This is a variation that I did while playing around with the up and down buttonhole stitch, this week’s TSTC. The start off…
Don’t do this–this is a picture of the start off completed and pulled tight. The reason not to pull it tight right now is because the loop must be a bit loose in order to insert the needle in the right place for the next step. However, I over exaggerated the looseness in this next picture so you could see where I’m putting the needle better.
Here’s that portion completed. 
The last prong is added…
The completed stitch. 
However, if you are going on with the stitching don’t bring the thread to the back let it travel like this…
Please note, that the tension should be tighter on the loop between the two groups of prongs. I left it loose so it would be clearer where I was inserting the needle.
If you know this stitch by some other name, I would like to learn about it. This is the most complex step by step I’ve attempted with photos. I would welcome feedback on either the pictures or words in order to improve things. Please leave a comment in either case. Thanks!
Follow up: As in the comment below SharonB saw this post and began working help identify the stitch variation. If you haven’t seen her article about it here is a link for you.
Quieter Moments 
Thank you Beth! I tried this all sorts of ways and couldn’t get it right.
The photos are great –
this sent me scurrying through my books, photocopies etc – I have alot of documented varieties of stitches (about800 stitches all up!) and I felt I had seen it before but could not find anything – I would love to know if anyone else has seen this -or worked the stitch in this way before – as it may be a new variety –
If you like varieties – You can do this stitch with one prong as a bullion knot – I have an example on this block
http://inaminuteago.com/crazyquilting/buttonquilt/buttonbox17.html
great stuff!
Way to go, Elizabeth!
looks great, thank you for taking the time to post the step by step pictures. it looks like a fleur de lys, but I don’t know if that is a stitch or not.
sara
very nice idea!
This looks great! I can imagine a whole row. It reminds me of a little crown stitch.
Susan, thanks for mentioning this. I did find a crown stitch in an on-line stitch dictionary here. You may have to click on the ‘library’ tab and then ‘stitches’ in the drop down menu to get the alphabetical listing. Fortunately, C is not too far down.
It looks like a great stitch and I can see the similarity, too. The working of the stitch is different, however. But this looks like one that would be well worth taking a little time to learn.
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