Tuesday, March 12, 2013

100 Stitches - Knotted Insertion Stitch


Time to show the latest stitch I have learned on my 100 Stitches journey.  This lovely stitch is the Knotted Insertion Stitch:
 

This is an insertion stitch and just like the Buttonhole Insertion and Twisted Insertion Stitches,



the purpose of the stitch is to hold two pieces of fabric together:




To set up this stitch, I took two pieces of fabric, and folded an edge under on each piece.  This is just for my demonstration, if I were doing this on a project, I would have hemmed each edge!   I lined the two pieces of fabric up on a piece of stiff paper:




I spaced them about 1/4" apart and then stitched the fabric to the stiff paper with some white pearl cotton floss:



To stitch the stitch, I used some different pearl cotton floss, this pretty blue - this is color variations #4025 by DMC.


I knotted the end of the floss and came through the fabric in the folded over edge.  This will hide the knot:



Then I pulled the floss all the way through:


Now according to 100 Stitches, this is just making Buttonhole Stitches on the edge of the fabric, alternating side to side and adding a second stitch over the loops.  So I set up my needle just like a Buttonhole Stitch.  I went into the fabric and came back out right on the folded edge.  I didn't go through both layers of fabric just the top layer.  I pulled the needle all the way through and passed over the working thread:



This left me with two threads - one on the top and one emerging from the fold:


Next, I brought the needle around and under the two threads:






























I went under those two threads but over the working thread - this makes a sort of loop:



I kept pulling and a knot began to form:


Done! 



Now I went to the opposite side and do the same steps: set up like a Buttonhole Stitch:


Pull through:


Bring the needle around and go under the two threads:


but over the working thread:



and pull through to form the knot:



Then back to the opposite side and start again:


I just kept stitching on alternate sides:



until I was at the end of the fabric.  100 Stitches didn't explain how to finish this, so I just went back into the fold of the fabric at the end and tied a small knot to secure my floss.



Then I cut away the stitches that were holding the fabric to the paper and admired the finished stitching!



I really enjoyed learning how to do this stitch.  I think it is so beautiful.  
This stitch is in the Insertion Stitches category and is #100 on the 100 Stitches list.  I didn't do these stitches in any sort of order, so I am not finished with the list yet - I still have 22 more stitches to learn! 

3 comments:

Jane S. said...

That really is a pretty one! I like the little knots, they accent the stitch very nicely. :)

Sparklyjools said...

Beautiful stitching, as always Kim, another excellent tutorial!

Angela Lee said...

Kim, that is such a pretty stitch! I could see this used in heirloom sewing!