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Spiderweb Stitch Tutorial & May’s Rosy Teapot Pattern

     Anne      Leave a Comment

It’s May already, and that means a new mini-embroidery pattern for our Tea Party Mini-Quilt SAL! It’s time to crown the Tea Party with its ultimate essential, the Queen of all tea things: the teapot. For this pattern you’ll need to know the spiderweb stitch to embroider the roses, so I thought I’d add to the Stitch Library and post a new stitch tutorial. It’s been a while since I posted one, and this is one of my favourite stitches. It’s so simple, but so pretty!

 

Of course, you could embroider the roses on the teapot pattern with bullion knots like we did for January’s Teacup pattern, but I decided to switch it up a bit and do spiderweb roses instead. It’s up to you! Initially, I was going to make the teapot a close match to the teacup pattern, and stitch it in the same blue, but then it just happened to turn pink. I’d pulled out DMC #3779 from the floss box and kept gazing at it, and next thing I knew, the teapot was pink. Just like Sleeping Beauty’s dress.

embroidered teapot on epp hexie

 

I loved the pink too much to change it, but honestly, I still think they do match. I would buy that tea set in a heartbeat if I saw it. 😉

teapot and teacup embroidered on epp hexies

Anyways, onto the spiderweb stitch tutorial!

 

Spiderweb Rose Stitch Tutorial

 

1. First, I recommend marking five straight lines in the shape of a star on your fabric. This will be the foundation for the “spiderweb”. Make sure they are of equal length.

pencil markings on fabric

 

2. Then, I like to use just a strand or two to make straight stitches over the markings. End the stitches in the same hole in the middle.

start-like shape stitched with straight stitches

 

3. Depending on how big you want your rose to be, use as many or as few strands as you like and come up from the back between two of the base stitches, just above the middle point.

needle coming up between two stitches

 

4. Skip over the first straight stitch, and slide your needle under the second stitch. Pull through, and go over the next stitch, and down under the one after. You can go clockwise or anti-clockwise to do this, depending on what you prefer. I like to go anti-clockwise.

needle going over a stitch and under the next
needle going under a base stitch

5. Repeat these motions, going under and over the straight stitches, and you’ll see the rose start to take shape.

needle going down under base stitch to make spiderweb rose
spiderweb rose stitch taking shape

6. Go around the rose several times, until the 5 straight stitches are fully covered. When you’re satisfied, simply bring your needle down to the wrong side, as close to the rose as possible. Anchor your thread on the back, and you’re done!

needle going down the fabric to complete the spiderweb rose stitch

 

You can choose to add a French knot or a seed bead to the middle, but often I like to leave it as is and let the 3D effect create the nice center.

spiderweb rose stitch complete

 

This stitch is very addictive, and also looks amazing worked with ribbon. I hope you enjoyed the tutorial and that you’ll give it a try.

Here’s the pinnable image if you want to save it for later:

how to do the spiderweb stitch

 

I can’t wait to see all your beautiful teapots! Don’t forget to use the hashtag #northernbellesal and tag me on IG (@northernbelle.atelier) with your lovely embroideries.

If you’re new around here and would like to stitch the pattern too, simply subscribe to my newsletter and you’ll find the pattern in your inbox next newsletter! I send out a newsletter every two weeks, and a new mini-embroidery pattern every month. At the year of the year, the embroideries will be turned into an EPP mini-quilt. 😊

For more information on the project, you can see this post:

mini-quilt project: epp & embroidery

 

And for an introduction to EPP (English Paper Piecing), you can see this one:

english paper piecing: how to cut and baste shapes

 

As always, thank you so much for reading and following along! Happy stitching, and best of all, happy tea-brewing in your lovely teapots,

 

Fondly,

epp stitchalong: May's rosy teapot
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How to Paint Fabric For Embroidery

     Anne      3 Comments

Hello dear friend, and welcome back to another fun fabric adventure! A few weeks ago I shared how to tea-dye fabric for an embroidery project, and today I’ll be sharing how to paint your fabric for embroidery using watercolour. It’s super easy and fun and you don’t need to be an expert watercolour artist.

 

watercolour painting for embroidery

 

In fact, I will preface this tutorial right away by readily admitting that I know next to nothing about watercolour painting. I’ve never taken any lessons or anything, and I don’t know all the correct techniques…but that’s ok! For our purposes here, we really don’t need anything fancy. The point of this little tutorial is to show you how to complement an embroidery project by adding simple painting such as for backgrounds, or other areas you’d rather not fill with stitches. Nothing detailed, and nothing complicated. Very beginner-friendly stuff. 🙂

Of course, if you do happen to know a thing or two about watercolour, I’d love to hear your tips in the comments!

 

Please Note:

Using watercolour paint on fabric is only suitable if you don’t intend to wash the embroidery piece. It’s perfect for when you intend to frame a piece, or turn into a box cover or something like that.

 

There are so many techniques that look beautiful paired with embroidery. Appliqué, stumpwork, ribbon-work, or even adding pressed flowers to a piece. Sometimes, you just don’t want to fill everything with thread, and you don’t want to leave just an outline either. Sometimes you just need to use another medium. All the techniques I mentioned above are very lovely, but there is none so quick and subtle as adding a bit of watercolour paint.

While appliqués and ribbons are gorgeous, sometimes they take a bit too much attention away from the actual embroidery. Sometimes that’s the look you’re going for, but sometimes it’s not. That’s why adding paint is so perfect! Simple, subtle, yet really makes a piece of work come alive.

 

Ready to see how I do it? I’ll be working on a little sample piece for my next pattern, experimenting with greens and grasses.

 

Materials

In addition to basic embroidery supplies (as needed for your project), you’ll also need:

  • Watercolour paint. This is where my non-expertise comes in as I tell you that I have no idea which paint is best. Since we’re not doing anything fancy here, I’m sure a basic set would be just fine. I’m using these Pébéo tubes since I already had them and they work really well, but there are a number of sets you can choose from and you don’t have to get the tubes if you prefer a tablet set. I actually find the latter easier to work with and carry around.

  • Watercolour paintbrush. Again, I really couldn’t say which brand is “best”, but then again you really don’t need a “good” brush necessarily. I like to use the rounded brushes since they work great for dabbing the paint gently on fabric. Unless you intend on adding lots of details, I would suggest experimenting with a few different sizes, depending on the size of the areas you intend to fill. For example in my project here, I used a size 8 (bigger) for the grass and a size 3 (smaller) for the door. My paintbrushes are kinda old and not the best quality, but something like this it works just fine.

  • Paint palette: this is really helpful for mixing colours if you’re using paint tubes, but you can also use a small dish if you don’t have one. If you’re using a tablet set, you can often do the mixing directly in the inside of the lid.

  • Some water and a towel. This will be needed to activate the paint, and rinse your brush as you go.

  • Sketchbook or paper to test out colours (doesn’t need to be watercolour paper, it’s just to get the colours you want).

  • Scrap of the fabric you intend to use for your final project. I am working with this Ditte cotton fabric from IKEA.

  • Scrap paper (to put underneath your fabric and protect your work surface as you paint).

 

Painting on Fabric Tutorial

1. First, have your embroidery pattern ready. This can be just a little sketch, or a pattern you’ve downloaded or purchased. (You can check out my Etsy shop if you need ideas!) Having the pattern ready will help to visualize how you’ll want to approach it, which areas you’ll want to paint, etc… Here I have my little sketch of a rounded door in the grass. I’m thinking of painting the door in brown, and playing around with the green to add the grass effect.

sketch of a rounded door in the grass on fabric

 

2. Test out the paint on paper. Watercolour paint needs water to activate it, so dip your paintbrush in water and rub it over a tablet, or mix with a dab of paint if you’re using a tube. I’ve found that you really only need a little bit of the actual paint from the tube, and lots of water to give it the right look and consistency. Play around with it until you are satisfied with the ratio and the paint isn’t too opaque or overly watery. Depending on the watercolour set you’re using, you might need to do a lot or very little mixing between colours to get your desired shade. The only green I had was sap green, which actually ended up being pretty close to what I wanted. I added a bit of black and a bit of primary blue, until I was satisfied with the result.

paint swatches on paper to get desired shade

 

3. When you’re satisfied with the colour, test how it feels on a scrap of the same fabric you intend to use for your project. I suggest sketching out the basic shapes you intend to fill on your fabric to practice and see how you like it. I like to use a pencil for this, since it will still be visible under the paint and won’t wash away.

adding green paint to fabric swatch

Applying watercolour paint to fabric feels different than on paper, since it’s hard to really “spread” the paint. It works better if you just dab the brush gently on the fabric, and let the colour run. Be mindful that it runs a lot more on fabric than on paper, so try applying colour from the middle of the shape you want to fill, slowly going outward toward the edge. On certain fabrics especially, the paint will still run a bit after a few minutes, so I like to stop a little before the edge of the shape to make sure it won’t “bleed out”.

 

4. Once you are satisfied with your results, it’s time to do it on the real piece! Transfer your embroidery pattern onto your good fabric with a marking tool that won’t easily wash away. Water-soluble pen isn’t good for this, and the heat-erasable pen might not be either if you want to blow-dry the fabric to dry the paint. I like using a pencil instead, and making sure that all markings will be covered with stitching.

painting the door brown
background painted on fabric

 

5. Paint the desired areas of your design, and then wait for it to dry or speed up the process by using a hair-dryer before you begin stitching.

embroidered door and flowers over the painted background on fabric
same embroidered piece with more green paint added to background fabric
I decided to add more green all around the design after I embroidered, but I would suggest adding all the paint before you embroider. It didn’t seem to stain the embroidery or anything though, so it was a good test.

 

And that’s it! Not so intimidating, right? It really just comes down to: practice before trying it on your final project! Be patient, don’t rush it, and don’t worry too much about it either. Adding watercolour to embroidery really gives it a soft, unhurried feel that easily forgives little mistakes. Plus, you can always cover anything with a few stitches if you don’t like it. Embroidery always saves the day.

I hope this tutorial was helpful and that you’ll give painting your fabric a try for your next project! I’m excited to work on the final version of this little home in the high grasses. Who do you think lives there?

 

Happy embroidery adventures my friend!

Fondly,

how to paint fabric for embroidery
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Floss Bow Tutorial – April Embroidery Pattern

     Anne      Leave a Comment

Greetings dear friends, and happy month of April! It is currently lightly snowing outside as I type these words, but no matter because here on the blog I’m definitely in the mood to welcome Spring. And what better way to do this than by sending out this month’s free mini-embroidery pattern featuring the darlingest macarons! 😊 The stitching is very simple, but I thought I would do a quick tutorial on how to do the little floss bow, since it’s easier to see in photos than explain with words. Plus, others can also benefit from it and join the EPP Mini-Quilt stitch-along if they so desire!

 

embroidered macarons hexie

 

Little Floss Bow Tutorial

1. Once you’ve stitched the Delightful Macarons pattern (which subscribers will find in their inbox by tonight), cut out two lengths of floss the color of your choice, about 15 cm (6”) long. I’m using Anchor 1024 – also DMC #3328, plied down to 2 strands.

 

2. Taking one of the lengths, tie at knot at one end or anchor through existing stitches at the back of the work. Come up just above the top macaron.

length of floss coming up from above top macaron

 

3. Remove the needle and leave the floss hanging for now while you do the same thing with the other length. Bring that one up from just below the bottom macaron. Remove the needle, and you should have the two lengths of floss just hanging there.

two lengths of floss on the good side ready to be tied

 

4. Tie them up in a bow, just as you would tie your shoe.

the two lengths getting tied together over the stitched macarons
bow is formed over the stitched macarons

5. Adjust as needed and trim the ends.

ends of the bow trimmed

 

6. To make sure it doesn’t come undone, you can come back with 1 strand of the same floss and gently anchor the bow down. I just took 2-3 stitches around the middle to stitch it down to the fabric.

anchoring the bow down to the fabric

 

And that’s all there is to it! Super simple and cute.

 

finished bow tied over the embroidered macarons

Which one will you have? Lemon, strawberry, or pistachio? It was so hard to pick colours for this pattern, since there are so many pretty pastels to choose from. But that means that you can easily come up with your own palette, or embroider it as many times as you like!

 

One thing’s for sure though, this will make you long to eat one of these delicious bits of colourful goodness. I haven’t had the opportunity to eat them very often, but I did try making some once! My friend kindly threw me a little tea party for my birthday one year, and we tried making macarons together. For a first time it was pretty successful, but the filling was a wee bit runny.

macarons in a saucer with a cup of tea

Nevertheless, it was fun to try and I’d love to give it a go again. I do think we managed a perfectly lovely shade of pink. 😉

 

EPP Mini-Quilt Tea Party

finished embroidered hexies

I’m also very happy with how all the little hexies are looking together! Just missing the March Teabag pattern in that photo, which I haven’t turned into a hexie yet. I work on this project month by month as well, because I love having a little something special to stitch each month. The only thing I have pre-planned with this project are the pattern ideas. I’ve jotted down an idea for each month to make sure I would have a cohesive theme, but I draw and stitch them one by one as the months go by, just a little ahead of you so I can get them out with each first newsletter of the month.

 

Join the Party!

You can subscribe here if you’d like to join in on this EPP Tea-Party! A free embroidery pattern a month, straight in your inbox, which we then turn into hexies and eventually into a mini-quilt.

 

Here’s a look at some of the past months’ patterns, as well as more info on the project and an introduction to English Paper Piecing (EPP):

mini-quilt project: epp & embroidery
January
english paper piecing: how to cut and baste shapes
February
Tea-Dyeing Fabric for Embroidery
March

I hope you enjoyed this mini-tutorial and that you’re excited to stitch up some macarons! Next to eating them, stitching them is best, right?

 

Fondly,

spring embroidery: how to make a floss bow tutorial
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Getting Started With the Long & Short Stitch

     Anne      3 Comments

Hello, it’s been a while! I haven’t been blogging as much lately because I’ve been working on something new, but today I happily bring you a new stitch tutorial: the famous long & short stitch! I say “happily”, but if I’m honest I dreaded making a tutorial for this one. It’s such a beautiful stitch, but it’s a harder one to master. Doing it justice in tutorial photos was harder than I expected, and I had to shoot the whole thing twice. 😉 Nevertheless, here we are, so if you’re ready to take your embroidery skills to the next level, let’s dive in!

 

long & short stitch embroidery tutorial

 

The long & short stitch is a fill stitch, used in the wonderful technique called “needle-painting”, also called “silk shading”, or “art needlework”. As the first name suggests, using this stitch feels like painting with a needle and thread. Best worked with only 1 strand of floss (cotton or silk), stitches get impeccably blended together to create realistic designs. You’ll often see animals, flowers, and other botanical subjects worked with this technique. For today, I’ve prepared a little flower petal to show you how to get started with the long & short stitch.

 

Long & Short Stitch Tutorial

1. First, you’ll want to thread a fine hand embroidery needle (size 9-12) ideally with 1 strand of floss. I’m using 6-stranded DMC cotton floss, and you can use more strands if you like, but the blending will be less smooth. Depending on the look you’re going for though, it might work very well. But if you’re hoping to get a really fine, paint-like blend, I recommend 1 strand only. It takes more time, but it’s worth it. You’ll want to pick at least 3 different colours that will blend together well. Use variations of the same tone if you want to create a shading effect. I’ll be using 3 different pink tones, going from light to dark.

 

2. Next, you’ll want to draw a shape to be filled. I just made a petal shape, and divided it into 3 sections, since I’ll be using 3 different colours to fill it. I highly recommend adding pencil guidelines to divide your shape, especially if you’re new to this technique.

petal shape drawn in pencil on white fabric

 

3. The next step is to outline the shape with an outline stitch, such as the stem stitch or split stitch. I’m using the stem stitch here, with 1 strand of DMC #778, the dominant colour for this petal. When you outline, choose one of the lighter colours you’ll be working with, to make sure it won’t be visible once the shape is all filled.

petal outlined in stem stitch

 

4. Thread your needle with the colour you’d like to use in the first row. I’m using DMC #225. Bring your needle up from the back right outside the outlined edge at the top of the petal, in the middle. Come back down to end your stitch in the second section. Work another stitch in the same way, a little shorter or a little longer, towards the right or left. Before you start making the stitches very close together, you want to leave space between them to create guideline stitches. This is to help with the stitch direction and makes it easier to fill the shape accurately. Work more stitches in this way until the first section has enough guidelines both on the left and the right side.

stitch guidelines added to the petal

 

5. Now, we can actually fill the first row! The idea is to fill the first section completely by adding “long” and “short” stitches very closely together between the guidelines stitches. I like to work from right to left. Always start your stitches just outside the outlined edge, and down into the second row. Vary their length, ending the shorter ones just at the pencil guideline, and letting the longer ones go as far as 2/3 of the way down into the second row.

first row starting from right to left
needle going down to fill first row

6. Continue in this way until the first row is filled, making your stitches very close to each other.

a third of the first row filled
first row almost filled with long & short stitches
first row filled with long & short stitches

 

7. To fill the second row, thread your needle with a different colour – I’m using #778, a slightly darker pink than #225. Come up from behind through the first row, right about where your pencil guideline was.

needle coming up through first row

 

8. I like to start in the middle, and work a few guidelines towards the right before I start filling.

long & short stitches to fill second row

 

9. Keep filling the second row, just as you did the first. Use guideline stitches if you need (stitches that you place ahead of time to help with direction). Always come up through the previous layer, not down into it. It gives it a much smoother effect!

second row almost filled with long & short stitches
second row filled

 

10. To fill the last row, thread your needle with another colour (#316), and fill it much like you did the second row. Only this time, your stitches will end right outside the outlined edge.

needle going down just outside the outlined edge to stitch the last row

 

11. And that’s it, you’re done!!

petal completely filled with long & short stitch

 

A Few Notes:

  • As I said earlier, this stitch takes a lot of practice! Don’t get discouraged if it doesn’t work too well the first time. It’s normal! It took me years of on and off practice to get comfortable with it, and even still it’s not always perfect. ^_^ It’s just how this stitch is, it requires a lot of patience and precision. But you got this, don’t worry!
  • There are so many different ways to shade, and so many directions you can go with this stitch! Depending on what you’re trying to fill, you might not need such precise rows, or you might need to work diagonally, or use more or less colours. You can shade from dark to light, light to dark, or really any combination that works for your design. The main takeaway with this stitch is that it’s smoother when worked with 1 strand, and you always want to come up through previous rows (or stitches), rather than down into them.
  • If you’re serious about needle-painting, I highly suggest you consult Trish Burr’s amazing work and resources. I already recommended one of her books in a previous post here, and she also has a wonderful website where you can buy her patterns and read her blog: Trish Burr Embroidery Blog. She’s really the expert of long & short stitch, and her designs are stunning.
  • Anything by the Royal School of Needlework is also fantastic, they have a few really great books on silk shading, and they offer acclaimed classes and workshops.
  • Lastly, just remember to have fun with it, and don’t be afraid to experiment!

 

Here’s the pinnable tutorial if you want to save it:

 

how to do the long & short stitch

 

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and that it was helpful! Don’t hesitate to reach out if you need some help. I promise you this stitch is so worth it, and opens up wonderful possibilities. Happy stitching my friend!

Fondly,

Fabric Tea-Dye For the March Mini Pattern

     Anne      Leave a Comment

March is here, and that means it’s time for a new mini-embroidery pattern to turn into a hexie for the Mini-Quilt stitch-along! I have prepared a darling little teabag for you, because after all, what’s a tea party without the tea? So let me pour you a cup of steaming jasmine and stay a bit while I tell you how to tea-dye fabric for your embroidery. If you’re new here and you’d like to join in on the fun, you can read this post to see what the project’s all about, and sign-up to my newsletter here to receive the mini patterns straight in your inbox each month!

 

embroidered teabag onto tea-dyed fabric

 

When I first started this design, I thought it would be really neat to add a touch of something that wasn’t thread to make it stand out a bit, while still matching the rest of the project. So far, I’ve been embroidering my montly patterns on cotton muslin in an off-white/beige colour. The fabric is a wee bit thick for EPP, so I decided to switch it up this month. I didn’t have other fabric in a similar colour that would be suitable, so I decided to experiment with a little tea-dye! What could be more fitting? 😉

 

How to Tea-Dye Your Fabric

The process is honestly really simple. However, different fabrics might react differently so it’s a good idea to do a test on a piece of scrap first. I’m using a white cotton blend from my stash of scrap muslins…not 100% sure as to its exact fibers, but any cotton/linen blends will likely work. Even if there’s some polyester or other man-made fiber in it, it should be fine (I know mine wasn’t 100% natural).

First, you’ll want to boil the water for the tea. Depending on the size of your piece of fabric, you may need a lot. If you’re just wanting to dye a small piece, such as for the Jasmine Teabag embroidery, a teapot-size amount of water will be sufficient.

Next, pour the boiled water over a teabag or two, either in a teapot or in a big pot (I wanted to drink a cup while I was at it, so teapot it was!). If you want get that old-timey, classic tea-stained browned look, you’ll want to use a strong black tea. Orange pekoe or Earl Grey are great for this, but other black tea blends can also work. The more tea or teabags you add, the stronger the tea, and the darker the stain will be. I used only 1 teabag since my piece of fabric was very small.

 

flat lay showing embroidered teabag on tea-dyed fabric, teapot, teacup, a book, and dried florals

 

Let It Steep!

Let the tea steep for a good half-hour, if not more, until it’s very dark. Add your fabric to the pot once it’s cooled down, or pour the tea in a different container over the fabric. I just used an old tupperware, with the tea completely cold. Make sure that your fabric is fully submerged, and leave it to soak for several hours. You can stir it from time to time, to make sure it will be evenly dyed. I didn’t leave the teabags in while doing this, but you probably could!

When the fabric is looking nice and stained, wring it out gently and set it out to dry. I just placed mine on a soft towel. When it’s alsmot dry but still a little damp, give it a press with the iron to remove the wrinkles and help set the dye.

Fabric is now ready to be embroidered on 😊. Mine was still see-through enough to transfer the embroidery pattern with a lightbox and pencil no problem. Certain spots are still a bit white and it’s not fully even, but that’s the fun with tea-dyeing, and exactly the look I was going for.

 

white fabric and tea-dyed fabric side by side showing the before and after

Note: I haven’t tested the colourfastness of this method, so it might not be suitable for pieces that are going to be repeatedly washed. For the purposes of this embroidery project, or any embroidery you don’t plan on washing, it works great.

 

Jasmine Teabag Pattern

embroidered teabag with jasmine flowers on it

 

I’m calling this a “jasmine” teabag, even though I don’t think jasmine flowers have a purple center…but for this tea party, they do! You can of course, personalize your tea bag and embroider whatever tea motif you’d like. The jasmine was my inspiration simply because I wanted a floral motif somewhere on the design, and it was the first one I thought of that has to do with tea. Chamomile would have also looked really cute, but I love the scent and colour of jasmine for this time of year.

 

Pale green, flavourful, reminiscent of budding tree leaves…It just feels like a very “spring” tea! Although I’d go for a cup of Earl Grey anytime, and I do love my chamomile in the evening.

flatlay showing the embroidered teabag on tea-dyed fabric, Afternoon Tea book, and dried florals

Do you have a favourite kind of tea? What sort of lovely things would you include if you hosted your dream tea party?

 

I hope you enjoyed this post dear friend, and you’ll find the embroidery pattern waiting in your inbox tonight at 7pm EST if you’re a newsletter subscriber. If you’d like to sign-up, you can click the link here! Stitch & thread recommendations are included with the pattern, and I’ve got all the stitch tutorials you need here on the blog if you get stuck.

It’s a really simple little embroidery, but don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions! Follow on Instagram for more embroidery content if you fancy. 🙂

 

Fondly,

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Scallop Stitch: Very Easy Embroidery Tutorial

     Anne      Leave a Comment

Hello and welcome to another very easy stitch tutorial! Today we will look at the scallop stitch, which is a variation of the fly stitch. I realize that I haven’t yet posted a tutorial on the fly stitch, and that’s because I never really use it! I prefer the scallop stitch, which is basically a curvier version of a detached fly stitch. I often use it for small details in my embroidery, worked with only 1 or 2 strands of floss.

 

scallop stitch embroidery tutorial

 

For example, if you’re here following my Tea Party Mini-Quilt stitch-along and you received the February Sweet Cherries pattern, you might have noticed that the scallop stitch was used for small details on the cherries. The scallop stitch, although really easy, is not a stitch I had heard much about when I first started to embroider, so I thought I would post a tutorial on how to do it. If you already know how to do lazy-daisy (detached chain), then you’ll have no problems at all with this one!

 

Scallop Stitch Tutorial

1. Bring your threaded needle (I’m using 2 strands for the tutorial) up from the back at point A, and back down again at point B. Don’t pull all the way through. The distance from A to B will be the length of your finished stitch.

needle going down from A to B

 

2. Start pulling the thread, until a small loop is left. Hold it down with a finger while you bring the needle up from the back at point C. Point C should be half-way across A and B, but slightly lower. The idea here is to create more of a curved line as opposed to the “V” shape of the fly stitch. So to do that, you don’t want point C to be too low. It’s the position of C that will determine how much or how little your line will curve.

needle coming back up between A and B at point C

 

3. Pull the needle all the way through, allowing the loop to rest against the working thread coming from point C. Bring the working thread over the loop, which should now be laying in a curved line from A to B.

thread being pulled all the way from point C to create curved line

 

4. Finally, anchor the curve in place with a very small stitch from C to D. Point D will be directly below point C, forming a very small straight stitch. This is the same way you would finish a lazy-daisy stitch.

needle going down in D to anchor scallop stitch

 

And that’s it!

finished scallop stitch laying nicely on the fabric

 

Repeat as many times as desired. Grouped together it looks like a flight of birds!

several scallop stitched grouped together

 

Here’s the pinnable step-by-step tutorial if you wish to save it for later.

scallop stitch tutorial

I hope this tutorial was helpful and that you enjoy giving the scallop stitch a go if you haven’t already! It’s such a handy stitch for little details. If you’d like to participate in the Tea Party Mini-Quilt stitch along, I send you a free mini-embroidery pattern each month this year as part of my newsletter! You can subscribe right here. We are turning the embroideries into little hexies to make an EPP mini-quilt at the end of the year. 🙂

 

Check out these posts for more info & tutorials on EPP:

english paper piecing: how to cut and baste shapes
stitching a hexie flower english paper piecing
mini-quilt project: epp & embroidery

Have a lovely week my dear readers, and happy stitching!

 

Fondly,