100 Stitches - Zig-Zag Hemstitch

Time for me to share another stitch I have learned from 100 Stitches.  This intricate looking stitch is the Zig-Zag Hemstitch.

I did this stitch with this beautiful green perle cotton floss.  This is DMC #988.

This stitch is from the Drawn Thread Embroidery category, so it requires a little set-up with the fabric.   The drawn thread stitches require you to pull either the horizontal threads or vertical the threads {depending on the stitch} from the designated stitching area and then work the stitch over the remaining threads.  It will result in a beautiful open look.  First, I basted around the area I was going to work the stitch on. From reading the instructions, I knew I would be removing the horizontal threads.  I also knew this stitch was going to require an even number of vertical threads so I counted twenty-four vertical threads across for the length.  The number of horizontal threads did not matter so I counted eight horizontal threads for the width top to bottom:

I carefully snipped each horizontal thread at either edge of the basting lines:

I used a needle to carefully pull the horizontal threads out: 

Once they were all out and only the vertical threads remained, I took out my green basting stitches:

This stitch is worked from right to left in the same method as the Hemstitch.  Start by coming up through the fabric on the right top edge:

Then slide the needle under an even number of the vertical threads.  I used four.  Pull all the way through: 

Bring your needle around and slip the needle behind the same group of threads but this time come up under and through the fabric above the stitching line:

Pull all the way through, you will see that first group of four threads has been pulled together:

That is all there is to this part, just continue across the open space doing the same two steps as above:  

When you get all the way across to the left edge, your threads will be neatly sectioned off into groups.  There were no instructions for ending this part so I just went back into the fabric at the left edge and secured my floss underneath.

The next part is also worked from right to left, this time coming up on the right edge just below the open area:

On this part of the stitch, slide the needle behind two of the threads from the first group and two of the threads from the second group:

Pull all the way through: 

Bring the needle back around and slide it behind the same threads but time come under and out through the fabric below the stitching line:

Pull all the way through and you can see the two sets of threads drawn together. 

Just continue in this same way across the bottom all the way to the left edge:

 Here is what the stitch looks like on the underside:

This beautiful stitch is really quite easy to do. This is stitch #77 and is found in the Drawn Thread Embroidery Section of 100 Stitches.