Chapter 34 - Decorative Stitches

Decorative stitches are fancy embroidery stitches used for decorative effects, for contrast, and emphasis.

Begin with a back stitch, not a knot. Where a backstitch will be visible, allow a length of thread to fall across the wrong side and catch it into stitches made on right side. Finish a line with two tiny backstitches.

Running stitch is used for decorative designs; two rows in contrasting colors, groups of two or three, diagonal effect, etc.

Twisted running stitch: Outline the line of design with running stitches, and with contrasting thread go over and under stitches, using a blunt needle, but not through fabric, to get an effect like twisted cord.

Backstitch with heavy thread for flower stems and to emphasize tops of hems.

Stem stitch is made over line of backstitches with tiny slanting stitches working from left to right. Gives a fairly heavy trimming line.

Padded stem stitch is heavier than stem stitch. Make stitches straight towards you as in Over handing or whipping.

Chain stitch: Bring thread out from wrong side, insert needle at same point and take a stitch, holding loop of thread with left thumb. For a different effect, whip over chains in a contrasting color. Used for stitching in a line especially on peasant type clothes and undergarments.

Magic or checkered chain is made like chain with two contrasting threads in needle. Keep one color to left holding thread under thumb, make stitch with other color. Bring second color to the left for the next stitch and hold under thumb. Continue. Stitches of chain are in alternating colors.

Lazy daisy is an elongated chain in a flower design.
 
Ladder or square chain is made like a regular chain except that needle is inserted, not in the same hole, but to the right. A slanting downward stitch is made for each chain from right to left.

Decorative Stitches
Two-sided canvas stitch      French knot

Feathered chain: Make one loop, slanted to left of center.

Below and to the right of center, take a small upward slanting stitch; make a chain stitch. Take a slanted, small upward stitch below and to the left; continue.

Outline stitch or crewel: Make short upward stitches, keeping thread to right, and bring needle out a little below point of insertion in a straight line, or slightly to left of center line. Or, work from left to right. More than one row may be used for heavier effect. Outline stitch is used for a fine, distinct decorative line.

Blanket stitch: Hold thread to left with thumb, insert needle about ¼ inch up, make stitch down through loop. Used for thread carriers, dainty edge trims, edges of heavy materials which would be too bulky to fold under.

Closed blanket stitch: Make slanting stitches, first to one side, then to other, with stitches meeting at top, thus forming a triangle.

Crossed blanket stitch: Make like closed blanket stitch, except that stitches cross at the top.

Graduated blanket stitch is made in different sizes. Also different slants.

Grouped or spaced blanket stitch: In groups of two or three stitches, with regular spaces between.

Featherstitch or briar stitch: Mark a center line. Make like blanket stitch, slanting the stitches, first from right to left, then from left to right on either side of center. For stiffer effect, make stitches parallel to center line, instead of slanting. Best used as a finish for children's underclothing, and to accentuate certain lines, as at hem, or at top of pockets.

Closed featherstitch: Insert needle at bottom of previous stitch so the stitches meet.

Double featherstitching: Two slanting stitches on each side. Zigzag or serpentine featherstitch: Mark zigzag or curved line, featherstitch along line.

Cross stitch: Bring needle out at one, insert at two, out at three, in at four, out at five, in at three, etc. Used for borders, samplers, traditional embroidery.
 
Two-sided canvas stitch: Bring thread from wrong side out at A, in at B, out at C, in at D, out at B, in at E for the whole line. At end, R, go up to T, to Q, to U, to P, etc. to A, Y, A, Z, C, Y, C, Y, B, X, B, X, D, etc. Used for coarsely woven materials and needlepoint.

French knot: Bring needle up from wrong side, wrap thread around needle one or more times, and insert needle close to point where it came out, keeping thread taut to prevent looping. Used to fill in spaces and to make centers of flowers.

Herringbone stitch: Really the catch stitch, used for decoration. From left, take slanting stitch, upwards, and bring out needle a small distance to left of point of insertion. Cross the line made and again take a small stitch back. Repeat.

Chevron stitch: Make a slanting stitch upwards and a small backstitch as above. Make a running stitch over and to right of the backstitch. Slant next stitch down, repeat. A to B, under to C, over to D, under to B, E under to F, over to G, under to E,H.
 
Satin stitch: Parallel close stitches to give raised effect. Good to pad design first with running stitches. Used for leaves, flowers, borders. Satin stitch can be made on the zigzag machine without padding.

Seed stitch: Pairs of backstitches. Make one backstitch, slant needle under for second. Used to fill in spaces and decorative narrow hems.

Couching: This is actually sewing on a thread or cord for decoration. Fasten a heavy thread on wrong side, leave loose on right side. With a second thread, usually finer, tack it in place at regular intervals with small stitches. Used often to outline an edge, as in appliqué.

Brick couching: Use several rows of plain couching, alternating tacking stitches to give effect of bricks.

Puffy couching: Weave a heavy thread in and out of a line of machine or hand stitching.

Fagoting: Cut fabric at desired place for fagoting. Turn edges under, and baste both sides to paper the proper distance apart. Bring needle out at left, slant to right under fabric and bring needle up; pass needle under thread and down to left. Continue. Used for openwork seams, collar and cuff edgings.

Bar fagoting: Make stitch straight across from left to right, pass needle over and under stitch several times, draw it through at original point to underside. Make a stitch down and bring needle up to right side again. Continue. (See above.)

Bermuda fagoting gives effect of series of squares. Insert needle at A, out at B, in at A, out at B, in at B, out at C, in at D, out at C, in at D, out at B, in at C, out at B, in at C, out at E. Continue, binding points with two tightly drawn stitches.

Hemstitching: Draw out several threads of fabric at line to be hemstitched. Start at right, pass needle under three or four threads, draw up through a loop and take a small stitch down through fabric. Continue. Double hemstitching is done on both sides. Used as a trim on garments and on table linens and doilies.

Diagonal hemstitching: Do line of plain hemstitching at one side. For second side, catch half the threads of two groups together, and take a stitch up through fabric.
 
Smocking: Worked over groups of dots that form the corners of squares. Start at first row, make a small stitch over dot from right to left, repeat at second dot, and pull two dots together with another small backstitch at first dot. Pass needle under fabric to second dot in second row. Make a small backstitch, another at third dot and back to second to pull two together. Go back to first row. Continue. At end of row, fasten thread and start again at left for third and fourth rows. For this smocking, known as honeycomb smocking, you will need twice as much material as the finished effect, that is eight inches for a four-inch smocked section. Smocking is a lovely hand finish which may decorate almost any type of garment.

Imitation smocking is done by working a variety of stitches over a series of machine gathering lines.

Gathers must be even; make as for gauging. (See p. 10.) Use stitches as outline stitch for bottom and top rows, and chevron stitches over one or two lines of gathers in between, or zigzag chain and cable stitches.

Cable smocking: Make dots as for honeycomb smocking, and make tiny backstitches in first and second dot pulling them together, but allow thread to alternate above and below needle with successive stitches. Work on one line straight across.

Appliqué: Cut out appliqué and baste in place. Finish with blanket stitch; couching with heavy thread, cord, or braid; fine hemming or slip stitches, or sew on with zigzag machine using narrow zigzag stitches. Gives a strong accent and becomes center of interest on garments, towels, slip covers.

Quilting: Baste fabric to cheesecloth or muslin with thin layer of cotton wadding between. Draw design on wrong side and stitch on wrong side. Do all the lines in one direction first, then all the cross lines. Use long stitches and heavy, slightly loose bobbin thread for puffy effect. Machine quilter attachment may be used. Do not press.

Trapunto (quilting in a raised design used as trimming): Mark line of design on lining of cheesecloth or muslin. Stitch by machine or hand running stitches through both sides of design. Pull a heavy yarn through between lines of stitching, between outside fabric and lining, pulling out yarn and reinserting around curves or at points. At wider part of the design, insert extra padding of yarn or cotton wadding, pushing in with a pencil or orange stick, so that each section is completely padded. The padded parts stand out in relief. Do not press. Also called Italian quilting. Very dressy for rich fabrics, such as velvet. Used for slip covers, too.

Embroidered arrowhead: Tailored effect and reinforcement at top of pleats, darts, short seams. Mark triangle with chalk, start at B up to A, make a tiny backstitch, down to C, and under to B. Continue in same manner to fill in triangle, taking very precise stitches side by side, and not allowing them to overlap. Press from inside over something heavily padded, for example, a folded towel.

Crow's foot tack: Mark triangle as for arrowhead, start same way but make backstitch at all corners and go back to B, marking line from C to B. Work around triangle in same manner, each stitch coming just inside previous one. The threads will automatically draw in to make crow's foot. Used like arrowhead.

Bar tack: Make several long stitches at ends of opening at right angle to opening. Make stitches over bar from left to right, 'catching in material, or use blanket stitch. Make small bar tacks, perpendicular to this, at either end. Used for tailored effect and reinforcing edges that may pull out, as the ends of a pocket.

A wide variety of decorative stitches may be obtained on the machine, particularly on the zigzag machine. On the zigzag machine the needle can be made to move from side to side, creating a stitch which resembles hand embroidery. The width of this stitch is controlled by a lever or dial; the length of the stitch is controlled by the ordinary stitch regulator. Both the width of the stitch and the position of the needle bar can be changed while the machine is in motion. This permits the operator to create many types of stitches.

Figure A (1) shows a short zigzag stitch and A (2) shows a wider stitch. These are used for border decorations, seam finishing, appliqué, sewing on lace, joining bands, etc.
In B (1) the zigzag is stitched over a cord or strand of yarn which may be of contrasting color. In B (2) the cord or gimp, as it is sometimes called, is wound on the bobbin and the design is made on the right side of the fabric by placing the material wrong side up under the presser foot.

Adjust your stitch regulator so that you make the shortest possible length stitch to produce the satin stitch shown in C (1). The lever which controls the width of the stitch may be regulated to produce a wide satin stitch for use on coarse linen, for example, or a very narrow stitch for dainty designs or edges, as on flowers, where the fabric is cut close to the stitching. In C (2) a narrow satin stitch is made on the sides of a wide zigzag stitch to give a braid effect trimming. Satin stitch can be made over cord or gimp to give a raised or padded effect.

Decorative Stitches With The Zigzag Machine

The scalloped edge shown in D (1) is made by adjusting the width of the stitch while the machine is in motion. Cut the material away close to the stitching for a scalloped edge. A variation of the scallop is shown in D (2) where straight satin stitches are inserted between scallops as they are made. This makes an attractive border trimming.

In E (1) wide satin stitches are blocked in little squares by making a few regular machine stitches between sets of satin stitches. In E (2) the satin stitches are shaped to a point by adjusting the width of the stitch as you sew. These trimming stitches are effective placed between rows of tucks, or used to decorate blouse fronts, children's yokes, table linens, etc.

Coronation braid design shown in F (1) is made with the satin stitch by controlling the zigzag lever so that it moves from narrowest stitch to widest and back again. In F (2) the design is varied by making a few wide stitches between designs.

Another series of designs is possible by changing the position of the needle bar so that stitching will be either to the right or left of a central position line. In G (1) a series of satin stitches is made alternating from extreme left position to extreme right position. Speed of the adjustment controls the length of the design. In G (2) three adjustments of the needle position, left, middle and right are made to produce the rick-rack type of embroidery. An endless number of designs is made possible by the skill with which you can master the operation of the three adjustments, namely the width of the stitch, the length of the stitch and the position of the needle bar. With a little practice you will be able to design many other variations of your own.

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