Handstitch course, week 1

The course is at City Lit, tutor Amarjeet Nandhra. We were given instructions for making a number of stitches, and shown how, and got on with it. First a bit of practice, then on to making "resolved samples" in which we experimented with the stitch. (I started out with grey, my "usual" colour, but quickly branched out into jollier shades.)

Here are some "experimental" things you can do with stitches to develop and push your technique -

• change the thread, fine to thick, smooth to wooly, etc
• overlap thick and thin stitches
• make stitches very big
• graduate from large to small stitches
• make the stitch wide
• make the stitch very long
• mix wide and long
• mix small and big
• overlap sizes of stitch or colour of thread
• create shapes
• work stitches close together or far apart
• wrap the stitch
• layer different stitches
• use different background fabrics

The day included some "timed exercises" for those who like that sort of thing - a few minutes of doing the stitch of choice, then an instruction, eg "elongate the stitch" - and a few more minutes before the next instruction, eg, "use it to couch something down" -

Lots of colours of thread to choose from. Note that we worked with hoops - I got to like having the hoop to hold, and to be able to turn it around the do the stitching from the most convenient angle.

I took my sample home and spent the Sunday stitching ... all day ... listening to Radio 4 ... bliss ...

Detached woven picot (and detached buttonhole bar); bullion knots; french knots

Buttonhole stitch, or is it blanket stitch?

Vandyke stitch - in my hands it resembles various insects

The day's work, with cretan stitch in progress -

Couching - and bokhara/romanian couching - is still to come, and then I'll feel ready for the next installment (three classes in all).