Mountmellick stitch: Day 1

The Mountmellick stitch is the new-to-me stitch that I’m all excited about. I didn’t find a step-by-step in a quick search of the web. I’m still not able to access Needlecrafter’s so perhaps it is available there, for any of you who are able to use that site. I’m still hopeful that this is a temporary situation or that only my browser is at fault.

To start this stitch make a small diagonal stitch “a-b” and then bring the needle up at “c”. Then as shown below, slide the needle under the stitch “a-b”.

Now pull the thread though until its snug against the diagonal stitch “a=b” but not distorting it. (I have to say my sample here looks like it is distorted but I think it’s because I’m using the scanner and laying this against the glass that has caused the distortion seen here.)

Now reinsert the needle as pictured below to make a vertical stitch “a-c”. 

Now this next picture shows starting the second stitch. Everything is done as in the first stitch. But because there is a little trick to the final part I’ve decided to show this second stitch through to that point. 

Below is the tricky part and it was hard for me to get a good shot at this. To make this vertical stitch go back to “c” and reinsert the needle inside the loop made as you went up to make the last vertical stitch at “a-c”. This means the needle will be inserted between that loop and the little loop over the slanted stitch at “a-b”. This is easy to see, I think when actually doing it yourself. Once this is done now move on to complete the second stitch as shown in the second photograph for the first stitch.

A very plain sample.

Below is an “off grid” doodle using some of the recent stitches I’ve been working with including the Mountmellick stitch. In this piece I’ve used it in two over lapping, horizontal curved lines below the top area of purple and light blue threads.

Raised chain band: Day 3

I wanted to post a few more samples on the raised chain band before I move over to another stitch that I’ve been exploring this week. I can’t promise I’m leaving the raised chain band behind, because I still see so many more experiments I’d like to try.

The next two make an interesting comparison for me. They are both worked as grid fills. The first is worked on small horizontal straight stitches in three columns. The second, on a large arrow stitch column. The middle chain is worked over both sides of the point. I wish I’d tried  a single chain with a smaller arrow stitch column. I think it would work well with curves. 

Well, you see my dilemma, I’m excited about a new stitch. And I sit pondering all these other things I could do with this one.

More on the detached raised chain stitch

I’ve done a little more exploring with my needle on this idea of the detached raised chain stitch. The samples follow.

Below one straight stitch two chains with various sizing trials.

An unfinished doodle–some detached raised chain stitches and some raised chain bands.

Detached raised chain stitch?

Some of the work I did over the weekend made me think about doing a detached raised chain stitch. I liked the texture and its a very stable stitch. I tried hunting around for what it is and hope I’m not missing something obvious. Please don’t hesitate to leave a comment if you have any question about the step by step or can identify the stitch for me. Thanks very much.

Here are one color samples. As you can see the left sample has slanted stitches while the sample on the left is done as the step by step. The two color samples seem even more effective. Or perhaps I had more practice.

A dark green overdyed thread is used for the straight stitches in both these samples.

Raised chain band: Day 2

This raised chain band has caught my fancy. I’m having so much fun with it. In today’s post you’ll see some experiments with several types thread. I didn’t get a good photograph of my circle or some of the curves I’ve done with it, but they are easy to do.

  Three ply pima cotton

 A narrow knitted ribbon

One might almost think this sample below is a butterfly chain stitch. But it is the difference in the way the chain stitch is made that separate them, not how many straight stitches are gathered together. Many thanks to SharonB for her stitch dictionary.

The darker thread is a little thicker than a Perle 12. I didn’t like the looks of the Perle 12 bars with Perle 12 ties. But it might be the fabric I’m using is not geared for this thread.

Raised chain band: Day 1

I’ve been poking about for more stitches built on straight stitches and found this one. I’ve come to love working with in the past few days. There is a great drawing of how to work the stitch here. Many thanks to Classic Stitches.

Here are samples. I captured them when we had a few minutes of sun the other day. It’s a good thing because they are bulky and my scanner doesn’t do well with them.

The photograph above is the standard by the book sample. Below I start playing with colors.

Now to play with the background stitch a bit.

Breton Stitch: Day 2

More samples on the Breton stitch in today’s post. I’ve had a lot of fun playing with various aspects of the stitch. Who got me to look into this stitch? It was my friend, Anne Gailhbaud. This was one of the stitches on her list of great stitches to explore. Many thanks, Anne! I’m enjoying this stitch already. If you aren’t familiar with Anne’s website, please do check it out. 

Breton Stitch: Day 1

I’m doing a quick photograph of the Breton stitch in progress. Since I’m still not able to access Needlecrafters stitch diagrams, myself, I hesitate to point others there. Hopefully this is just a temporary situation and perhaps other browsers are able to access this valuable resource.

This diagram shows only one step–the crucial area I think. I’ve labeled other places. To start, bring your needle up through the ground at “a” and down at “b”. Then bring the needle back up through the fabric at “c”. Move you needle (as shown in the photograph) under the slanted stitch made at “a-b”. 

The next steps are not completed in the photograph, but I’ve indicated by arrows the places on the fabric where I would place the needle. Pull the thread through the stitch “a-b”. It should be snug but not tight. Do not allow the thread to distort the ground/fabric. Insert the needle down through the ground at “d” and bring it back up at “e”. Pull the thread through until it is nicely situated against the fabric. Now you are ready to repeat and make another slanted stitch like “a-b”. 

If you wish you may make two twists before inserting the needle at “d”. I’ve see diagrams in several books. Some showing only one twist others showing two. The samples I have in today’s post are using only one twist. But I’m sure I will be experimenting with two twists in upcoming posts. Please don’t hesitate to leave a comment if anything in the explanation about how to do the stitch is not clear. I will be happy to try and help or correct what I’ve done to be clearer.

Here are some samples from my work today. My apologies for some of the distortion seen in the photographs. I’m still trying to learn how to work with this scanner. I hope tomorrow I’ll either perfect the technique or the sun will be out in the central valley.

More on the Eskimo edging stitch

I can’t seem to leave this Eskimo edging stitch alone. I started working on the Breton stitch again yesterday. But some how I gravitated back to the Eskimo edging stitch. Here are the samples. You will see some influence from the Breton.

Just now with a quick glance across the net I didn’t see a good stitch dictionary example of the Breton stitch so here is a sample from some of the work I did yesterday. I think Needlecrafters has this stitch but at the moment their stitch dictionary is not linking up or else there is a problem with the new browser I’m having to use. Here is a snippet from what I was doing yesterday. I’m sure you will see some of my frustration with the stitch in the sample but it will give you a clue as to how the stitch works. I was making them very close together but of course they may be spread further apart.

Now here are the Eskimo edging samples.

Below is the first sample where I actually put in the twist.

Oops, no twist here. Maybe the influence wore off.

 

The sample above is threaded with a green thread through the middle. The sample below is interlaced by the looped portion of the Eskimo edging stitch itself.

Update: I just hit publish and found a new comment from Marty waiting for me. If you haven’t seen it already, please do go look at a beautiful variation she has done with the Eskimo edging stitch on her most recent post on the Midsummer’s Night crazy quilt. If you’re not familiar with Marty’s blog please take time to look around I’m sure that you would find much of interest in her work.

Another day of sorbello samples?

I think I’ve possibly wandered over into a close relative of the sorbello stitch with some of these samples. I hope you enjoy them regardless of by what name they should be identified.