Back Stitch!

I've completed the stem stitch and back stitch on the tote bag project.  The back stitch is very, very easy.  Much easier to make it look smooth and pretty than stem stitch, which isn't exactly rocket science itself!
Wild Olive has some lovely pictures to illustrate back stitch on her blog here.

Here's the back stitch on my bag (it's the little red ovals):

Next up, a simple chain stitch for the yellow flower centers (you can see a little of it above), wash off the blue disappearing ink, and my tote will be ready for work/gym duty!

Embroidery Provides an Important Life Lesson

Isn’t it cool how anything you set our mind to will, inevitably, provide a reminder of important life lessons if you pay attention?  My recent Embroidery Life Lesson moment came when I got tired of goofing up my stem stitches and decided to…gasp…tear them out and try again!

I am one of those people:  reluctant to ask directions, refusing to make u-turns, and generally biased toward whatever’s next on the list.  But sometimes, you should just rip out your stitches and try again.  It’s ok.  Trying again is not the same as admitting defeat.  And, the yarn won’t instantly fray.  And, the final result will look much, much better!

Now:  On to Backstitch!

Stem Stitch Tip No. 3 – Right to Left vs. Left to Right

The tote bag project has a unique wrinkle.  Access to the back of the work is limited by the sides and bottom of the bag.  So, it is not always possible to turn the work. 

On a flat piece in a hoop, I would probably turn the work so that, on a curvy line, I would always be working from left to right, just like in the stitchery instructions.  But with the tote, I sometimes find myself stitching from right to left, which is backwards from the stitchery instructions.  Maybe that would be easier if I were left handed … The stitch instructions are like a little dance diagram:  

When I turn the work a funny direction, the stitches are backwards.   It’s like dancing the lead from a follower’s dance diagram.  It was confusing, and I messed up some early stem stitch pieces that way. 

As I practiced more, I got to understand the stitch the ‘correct,’ left-to-right way.  Then, it was much easier to do it backward on those odd spots where I could not do it the right way.  When I became more conscious of the direction of my stitches, what the stitch should look like, and where my needle was going, I managed to make a stem stitch in every direction.

So the tip is….practice makes perfect!  Of course, all my practice is still on my tote bag, but we’ll just say that all those messy stitches give it character!

Stem Stitch Tip No. 2 – Turning Corners

Ok, maybe this isn’t really a tip.  It’s a problem.  I’ve found one solution, but there are probably better ones.  I’m open to suggestions, readers!

Stem Stitch Tip No. 1 was all about the need to pull the stitches taut with the thread on a consistent side of the needle.  Once I mastered that, I got good smooth arcing curves.  But, stem stitch is harder around sharp curves, and seems almost impossible around sharp angled corners.  For curves that are still curves, and don’t take a 90 degree turn, the remedy is to shorten the stitches as the curve gets sharper.  This lets you adjust the curve more often and keeps the stitches looking smooth:

Now for unresolved embroidery conflict!  Angles don’t seem really well suited for stem stitch.  My solution to this problem, so far, has been to stop the stem stitch at a corner and restart on the other side:

It’s not a disaster, but I doubt the Queen’s stitchers over at the Royal Academy do it this way.  If anyone has pointers, please share!

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!

Royal School of Needlework - Amazing!

Wow!  Here I am... stitching away... and looking for advice on how to make my first three real embroidery stitches straighter and lovelier and I find...The Royal School of Needlework.

Good gravy, the Brits have it all, embroidery-wise.

Apparently, the Royal School did the lace on the Dutchess of Cambridge's wedding dress.  And trained Erica Wilson.  And fix all the embroidery for all the castles and churches in England, it seems.

Check it out - their website has some beautiful pictures and you'll wish you could dedicate your life (or at least your post-graduate education) to stitchery!

Meet My New Stitches: Back Stitch, Stem Stitch, and Chain Stitch!

In the star ornament project, I used a running stitch exclusively.  It is easy as pie.  Put the needle through the cloth wherever you want, and bring it back up wherever you want.  Basic caveman stitching.

The new tote bag project uses three basic stitches - the back stitch, the stem stitch, and the chain stitch.  All three are simple, and the combination leads to a subtly textured effect on the tote.

The directions in the kit I'm using provide nice illustrations of the stitches, but I wanted to share an online resource for these stitches and others.  Wild Olive has a lovely set of Embroidery Basics on her blog.  And, Mary Corbet's Needle 'n Thread has videos!  I'm picking up wonderful tips on how to make a pretty back stitch, stem stitch, and chain stitch from these stitchers.

As I learn more about both embroidery and blogging, I'll add a set of references to the side panel of this blog.

New Year - New Project!

Happy New Year everyone,

For my second project, I am going to embroider a pre-printed tote bag from Martha Stewart.

I know...I know!  In my very first post, I promised to design my embroidery from scratch.  Please don't be disappointed with me.  I'm in desperate need of a tote bag to lug clothes to and from the gym.  And no ugly tote will do!  So, to get a new tote bag - pronto - and still make an embroidery project out of it, I'm going to save time by using an existing design.

Besides, Martha's design is lovely, with several pinky-red starbursts with yellow centers on a heavy natural cotton bag.  The thread appears to be a cotton embroidery floss, and the packaging says its Martha's own colors.  Here's a look.  You can also see the printed design on the tote, which will wash out.

I will start stitching tonight.  Talk to you soon!