Friday 25 March 2022

9 Short-Stitch Holding (kiri-osae)

The most challenging holding stitch (for me) is short-stitch holding (Hs). This technique can be used on either a twisted or a flat foundation. The holding stitches can be in the same colour as the foundation to blend in, or in a different colour to create a delicate contrast.

Short stitch holding is covered in detail at Phase VI. I choose to stitch Loving Couple which includes a variety of short stitch holding techniques.
© JEC/Carol-Anne Conway

Despite the challenges, I absolutely loved stitching “The Ducks”. Here the short-stitch holding is mostly used for effect; to create subtle shading or suggest the iridescence of the feathers. More often short-stitch holding is used to secure foundation stitches where there is no other stitching on top. As a rule of thumb any area more than 1cm long requires holding.

Certain types of leaves consist of either a weft or horizontal foundation with veins stitch on top of the foundation. In some cases the stitched veins with be sufficient to secure the entire foundation. In others, for example where only the central vein is stitched, some additional holding may be required. The vein is stitched first and short-stitch holding is applied only in the sections where the unheld foundation stitches are more than 1cm long.
© JEC/Carol-Anne Conway

In this case the holding stitches should blend, as much as possible, with the background. On a flat foundation, 0.5 flat silk in the same colour as the foundation is used.
© JEC/Carol-Anne Conway

On a twisted foundation a 2->1 twisted thread is used.
© JEC/Carol-Anne Conway

Happy stitching

1 comment:

Rachel said...

Even frustrating and difficult stitches can be pleasing when you see the effect coming together, can't they!