Still more on the Spot Sampler

Wheatsheaf On Ladder Stitch

Wheatsheaf On Ladder Stitch

We’ve had a sudden spurt of good weather and good light recently, so I’ve been making hay while the sun shone (literally!). I’ve also been making an effort to use all of the different gold threads that Tricia provided in the kit, some of them real metal threads, some of them imitation, some thick and some thin.

Guilloche On Ladder Stitch

Guilloche On Ladder Stitch

The Wheatsheaf on Ladder Stitch and the Guilloche on Ladder Stitch are in different shades of gold and even different types of thread. There is even a Queen Stitch in a very fine gold thread in the top corner of the picture showing the Wheatsheaf on Ladder Stitch. The one I used for the Guilloche variation is the one I used for most of the practice cloth. It’s surprisingly floppy for a metal thread, which helps with some of the stitches, but not all. In this particular case, at least there were no breaks in the metal, unlike in the Wheatsheaf stitch!

Eight Sided Interlacing Stitch

Eight Sided Interlacing Stitch

The Eight Sided Interlacing Stitch was an absolute treat to do. It’s important to count the foundation correctly, but from then it was simply a matter of repeating the same set of actions. I’m rather pleased that, by and large, the threads have stayed neatly side-by-side!

Cross Variation Guilloche

Cross Variation Guilloche

The Cross Variation Guilloche Stitch makes a great contrast with Eight Sided Interlacing – not only yet another different thread, this one a little stiffer, and a slightly different shade of gold, but also an upright, angular form, rather than the almost circular appearance of Eight Sided Interlacing.

13 Comments

  1. coral-seas says:

    These are looking great, Rachel.

  2. Lady Fi says:

    Wonderful golden stitches!

  3. Janice says:

    I really like the opulence of these stitches. The Guilloche on Ladder stitch could even be used to frame a piece directly on the fabric – but there would be a lot of work involved!

  4. Every time I complain about the complexity of needlepoint stitches I’m going to come visit your blog. Impressive! (And very pretty, by the way.)

  5. Penny says:

    I especially like the wheatshaft stitch – very unusual and of course it looks just like golden wheat.

  6. Very impressive, they are wonderful.

  7. Anita says:

    Wonderful stitches ! I like wheat sheaf on ladder stitch.

  8. Just beautiful Rachel!

  9. karen says:

    I have worked Goldwork in the past and know how tricky it can be…that knowledge leads to great admiration for your skill in this…these stitches look so beautiful.

  10. Wow! I knew there were other stitches apart from the ‘running stitch’ which I can do, but these are mind-boggling! If you had been a boy-scout I think you’d have excelled at tying different kinds of knots! Beautiful work as always.

  11. Susan says:

    Alas, since I have no idea when I will get to this project, do I get credit by reading your posts? It’s kind of like buying a book on getting organized thinking that will make me more organized…Thanks for sharing the stitches and your thoughts.

  12. These are amazig stitches. I love the look ofmetallic threads on quilts, but they can be very tricky to use on the sewing machine, as they tend to shred away from the core.

  13. Alex says:

    Fabulous stitching – the guilloche on ladder stitch and eight sided interlacing stitch are my favourites. I think it’s the weight of the thread; they look nicely filled out, if that’s possible with a stitch!