Revision Homework - Stitches 246 - 250

This set of five stitches was one of the easiest and most rewarding ones to make a Sunbonnet Sue sampler of. They were perfect for

• a rose, 
• a comb, 
• a fan, 
• a zipper 
• and a frothy lacy loopy hem. 

Everything a signorina dancing the flamenco would ever need. Well, she is missing her castanets.

The fan caused me some trouble and I did add a few supporting stitches to keep the fan spread open.

Sunday Stitch School - Revision: Stitches 246 - 250

As we have completed another set of five new stitches, it is time to revise them and make a Sunbonnet Sue sampler.

Click on the title to get the stitch instructions.

246 Merrow Stitch

This is the stitch that looks like it has been done on a Merrow lock machine.

247 Scallop Blanket Stitch

Here is a pretty version of the Buttonhole Stitch. It is especially nice when worked in a variegated thread.

248 Surrey Stitch

This Canvas stitch gives you loops galore. Leave the loops uncut or snip them open into a nice fringe.

249 Fly Stitch Rose

This is the first ribbon embroidery stitch included in Sunday Stitch School. Of course, it can be made with other threads, too.

250 Danish Knot Chain Stitch

A stitch whose name we can't be sure of, but it sure is funny and charming. 

Surely you can see the wobbly tower of acrobats standing on each others' shoulders, or even heads sometimes! They must be sure of themselves to manage this balancing act.

Homework:

How can we use these five stitches for Sue? 

Well, let's use red as the main colour, and play around with the stitches.

Friday Homework for Lesson 248: Surrey Stitch

A heartfelt THANK YOU to all who have given advice on how to make the loops of Surrey Stitch even and neat.

A ruler or a pencil are good aids, and I remember from my childhood when my mother and grandmother made rya rugs that they used a special ruler. 

The memory of Rya rugs brought back a more recent memory, which should have come back to me earlier - that of making #93 Rya Stitch four years ago!

At that time I used a pin, and that is what helped me with this week's Surry Stitch, too.

Working in the hand instead of in a hoop gave me more flexibility to get the needle underneath the pin.

Here are the samplers:

Aida Sampler

Sunday Stitch School Reference Chart

Mottled Wool Scribble Cloth

I enjoyed making these samples and can now say that I like Surrey Stitch!  

So here is a note to self: Never give up! Never think that things remain permanent - even your dislike of a stitch! Viva Stitching!

Sunday Stitch School: Lesson 248 - Surrey Stitch

One part of learning is to accept and endure things you encounter and find you do not like. Of course, you have the choice to give up or skip a subject you dislike, anyway in free education and when you study by yourself!

On the other hand, if you choose to plod on, you a) will know for sure you dislike the subject matter, b) may learn to like it after all, and c) you will definitely have the right to feel proud that you fulfilled what you had set out to do.

Naturally, all this applies to embroidery and new stitches, too.

Today we have a stitch I have to admit I do not like. It is a canvas stitch with loops - Surry Stitch. I found it in two of my books, The Embroidery Stitch Bible and Mary Thomas's Dictionary of Embroidery Stitches.

Basically, it is an easy stitch, if you keep two things in mind.

1. The needle goes in two directions, up to down,

and right to left.

2. The needle always goes on top of the working thread:

Keeping those things in mind can't be that hard.

So what makes the stitch so troublesome? Well, it's all about tension and thread length. You have to try to keep every loop even in length.

Here is my photo instruction:

Start with a vertical stitch.

Leave a tail.

Pull the tail downward.

Make a horizontal stitch 

over the working tread

The first stitch is complete. Easy-peasy!

Make another vertical stitch.

NOW, form a LOOP the length

of the tail, and make the second 

horizontal stitch.

You have made your second stitch.

Repeat.

When you reach the end of your

stitching line, cut the thread, 

leaving a tail.

The Surry Stitch is neat and tidy on the back.

A second row is worked just above the first. Now you have the old loops as well as the new ones you are going to form to keep in check!

For clarity, I worked them in yellow.

Homework:

Apart form adding to the usual three samplers, try to find a way to stitch evenly!

Leave some loops as they are and cut open some, comparing the different looks.