Tiny Hands

Role of Hand stitching in designer clothing

Designer clothing has been around since the mid 1800s when Charles Frederick Worth earned his title as the “father of haute couture.” Designers flourish in today’s world but plenty of people who call themselves “designers” today are actually stylists — people who modify or adapt clothing for sale. A real designer originates the idea.

 

Haute Couture

 

Haute couture is the domain of beautiful fabrics, hand-stitching and expensive price tags. To qualify to present an haute couture collection, a designer must be a member of the Chambre Syndicate of Paris. The designer’s nationality is not a factor, but the designer must be asked to join and then fulfill the requirements to become accredited.

 

Hand stitching plays a vital role in designer wear. It begins with a few basic stitches. Once these stitches are mastered, it’s very easy to move into other specific embroidery techniques. Here are some techniques of different stitches, with an explanation of how to execute them. The stitches are categorized by “stitch families” – for example, outline stitches, chain stitches, detached stitches, knots, filling stitches, etc. Each “family” has its own page. For more complex forms of stitchery, I suggest purchasing a good book, but for the basics, you can pick them up pretty easily at your own.

 

The Coral Stitch

 

This stitch has lots of alternate names (including “scroll stitch,” but we’re going to look at a slightly different one of those later). Whatever the name, it’s basically a line stitch with a tiny “one loop” knot that’s formed at the end of each stitch. The coral stitch can be used for outlines, and it can also be used (as most line stitches) as a filler. If you’re going to fill with it, I think the best thing would be to alternate the position of the knots in each row, in a kind of bricking pattern. Although I pretty much work everything in a frame or hoop, this stitch doesn’t necessarily need a hoop. If you’re fabric’s in a hoop, it doesn’t have to be super tight.

 

The Stitch: Coral stitch is worked from right to left. (Left-handed stitchers: from left to right.) Begin by coming up through your fabric where you want to start your line. Take your needle down at the point where you want your stitch to end (indicating the length of the stitch), picking up just a bit of the fabric and coming right back up (in a “sewing” method). Your needle will be pointing down towards you, or, for a different look, you can angle it to the left or to the right – whichever way you angle your needle will alter the look of the knot slightly, so experiment to see what you like. Loop your working thread over the needle in the direction of the line, then back around in the opposite direction under the needle. Pull the needle through. It may help to hold the working thread loosely with your thumb while working the stitch.

 

Here it is again, on the second stitch. Take your needle along the line, the desired length of the stitch, pick up a little bit of fabric, loop the working thread over then under, then pull your needle through. Three knots in a row. You can vary the look of it by relaxing your tension a bit and allowing the line part of the stitch to “scallop” loosely. And what the back should look like – three short, parallel stitches. It’s really a simple stitch!! How do you use coral stitch? Do you have any good ideas to share with the rest of us? Let us know! Have fun with it!

 

Detached Chain – aka “lazy daisy” stitch:

 

This stitch is great for little accent flower petals and leaves. It can also be used as an outline stitch, when stitches in a line with regular spaces between the stitches. As a very loose or light filling, you could work lines of detached chains in a kind of alternating “brick” pattern.

 

Direction: Bring your needle and thread through at A. Take the needle back down at A, but don’t pull the thread through – instead, encourage the tip of the needle up at B (this space between A and B determines the length of your stitch), and wrap the working thread underneath the needle. Pull your thread through from a forward angle, so that the loop is snug against the “throat” of your thread. Now, take your needle down at C, which is just outside the loop, and bring it up at D, which is the beginning point of your next stitch. You can either encourage the needle up at D without having pulled the thread all the way through, or you can pull your thread through completely when going down at C, and then bring the needle back up at D.

 

French knot:

 

Perhaps this is the most “common” knot used in surface embroidery. It’s uses range from the single center of a little flower to a dense, textured filling. Outlining shapes with French knots can add a nice stippling effect to your embroidery. In short, you can do heaps of things with this stitch! Vary the type and weight of thread for more texture and for interesting effects.

 

Direction: Bring your needle and thread up at A, which should be the point where you want the center of the knot located. Holding the working thread in your left hand, wrap it around your needle twice. Don’t let go of the thread! Keeping a bit of tension on the thread, take the tip of your needle back through at A. If you are using a hoop, you can hold the hoop and your working thread in your left hand – holding the thread between your forefinger and thumb, and using the rest of your fingers to balance the hoop. (If you’re using a frame that is mounted on a stand, this stitch is a lot easier!) Anyway, you want to take your needle down again at A, but you do not want to loosen the tension on your thread. You aren’t pulling too tight, but just enough to keep those coils in place next to the fabric as you pull your needle and thread through them. Use the tension on the working thread to manipulate the coils a bit. You want to keep them next to the fabric, and taut, without choking the thread as it passes through. You can also move the working thread so that your knot is better-positioned. Pull your thread all the way through the coils, releasing it from your left hand as you approach the end of the thread. This particular diagram on the top left shows your needle coming up for the next knot – and this is well and fine if you are working in a row of evenly spaced knots. However, I prefer to take my needle and thread straight down through the fabric, and then come up for the next stitch.

 

Fly Stitch:

 

This stitch can be used as individual stitches for accents and for loose filling. It can also be worked in horizontal or vertical rows, as an edging (in crazy quilting, sampers, and whatnot). Below, you can see an example of it used in a horizontal row.

Direction: Bring your thread through and A, and back down at B, without pulling it tight – keep it loose and a little bit “looped.” Your placement of the needle at B will determine the width of the space between the two tops of the resulting V or Y shape. Come up at C, which is inside the tip of the V, and go down at D, anchoring the tip of the V shape. If you’re continuing in a horizontal row, you can enter with your needle at D, and encourage it up again right next to B, to start a new stitch.

 

Here, you can see the fly stitch worked in a horizontal row. The stitches are rather wide, and the anchoring thread is tiny, so the whole effect creates a zigzag pattern. This is worked in two strands of DMC on cotton twill.

 

Fish-bone and flat stitch:

 

When considering hand embroidery techniques, stitches, and whatnot, I think it’s difficult to decide how to categorize some stitches. For example, stem stitch can be a line stitch, but it can also be a filling stitch. Same with outline, chain, split, etc. So sometimes categorizing stitches too particularly can be deceiving and restrictive.

Continuing on with filling stitches, though, I’ll give you a few more to add to your repertoire. I’m trying to stick with the “simple” filling stitches, and work up to the ones that take a bit more practice to get “just right” (like satin stitch)….

 

Seed Stitch:

 

Given the fact that seed stitch is merely the filling of a space with random straight stitches, it would seem as if it were one of the easiest stitches to execute. But there’s a hitch to the seed stitch: for a really good-looking effect, you have to keep your stitches uniform in size. Random seed stitches that vary in size end up looking a bit juvenile. Try to make all your straight stitches (seeding) small, uniform in size, and evenly spaced across the area you are filling.

 

Direction: Make tiny straight stitches within the area to be filled, keeping your stitches uniform in size and the spaces between your stitches as uniform as possible. You can create a “shaded” effect by working stitches closer together in one part of the fill area, and then farther apart in other parts of the area. But the key to really nice-looking seeding is uniformity!

Note: Some stitchers will make two tiny parallel straight stitches right next to each other – sometimes even beginning both stitches at the same point in the fabric, and ending both stitches at the same point. This creates a “fat” little seed stitch, and it can look very nice. Some stitchers also work their seeding in parallel lines, alternating the placement of the stitches to form a “brick” pattern. This can create a very stylized and formal-looking filling.

 

Stem Stitch Filling or Stem Stitch Shading:

 

if you’ve already worked the stem stitch, you’ll find this filling technique easier. Stem stitch can be used to fill up a space by working rows of stem stitches right next to each other – packing them neatly to cover all the fabric within the fill area. To add shading to your filled area, change the color of your floss in gradual increments of shading.

Direction: remember that, in stem stitch, the thread always lies below (or to the right) of the needle. Work the outside rows along the shape of the pattern first.

 

Satin Stitch:

 

The satin stitch holds its own as the most beautiful of embroidery stitches when done well. It is used in many embroidery applications. I’ve included below two photos of satin stitching. These are not necessarily techniques for the beginner, but it’s always nice to have some “inspiration” – as with any embroidery stitch, practice makes perfect!

 

This is a close-up of a piece of linen covered with Italian cut-work, satin stitching, and inserts of needle lace. To stitch the “swoosh” at the base of the image, I first outlined the shape with a tiny back-stitch. Some people use split stitch for this outlining. The inside of the outline is then filled with straight stitches running perpendicular (more or less) to the final satin stitched layer. Using #40 cotton a border, I satin stitched over the straight stitches. Note how the direction of the satin stitching turns with the design.

 

Satin stitching in gold thread on cloth of gold:

This is certainly not a beginner’s technique. The gold thread is satin stitched over a kind of cardboard. It is actually softer than cardboard – almost like a cross between mat board and dense wool felt.

 

The Basics of Satin Stitch

Satin stitch is basically a series of straight stitches taken right next to each other, close enough to cover the fabric underneath, but not too close as to butt up next to each other and cause bumps. The idea of satin stitch is that your stitches look smooth – like satin.

There are several difficulties in satin stitching that need to be overcome by practice, and I’ve addressed each of those below:

Uniform edges: when you satin-stitch, you want the edges of the space you are covering to be even. Practice will help you achieve this. Don’t hesitate to take out stitches that don’t produce an even edge. You will be better pleased with the overall results if you patiently work on getting the edges of your shape even. A hint: when you transfer your pattern, be extra-careful for the areas that are going to be satin-stitched. If the edge of your transfer is “off” (if your pen wobbles as you draw the design, etc.) then your embroidered stitches will also be off! You can also make yourself familiar first with stitches like the fish-bone stitch or buttonhole. Practicing on these will acclimate you to neat edges.

 

Here’s a point on which stitchers differ.

Some stitchers say that satin stitching does not require you to stitch an outline of your shape before you proceed to stitch over the shape. Other stitches claim that an outline is very helpful for neat edges and indispensable to the satin stitch. I believe both, depending on what you’re doing. Stitching a tiny outline of back stitches or split stitches on the lines of the shape you are going to satin stitch can be very helpful. Even in very delicate work, this one tiny outline does not take away from the delicacy of the work. The trick is to use one strand of floss, either back stitch or split stitch over your outline, and then satin stitch over the edges of the outline you just stitched (not inside the outline!).

 

Spacing:

Satin stitches that are too close together buckle. Stitches that are too far apart show the fabric and lose the desired effect. So, spacing is important. When you begin to practice satin stitching, choose a fabric that has a relatively even weave, and choose a thread that will cover the space between one fiber in the fabric and the next. Try, for example, something like a loose weave linen, and use tatting cotton or Perl cotton, or a larger size cotton a broader (that is, a lower number, like 16). Try to aim for one stitch per fiber in your fabric, but if this is too far apart, you may have to split the fibers. If it’s too close, you may have to work over 1.5 fibers or 2 fibers, etc. Try it with and without an outline . See what you like best. As you practice, try different shapes – like the “swoosh” in the white-work above. Try circles. Try tear-drop shapes, etc. Follow the stitch directions as below for different shapes. Strive to keep your spacing even and to insure that your threads are lying flat. Practice, practice, practice!

 Stitch direction: It’s important to know in which direction to stitch. the stitches don’t run down the length of the “swoosh” – they cross over the “height” of it. Also, notice the direction of the stitches. They don’t continue straight up and down, always parallel to the side edges of the fabric. They “ease” themselves around the shape. As you work around curved shapes (like the swoosh), you’ll have to fan your stitches out – that is, at the top of the design, there will be more space between stitches than there will be at the bottom of the design. The direction of your stitches change as they move down the design around curves. However, when you’re stitching a rectangle, bar, square, line, or any squared shape, there should be no real reason for your stitch direction to change – unless you’re trying to achieve some strange, different effect. The stitch direction should remain the same over the whole shape.

 

Stitch Directions

Keep in mind that satin stitch is not meant to cover huge spans or large shapes. Your needle should be able to cross the shape comfortably. The photos below show the “sewing” method of embroidery – that is, your hand does not go to the back of the fabric to work the needle. Everything is done from the front of the fabric. You can use the “stab” method just as effectively in satin stitch. It helps to have your fabric in a hoop or frame.

Notice that the stitching begins in the middle of the shape and works to one edge. Then you go back to the middle and work to the other edge. You could run a small outline around the shape if you wanted to, and you could even pad the shape by stitching straight stitches underneath, perpendicular to the direction of the intended top layer of satin stitches.

About the Author

Completed ISC from a reputed English medium school in Kolkata in the year 2002 with 85%+. Fashion & beauty is in my blood as my mother who is sole inspiration of Eslarr Enterprise, incorporated in the year 1978 is now a renowned manufacturer and exporter of Indian Ethnic Dresses.

I have also studied kathak for 6 years while I am in school. I am experimented with whatever seemed interesting. I will try anything once. I believe that if God gives you talent, don’t be ungrateful. Use it.

 

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