100 Stitches - Buttonhole Stitch Bars and Double Buttonhole Stitch Bars

Time to show the latest stitch I have learned from 100 Stitches.  Actually, I should say the latest stitches.  These are the buttonhole stitch bars and the double buttonhole stitch bars. They are listed together on the 100 Stitches list.

These are both very easy to do stitches.  According to 100 Stitches, they are used in cut-work embroidery, which I have only done once (remember this disaster?!).  The buttonhole stitch bars (shown on the left) can be used to bridge a large open space and once stitched, you can cut away the fabric underneath it.  The double buttonhole stitch bars can be used as a broad bar between shapes and once stitched, the fabric on either side of the bar can be cut away.

I think both of these look particularly nice done with the pearl cotton variations floss - this is DMC #4025

I drew guidelines for both of the stitches. The buttonhole stitch bars only need one line but the double needs two.

The first example is the buttonhole stitch bars.  This stitch is made up of two straight stitches with a line of buttonhole stitches worked over the straight stitches.  This is worked from left to right. The first step is to come up through the fabric on the left end of the guideline:

Pull through and make a straight stitch by going back into the fabric at the right side end of the guideline.  Now come back up at the right end of the guideline and make another straight stitch alongside the first straight stitch:

Come back up through the fabric at the left end of the guideline, under the two straight stitches:

Bring your working floss around in a big loop and slide your needle under the two straight stitches, don't go into the fabric or pick up any fabric, just slide the needle under the straight stitches.

Then your needle tip should go OVER the working thread at the bottom of the loop.  Keep pulling:

Pull all the way through until a stitch is formed snug up against the straight stitches. 

Now, just like before, bring your working floss around in a big loop and again, slide your needle under the straight stitches and over the working floss.  Work these stitches close together and just keep doing these stitches along the straight stitches:

until you reach the end.  To finish, go back into the fabric and secure your working floss.  Easy!

Now the double buttonhole stitch bars.   The first step for this stitch is to do a running stitch inbetween the two guidlines.  This is to provide padding for the double buttonhole stitch bars:

The first step is to come up through the fabric on the left end of the guideline.  The double buttonhole stitch bars are really just two lines of buttonhole stitches:

Start the first line of buttonhole stitch by bringing your working floss around in a loop but now the needle goes into the fabric on the top guideline and comes out of the fabric on the bottom guideline right to the right of where the thread first emerged.  The needle tip now passes over the working thread:

Pull all the way through and take the working floss around in a big loop and go back into the fabric on the top line a little to the right of your first buttonhole stitch.  You need a little space between these stitches for the second line of buttonhole stitches:

Work this first line of buttonhole stitches from left to right until you are at the end of the bottom guideline.  Go back into the fabric and pull all the way through.

Now turn your hoop around so that the top guideline is now at the bottom.  Come up at the left end:

Bring the working floss around in a loop and put your needle back into the fabric just below the edge of stitches created by the first row of double buttonhole stitch. 

Basically, this row of buttonhole stitches is stitched in the spaces left by the first row:

Stitch to the end and go back into the fabric and secure the thread on the underside:

Here is an underside view of both stitches:

And a final view of the tops:

These stitches are together as number 28 on the 100 Stitches list.  They are in the looped stitches category.