We have now reached 'M' in this alphabetically arranged list of embroidery stitches. Today's lesson features a stitch called Mountmellick Stitch. It is one of the main stitches of the Irish Mountmellick embroidery. It has an interesting history and no one can tell it better than Nordic Needle. Read it here.
The stitch is not all new to me, in my personal needlework history, I have used it a number of times. Once I found it in a library book and gave it a try. Beautiful result. Then I took part in a workshop of Mountmellick Embroidery at the Festival of Quilts in Birmingham some years back. We started on a small panel and completed it at home.
This form of Whitework has no pulled stitches nor any cut areas or eyelets. It should be stitched on sturdy fabric with a strong thread, and be able to withstand harsh washing, even boiling.
I think the stitch is very pretty in itself and can be used for any kind of embroidery, stitched on any type of fabric and with any kind of thread.
Work it like this:
On my Aida sampler it looks like this:
Where you can see I have changed the spacing and length of the 'legs'.
Homework:
You have free hands to do something with this piece of red cotton and variegated mint green #8Pearl.
Unlike the last stitch (Lace Stitch) the Mountmellick Stitch has no other name, to my knowledge. I even doubt it has a foreign name.
Mattia has just told me that it is called Broderie Mountmellick in French, but I think that might refer to the embroidery style so I guess it would be called Point Mountmellick ?
