Over the weekend I’ve managed to catch up with the Stitch Wheel SAL. This is a stitch-a-long on YouTube organised by Cathy Reavy of Threads. Every Thursday she is releasing a video or two of a different stitch to stitch on our wheel. By the end there will be over fifty stitches. This was my wheel when I last shared it…
I’d stitched the outlines of the wheel, together with the first two stitches, french knots and pistil stitch.
The first ring was concentrating on knots, so there’s colonial knots, which are very similar to french knots, bullion knots and a rose made from bullion knots. Some stitches I already knew, but it was nice to get some practise and see different uses for them, others are new to me.
Cast-on stitch was sort of both really in that I had done something similar when dress-making, making a thread bar for a hook, Cathy made the knots on the needle and then pulled the thread through. Drizzle stitch was completely new and fun, it makes like an upright bullion bar! The two lines are palestrina stitch and coral knot.
The next circle is different ways to stitch a leaf. So far we’ve used closed fly stitch and open fly stitch. I like the way Cathy is teaching us new stitches in context of what you can use them for, rather than just samples of stitches. I used a variegated DMC thread for the closed fly stitch on the left and a variegated perle thread for the open fly stitch.
Cathy starts each video showing us samples of where she has used the stitch in her own embroideries, the demonstrations are clear and she also shows them stitched left-handed.
I’m stitching mine in mainly shades of green and purple as it’s going to hang on my sewing room wall when I’ve finished.
thecraftycreek 
what a great way to learn new stitches!
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What a wonderful start you have made, brilliant to see all the different stitches and such a wonderful way of making a sampler that will be beautiful as well as helpful. You mentioned the open stitch was done in a variegated perle thread. I have done hardanger for many years but never seen a variegated perle thread. Please can you tell me where you can buy these threads. Thanks xx
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Hi, I bought this years ago at a show and of course I’ve lost the label,but two companies which are usually at the show to tempt me are Oliver Twists and Stef Francis, they do some lovely variegated threads of varying weight.
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This is going to be lovely, and it’s great that you’re getting ideas for using the stitches too. Those leaves are gorgeous!
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This is looking great Margaret. You have done well to get up-to-date. I have just finished stitching the outline of the wheel, but I think I have chosen the wrong material, as the weave is too open. Probably time to start again.
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Hi Anne, it might be worth just putting something like muslin behind to give it some support, my Kona cotton was initially too ‘stretchy’ so a third of the way through the wheel I put muslin behind, much better.
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I didn’t think of doing that. I have started again, and am happier with how it is going with a closer weave. I am also using a different slightly thicker thread, and that’s giving it a better feel too.
I love your colour choice.
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Wow what a lovely idea. This will be super like an encyclopedia of stitches when it’s finished!
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