Progress! And Stem Stitch Tip No. 1 – Keep That Thread on The Right…or Left…or Top…or…

The tote bag project got a slow start, but I made major progress this weekend.  Here it is in its unfinished state:

Even though I’ve only finished some of the stem stitch portions, I’m learning a lot.  Stem stitch looks super-easy.  And, it is super-easy.  But it’s not completely idiot proof and … as a complete beginner…well…. Anything worth doing requires some practice!

First lesson I learned about stem stitch:  it is very, very important to keep your thread on the same side of the needle, stitch after stitch.  So, if I pull a stitch taut with the thread to the right of the needle, like this:

Then, I need to pull every stitch taut with the thread to the right of the needle.  If I don’t, I’ll get something like this.  Note the nice stem stitch at top left and how it goofs on the next stitch to the bottom right:

Wonky threads everywhere.  Not a lovely stem stitch.  It doesn’t seem to matter which side of the needle you put the thread on, as long as you’re consistent.  With a little practice and consistent thread placement, the stem stitch should be smooth and stem-y, like this:

Next time:  the difficulties of corners.  Happy Stitching!