Reversed Fly Stitch

Time for another 100 Stitches Plus post.  I have just learned to do the Reversed Fly Stitch.

Isn't this a beautiful stitch?  This is used as either a line or a filling stitch.

For my demonstration, I am using perle cotton floss - this is DMC Color Variations no. 4022.

The first step is to form a regular Fly Stitch.  Come up through the fabric:

pull all the way through:

go back into the fabric a little to the right of where your needle first emerged:

Start pulling the floss through and you can see a loop forming:

Now before pulling all the way through, come back up through the fabric - notice the needle is coming up  between and a bit below the spots where the floss first emerged and first went back into the fabric.  Also, the needle will pass over the floss loop as you pull:

When you have pulled all the way through, go back into the fabric and this will complete the Fly Stitch:

Now for the reversed part of the Reversed Fly Stitch!  Start by coming up through the fabric below your first Fly Stitch:

Pull all the way through and go back into the fabric a little to the right of where the floss just emerged:

 Start pulling through to form the loop:

and just like before, bring your needle up through the fabric as the loop is forming.  Notice that the needle is coming up above the first Fly Stitch:

Pull all the way through:

and go back into the fabric to complete the stitch:

Done!  This stitch looks really beautiful when done in columns or rows:

I did a column of three - I am going to practice with different spacing and trying this in rows.  

Here is a view of the underside of this stitch:

I learned this stitch from the book Embroidery Stitches by Mary Webb.

Easter Embroidery Project

 I am getting started on a new embroidery project.  Hopefully, I can get this done before Easter.  

You may remember the Easter napkin set I made last year?  I finished that one right in time as well :)

This year, I am embroidering an egg basket with flowers and a spring flower border.  Both of these motifs are from the Easter embroidery pattern set.

For the ribbon and basket edges, I am using the Double Knot Stitch,  I just love using this stitch! 
To fill the inside of the ribbon, I may do a Straight Stitch in a single strand of floss.  

I have made a few color selections and I may add some more.  I will make sure to post my progress. 

Shamrock Wreath

I wanted to share a project I recently finished for St. Patrick's day.  This shamrock wreath. 
I used a motif from my St. Patrick's day embroidery pattern set.  For the floss, I used perle cotton in three shades of green and gold metallic floss. 

The shamrock stems are done with Back Stitch, the leaves are done with Blanket Stitch and the gold dots are French Knots.  

Here is the color palette {with floss numbers} that I used for this project:

  
I still have plenty of time before the 17th for stitching something else from this set!