Buttonhole stitch practice: free PDF pattern

Today, with this post, the Buttonhole stitch lessons come to an end! It's been an avalanche of information about this stitch this month and the best way to digest all of this data is to stitch it out! That's why today I prepared this free PDF pattern for you to practice the buttonhole stitch and become best buddies with it.

Buttonhole stitch: when the thread ends

Are you tired of buttonhole stitch lessons yet?? Yes? Too bad, because I have another one! 😈 

Sorry, sorry, I know there's been quite a lot of buttonhole this month, and I wasn't planning on adding more today, to be honest. But I'm currently preparing a practice piece I'd like to share with all of you, and while I was stitching it, it dawned upon me, that there is an aspect in buttonhole stitch that I didn't speak about yet – ending an old thread and starting a new one. So I thought it would be better to cover ALL possible questions now, to prevent any possible problems and make the stitching process as joyful as possible :)

Buttonhole stitch Lesson 3: Filling the shapes

Here we are, back to the buttonhole - the stitch of this month! I call it the most versatile among all of the hand embroidery stitches, and there is a reason for that. As I mentioned earlier, the buttonhole stitch can be used for attaching an applique to the fabric and for creating an outline or a border (using the variations of the buttonhole stitch). But the versatility of this stitch doesn't end here! 

It can also be used for filling in ALL kinds of shapes! And you can vary the look of the result by changing the density of stitches. The bright side of using buttonhole stitch as a filler, that I especially appreciate, is that it doesn't only fill in the shape, but also creates an outline ;)

Now, let's get to the business and see how the buttonhole stitch works as a filler. 

26 free vintage embroidery books you can read online

In my honest opinion, books are one of the best ways to invest in yourself, your skill and knowledge. When anyone asks me what would I like to get as a present, a book is one of my first choices. And as a hand embroidery lover, I can't overrate the worth and value of books with good instructions and inspiring designs. So, if the budget allows, I would definitely recommend spending some cash on creating a good embroidery library.

However, there are times for all of us when we're short on money. While saving our pennies, we drool over those colorful stitchery books with vast varieties of fun projects and sigh, dreaming about the day we make the purchase and dive into the pages of this beauty... (I am not the only book-addict, right?)

Well, there is a way to treat yourself with embroidery books absolutely for FREE! 

Dogrose: Embroidered heart shaped wreath

When you love flowers and love embroidery, sooner or later a heart shaped floral wreath will bloom on your fabric. Guess it was inevitable :)

Buttonhole stitch Lesson 2: variations

We already looked at the basics of the buttonhole stitch along with its functions and spoke about the confusion between the names “blanket stitch” and “buttonhole stitch”. Now, one of the remarkable characteristics of this stitch is that it has a TON of variations. All of them are worth attention but mentioning every single one would make this post super long. So for the starts, I decided to stop at the three most popular variations: closed buttonhole stitch, crossed buttonhole stitch and knotted buttonhole stitch.

How to prevent thread tangling and save your nerves

Imagine, coming to your workplace having all your favorite thread and fabrics lined up in front of you, this wonderful art is taking you away from the routine of your daily life, you get in the rhythm of stitching and forget about all the troubles when suddenly... THAT happens. The perfect embroidery session is spoiled by an ugly knot on your thread! Ugh.

I don't think there is any stitcher who doesn't hate the knots on a thread. This is plain frustrating! And it's cool if you can untangle it easily, but when they are too messy and huge, or they happened long time ago on your backside and you noticed it late... That is so not fun.

I think the best way to fight with this problem is to take precautions on early stages. Like starting from the moment you prepare your thread for embroidery.

10 things to remember about hand embroidery needles

Needles are the tool that hand embroidery can't do without. And that tool raises many questions in the minds not only of beginners but even experienced stitchers. So, what are the top things we should know about the needles?

Buttonhole stitch Lesson 1: the basics

Buttonhole one of the basic stitches in hand embroidery which actually forms a whole family of loop stitches. It is really handy, so I strongly believe that learning it is essential for a needleworker.

Today we will speak about:

• the technique of how it is worked,
• its functions
• the confusion between Buttonhole and Blanket stitches
• the tips for getting the buttonhole stitch right.

Miniature stitching

Last couple of days I was busy with these miniatures. The idea came all of a sudden as soon as I decided to make new pincushions.

May Round-up

It's funny how unwilling summer is to come and share its warmth here. We've had probably a week or two to enjoy the summer heat, sunshine and clear blue sky, and now it is +7°C again and we wear warm socks and sweaters even at home. Well, but any weather is fine, isn't it? There's always something to be happy about. For example, it's a good excuse for a cup of tea with delicious pastry ;)

No matter the weather, summer is finally here and the last month of spring already waved goodbye. So, it is a good opportunity for summing up everything that happened on StitchFloral during May.