lesson.
Click on the name for each stitch to get to instructions, pictures and homework.

91 Double Fly Stitch

I am sure you already know the Fly Stitch, so piling one on top of the other is easy.

92 Parma Stitch

This Italian stitch gives you a rich and elegant thick line. It is based on two well-known stitches, Chain and Buttonhole.

93 Rya Stitch

When Rya Stitch is used for making pile carpets it is of course used as a filling stitch, but it is very decorative just as a single loopy line. 

Many a doll has been given hair of Rya Stitch.

In the past Rya was also a weaving technique used by the Vikings to make 'fake fur' - more exotic than real fur which was easy to come by in the forests of Scandinavia.

94 Smyrna Stitch

An easy stitch that quickly and effortlessly fills up a large area.

95 Chemanthy Stitch (simple version)

This most beautiful Indian stitch is surprisingly easy. Think of all the ways it could be used for flowers, the sun, wheels, coins, the moon...

I love the spiral, spinning look.

Homework:

Use the stitches above to illustrate what Sunbonnet Sue is up to. Here is a teaser:

Friday Homework for Lesson 94: Smyrna Stitch

The Smyrna Stitch is easy, fast and fun to do. You can set yourself in autopilot and think of other things while working!

Aida Sampler

Sunday Stitch Reference Chart

Canvas Sampler

Worked on canvas as a filling stitch, it reminds me of Moss Stitch.

See below:

Sunday Stitch School - Lesson 94: Smyrna Stitch

While reading Hokkaido Kudasai, where Pamela showcases her fantastic collection of needle keeps, I was reminded of a nice stitch, on her Bee Pin Keep, the Smyrna Stitch.

Smyrna Stitch is basically made up of a Cross Stitch staggered with an Upright Cross Stitch. Easy to do, yet stylish. Furthermore, it is a nice filling stitch and is popular in Canvas Work.

It also goes under the names of Leviathan Stitch, Double Cross Stitch (although there is another Canvas stitch with this name) and Railway Stitch.
Updated: In French, according to Mattia, it is also called Smyrna Point.

Work it like this:

Make a Cross Stitch over an odd number of holes, here I used five.

Come out in the middle hole on the left side.

 Go across to the right side, middle hole,
and up to the middle of the top line.

Then down in the bottom centre.

 Easy and compact.

Homework:
Aida Sampler
Sunday Stitch School Reference Chart
Canvas Sampler (it's been a long time since I added something here!)