Scarlet Quince News
September 2007
Hello stitching friends,
We have two pattern awards this month! Alanna Duff-Wilson of Malta (really!) received a copy of The Horses of Neptune by Walter Crane (see below), and Marie Risbeck was the first to suggest Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer by Gustav Klimt (announced last month).We also have new pictures in the gallery! There's an update on Pinkie, and a completed picture of Raphael's Madonna of the Chair.
The pinhead stitch is a method of anchoring a stitch using only the space occupied by that stitch! It's great for isolated stitches. The pinhead stitch is also helpful in areas where you have many color changes, where if you anchor your floss by running it under 2 or 3 stitches the back of your work can become very thick and crowded. You can use it when you're starting a color, ending a color, or both. It's ideal when stitching over 2 (on linen, for example) but can also be used on aida. It is essentially a figure 8 which will be covered by the cross.
Here's how to do it:
Stitching over 2, we assume that you will form your cross by coming up at 1, down at 2, up at 3, and down at 4. A, B, and C are the points where the pinhead stitch will be worked.
To make the pinhead stitch, come up at A (holding the tail of the floss on the back), down at B, up at C, and down at B again (above the floss that is already there).
Pull the stitch tight. Come up at 1 to begin the cross. This pulls against the pinhead stitch and keeps it tight. If you make your cross differ- ently, reorient the pin- head stitch so that the first leg of the cross pulls against it.
To finish with a pinhead stitch, place A, B, and C vertically. Ending is a little trickier than beginning because you must work the pinhead stitch under an existing cross. You can start and end a single stitch with pinhead stitches.
For more detail on pinhead stitches, see our tips on anchoring floss.
This newsletter is a service to our members. Change your membership status here.
Here are finished pinhead stitches made with 2 strands of floss on 32-count linen (16 stitches per inch) and 18-count aida. The cross covers the pinhead stitch on the linen but doesn't quite cover on aida because you can't pull the pinhead stitch tight. You must pierce the fabric at A, B, and C when making a pinhead stitch on aida.
Brown Pelican
John James Audubon
Mount Fuji in Clear Weather
Hokusai
Gaudeamus
Gerona Bible Master
The Horses of Neptune
Walter Crane
Scarlet Quince
|
Patterns
|
Privacy Policy
Copyright © 2007 Scarlet Quince, LLC. All rights reserved.