the eyelet stitch.
I love the eyelet stitch.
I love old samplers
with eyelet stitches.
I just don't
love
stitching them...
I'm trying to master this stitch.
Trying to per-fect it,
and
I still struggle...
A future pattern,
Strawberry Hill will have a few
eyelet stitches in it.
Nothing too showy,
not a lot of contrast between linen and floss...
just for a few eyelet stitches
here and there
for texture,
here and there
for texture,
really.
Here's a peak...
I see a couple of eyelets that need frogging.
It's my tension,
I'm not pulling the floss tight enough
and
having problems with the tension of the
first stitch.
I am currently just holding my loose end
on the backside.
My next attempt will be using a waste knot,
sort of method...
I'm thinking this may allow me to pull the threads tension
on that first stitch as it gets
woven through some stitches to secure.
Do we have any master eyelet stitchers out there?
What is your method?
Inquiring minds want to know...
So as I sit and stitch,
and frog,
my eyelet stitches,
I look around
the house
at
these.
Old samplers...
my eyes fixating
on the eyelets stitches,
the floss tension...
and
I find myself
in total amazement,
that a 10 year old
could
make such beautiful
eyelet stitches...
(sigh)
I tell myself,
if a 10 year old
can stitch
a perfect
eyelet stitch,
so can I...
Practice.
Practice.
Practice.
With thy Needle & Thread,
Brenda
Hi Brenda - I love what I can see of your new design - beautiful colors. I thought I'd pass along the one piece of advice I'd been given when stitching any kind of pulled stitches - pull only when your needle is on the right side of the canvas/linen. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteBrenda, when I pull I make sure to pull angling my thread away from the center. That way the center opens up but the square outside doesn't pull away as much from the surrounding linen. I also use a waste knot and know that my first pull will not be as tight as the rest. My first stitch is just to the right of the top vertical stitch, then I go clockwise so my last stitch is the top center. You're right, practice, practice, practice.
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to take on the challenge to learn how to make a eyelet stitch, it will be the first for me. When your done it will be beautiful.....I will have to practice practice practice..
ReplyDeleteAnd your granddaughter is beautiful, congarts.
Jodi
Not sure if this helps. But with my eyelets in Hardanger, I use a toothpick to start the center. That way the are all the same size.
ReplyDelete"...a couple of hard-and-fast rules:
ReplyDeleteRule 1: Begin your stitch at the center of a side. Do not begin on a corner, this creates uneven distortion in the finished project.
Rule 2: Come up with your needle at the perimeter of the stitch, and push your needle through the center. This will open the eye without bunching the fabric threads around it."
There are probably 10 ways to make them perfectly. This article didn't say anything about practice - but I sure do know that I need lots more!
Can't wait to get that new pattern. It looks fabulous. The only eyelet "secret" that I know is to pull tight when you go down in the center hole, not on the outside of the stitch, and depending on the design, you might need to do half eyelets and then come around to finish them, to avoid having any threads show behind the hole. And your school girl samplers are beautiful. Maybe those girls had no other distractions.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely love all the pictures of your samplers.
ReplyDeleteI agree with all the previous comments....practice, tension and angle of needle are important. Never used a toothpick, hmmm. Interesting, might try that next time.
Have a great day Brenda.
Suzanne
Your new pattern looks amazing Brenda!! I love the soft colours and eyelet stitching!! Those girls were so talented weren't they! And so young!!
ReplyDeletebeautiful grandbabies and beautiful stitchen! enjoy your evening!
ReplyDeleteSome good tips so far. I sometimes insert the head of my needle in the hole when I finish the eyelet and kinda make a circular motion with it to round out the hole.
ReplyDeleteTension is key to making them uniform, nice little tug when going down in the center.
Hope you have good luck with your eyelets! You have lots of great suggestions. As I looked at your samplers I found myself hoping you will chart and sell your Mary Hood sampler.
ReplyDeleteI,too, have always been amazed at the abilities of these young girls in their needlework.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with the eyelets. I love the looks of this new design so I guess I'd better get practising too!