TAST Satin Stitch

This TAST seems to have taken me forever. That is partly because I only work on this when I want to stitch but can't work on Flutterbys and partly because I have done so much work on this sampler.

Satin Stitch is probably my favourite stitch. It is the basis for so many of the Japanese Embroidery stitches. I have seen ladies lay a foundation that looks like they have poured liquid silk onto their fabric. Simply stunning.

Initially, I was pleased when Satin Stitch was announced on TAST, but then I thought what can I do with it that I haven't already done. I think it is more difficult to explore a stitch that you know well than one that is completely new to you.

Completely lost for inspiration, I thought I would start with a simple border of blocks of alternating horizontal and vertical Satin Stitch and see what developed.

Once I had completed about half of the border, I decided to look at negative as well as positive spaces and worked a small triangle design that gave me the same shape in the voids as the stitched area.

Then I thought I would try to create some movement with the stitch by stitching several rows of zig-zag in varying widths and lengths.

The following two samples in pink and green where experiments in trying to create texture from the ultimate in smooth stitches.

Finally, I wanted to try a Japanese technique. First, I filled the entire area in long satin stitches. I then superimposed my design on top of those stitches. This has not come out as well as I had hoped. Partly because I did not have the linen taught enough in the frame and it had distorted. Partly, because I did not use a holding stitch on some of the long threads before removing it from the frame. In an attempt to rescue it, I have added some beads to hold the longer stitches in place.

Except for the dark green, I have used DMC linen for the samples and space dyed stranded cotton for the border. Then middle zig-zag that looks like the space dyed cotton is in fact four shades of DMC linen stitched at random. I chose the linen partly because I like working with this thread but mainly because I wanted a totally different look from the silk work that I do. I was challenging to work with. When you use one or two strands of this thread it is a little fragile and breaks if you are not gentle with it.