And still more on the Little Jacket

I spent quite some time solemnly Holly Braiding my way all around the jacket, over seams, over itself, even in a couple of cases over the felt. There will also be tendrils in the same yarn, which will pull out the colour variation and reduce the slightly spotty look – which is much less evident in real life, oddly.

The two different stranded silks I used on these leaves help, too, of course. Up and down buttonhole stitch on the top leaf, with the paired uprights worked in a V-shape, and in the lower leaf, closed feather stitch. I do wonder whether a bit more contrast may be needed, but I think that can wait until the whole thing is finished, and I can see what, if anything, wants more help.

The frilly flower (heaven knows what it was intended to be!) provided a good deal of scope, too. The green stitch over the yellow felt came from Edith John – she calls it Tied Cretan Stitch. The yellow stitching is another one of hers, a pattern of feather stitches, but it doesn’t respond well to the curve and looks so unlike the drawing I now can’t find which it is. The inner edge is tied down with coral stitch in an extremely lively rayon yarn that nearly drove me mad, and I’ve reused one of the variegated yarns from the leaf above to help pull things together.

I’m enjoying myself enormously, but I am not always coming up with something you could call a “textbook example”!

This one shows some of the stitching over stitching that’s been going on as well. I put the stem in first, and then worked the alternating feather stitch and cable chain stitch spikes over the top. I’ve also used rosette chain stitch again. It’s a usefully intricate and intriguing stitch which has some of the practical characteristics of blanket stitch.

7 Comments

  1. Alex Hall says:

    There’s a fascinating and eclectic selection of stitches going on all over at the moment. I love the choices you’ve made to enhance the different elements of the flowers, especially the alternating cable chain and feather stitch spikes in the last photo.

  2. Sue Jones says:

    It is going to be a real showstopper, Rachel. At the next craft show, guild meeting or similar event, you will have a crowd of people enjoying all those weird and wonderful stitches. You may need bodyguards!
    The holly braid looks very handsome -and very even, now you have the knack.

  3. Jen Mullen says:

    The work is beautiful, the jacket will be stunning, and you are enjoying yourself! In today’s climate, that is quite an accomplishment!

  4. Lin says:

    Always good to see the lovely stitch variations you use. xx

  5. There is so much to look at here. At a first glance one can not but be charmed by the colour scheme. Then looking closer one sees the multitude of interesting stitches.

  6. Carolyn Foley says:

    Lots of different stitches on your little jacket. Perhaps you could call it “the jacket of many stitches”?

  7. Jillayne says:

    I just love interesting stitching like this – fresh colour and stitch combinations, creativity at it’s best. The lower flower with the feather and cable chain stitch spikes is especially striking.