STITCH COURSE
Lesson V
Alternate Diagonal Stitches
Welcome to Lesson V where we explore some interesting diagonal stitches.
The envelope sent for this month has a blank canvas and some cotton threads again.
There will not be a mailing for June’s class (you’ll see why in June) so
PLEASE SAVE THE BLANK CANVAS FOR LESSON VI
FOR THIS CLASS, USE THE COTTON SKEINS LEFTOVER FROM LESSON III AND THE NEW ONES.
Cashmere, introduced in lesson I, goes on the diagonal.
There are several variations with two worth mention. Doing this on the same canvas as the one where you stitched Cashmere in Lesson I will highlight the differences – use the cotton and for the Condensed use two colors in any way you want – alternating rows or something like the picture above with two colors.
This is a diagonal stitch with a small pattern repeat of offset rectangles. The rectangles are condensed which means that the end of one rectangle overlaps the start of the next. Each rectangular cashmere block of this pattern is worked across two canvas threads by three. Start with a tent; directly beneath the tent make a diagonal stitch across two intersections of canvas. Repeat to make a second stitch across two intersections. Then end with a tent at the bottom right corner of the rectangle.
The bottom picture is the Staggered Cashmere – This stitch is very similar to condensed cashmere stitch, evidenced by the fact that this version is sometimes also known as diagonal cashmere stitch. Both feature offset cashmere blocks: the difference is that in this version each block is complete, whereas the blocks in diagonal cashmere stitch are condensed. The picture is at the very top – it’s staggered – stairs, hills, details that will allow the eye to follow the staggered shape.
NOBUKO stitch is a diagonal filling stitch that alternates long and short stitches. The long stitches span three canvas threads diagonally, whilst the short stitches span a single canvas thread.
It is usually worked in horizontal rows from left to right, then back again.
Created in the early days of the Embroidery Guild, it is still widely popular and very useful for needlepoint texture.
Basically, you are doing a series of long and short stitches (see Lesson III) .
Make one row bringing the needle up one thread below the start of the previous stitch,
and take it down over three intersections (angled from bottom left to top right). This is a ‘long’ stitch.
Then work the next row from right to left back across the area.
Your stitches are always worked from bottom left to top right and so will result in long stitches on the reverse.
Not to be left out would be the Scotch stitch on the diagonal.
Look carefully at the pattern. This looks great with one color or two colors — get creative!
It goes top to bottom then bottom to top. Meaning, start top left with a Tent over one, then another below it over two. Make further stitches across three, two and one canvas intersections. This completes the first square.
You can accommodate with this stitch with numbers of squares ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BYZANTINE is the next stitch This pattern is worked in long diagonal bands of satin zigzags. Each stitch is worked from bottom left to top right across four intersections of canvas, or four threads up and across. The repeat of this stitch is quite large, which means that it covers the canvas quickly. It is a flat stitch and very good for backgrounds.
Make five diagonal stitches in a vertical band. The stitch at the bottom of these will be the corner. Next, make four stitches horizontally across from the corner stitch. This will make five stitches in total for this row, the last stitch being the corner stitch.
Alternate between vertical and horizontal bands of stitches to make the stepped pattern.The second row can be worked above or below the first, fitting into the steps. The corner stitches of each row should meet.
Here’s a fun stitch – The Milanese Stitch
Fine for a background – can do a look of tassels or treetops – to fill an area that is either a small or larger triangle.
This is a canvaswork filling stitch consisting of diagonally offset triangles.
Milanese stitch gives a flat, medium-sized pattern repeat which fills in quickly. It is good for backgrounds.
The triangles of this stitch can also be made with horizontal stitches across two, four, six and eight threads of canvas to make straight Milanese stitch.
This stitch has straight vertical bands on the diagonal
Diagonal Leaf Stitch
The Diagonal Leaf stitch extends the idea of alternating the direction of a stitch that many people use with straight stitches fanning out from a central line to form a leaf shape; diagonal rows of the leaf shapes interlock to fill the canvas. As its name suggests, it is a diagonal version of leaf stitch.
The leaf stitch is rarely done as a filler for a background. The one on the left is the upright, vertical leaf and the one on the bottom is the diagonal leaf stitch. You can see the weight is different – it’s a little bit of an open stitch which is why it’s a lighter weight making it ideal for canvases with nature. We have seen it used for flowers, as well as leaves in both variations. The diagonal gives a sense of movement, like wind blowing a tree and is great for details in the back area of a canvas; whereas the solid leaf gives a depth to a foreground detail.
The bottom picture is what you are stitching …easy on the hand and eyes.
Start at the point (top) of the leaf with a diagonal stitch over two intersections of the canvas (top left to bottom right).Bring the needle up one thread below the starting point and take it down at the end of the previous stitch. Now bring the needle up one thread below the beginning of the previous stitch, count down one and right three threads. Then, one thread below the beginning of the previous stitch, count down one and right four threads. Repeat two more stitches below at the same orientation, each stepped to the right by one canvas thread. Now bring the needle to the surface four threads up and left one, take the needle down at the base of the last stitch. Work two more stitches of the same orientation stepped by one intersection to mirror the other side of the leaf.
Bring the needle to the surface one thread to the left, level with the last stitch and take it down three threads below and one thread to the right. Now, bring the needle to the surface one thread to the left (level with the top of the last stitch) and take it down at the base of the very first stitch to complete the first diagonal leaf. Count three intersections from the point of the leaf to start the tip of the next diagonal leaf stitch.
NONE OF TODAY’S STITCHES NEED BE DONE ANY LARGER THAN THE SIZE OF THE DIAGONAL LEAF STITCH IMMEDIATELY ABOVE
FEEL FREE TO USE ANY OF THE THREADS YOU HAVE LEFT OVER, BUT THE COTTON WILL BE THE EASIEST TO EXECUTE EACH WITH AND GET IT RIGHT
SOON WE WILL TALK ABOUT WHO PLAYS NICE WITH WHO – SOON WE WILL INTRODUCE CURVES AND CIRCLES BECAUSE BASKETWEAVE IS ALLERGIC TO CURVES – SOON YOU MAY BE ASKED TO GRAB A PENCIL AND DO A LINE DRAWING – THE FUN WILL CONTINUE – THE LEARNING WILL CONTINUE. PLEASE EMAIL US IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS.