The Buttonhole Wheel uses the buttonhole stitch (also called the blanket stitch) to create a wheel. You can work buttonhole wheels with radiating spokes from a center point. You can also work the buttonhole wheel around a center dot, to create a flower or other similar element.
The trickiest part of working a buttonhole wheel is keeping the stitches from closing up on you as go around the circle. The trick to avoiding this is to always pull your working thread in the direction that you’re moving around the wheel. You want to keep a fairly tight tension on the working thread, but not so tight that the stitch buckles. This is demonstrated in the video.
Another trick to a well-made buttonhole wheel is ending the wheel in such a way that you can’t tell where the wheel begins or ends. This is also explained in the video.
By changing the shape of the wheels slightly and closing up the space between them, you can produce different effects with the stitch. In the sample above, the buttonhole wheel was used to create a bunch of hollyhocks out of wool thread.
Here’s the buttonhole wheel video:
If you’d like to explore other hand embroidery stitches, feel free to check out my hand embroidery how-to videos here on Needle ‘n Thread!
I just wanted to say thank you so much for these videos. I refer to them often. You do such a wonderful job in explaining the stitches as well as showing them. I’m left-handed and yet I have absolutely no difficulty in being about to make my own stitches work. Thanks Again!
I just wanted to say thank you so much for these videos. I refer to them often. You do such a wonderful job in explaining the stitches as well as showing them. I’m left-handed and yet I have absolutely no difficulty in being about to make my own stitches work. Thanks Again!
Thank you so much for video’s of stitches. These are really helpful in so many ways. One way is slowing a collection of the sticthes to gether to make something like what you did with the button hole wheels. Linda
Thanks so much for this video! I just could not “get” this stitch from written instructions, and wasted too much time and yarn in frustration! Watching the video, I instantly saw what I was doing wrong. Thanks so much! – Ivy
Mary, This video is great (as they ALL are!). And when I took a look at your hollyhocks from the link, I can see how it can be used so beautifully. Thanks again for bringing my love for embroidery back into my life. You make it so so easy. Linda in Israel
Thanks, Linda! I’m glad you’re enjoying embroidery again! It’s such a pleasure, isn’t it? Relaxing, creative…. Enjoy your stitching!
Best,
Mary
I really appreciate that you took the time to make these videos to share with us. They are so incredibly helpful! I could never quite figure out how to start the buttonhole wheel until seeing your tutorial.
Your web page and blog are such a great resource for people who are interested in embroidery!
im looking for the circle pattern that goes good with checked fabric can you help me it has a x inside the circle its something like blackwork star pleas help laura
Your videos are great… just great especially for beginners like me! Can I ask what kind of thread you used in the video? Thanks!!
Your videos are the very best. It helped me so much to do my Project at school on Embroiding.
Thank you.
nice
Thanks a lot Mary for the guidance. You gave me a very helpful guide. I really like your design. You always use bright colours, very interesting.I am using DMC thread too for my special design,it is colorful and long-lasting.Not faded.
Thanks again!
Hi Mary,
When I do buttonhole flowers, the outside edge seems to work its way loose and roll in towards the center over time. Any tips to avoid this?
Thanks,
Lori
WOW! this will be great for my project! And I am also looking for really cool and hard stitches like curlicues always accepting help
Natalie age ten in FL
very very very beautiful and pretty designs!keep it up needle n thread!best of luck for future