Why is Y for Y?

I’ll tell you why!

There aren’t a whole lot of Y options that I’ve covered in the deep recesses of Needle ‘n Thread, I’ve discovered. Short of the color yellow, I’ve had a hard time finding anything particularly Y-ish, aside from this Y.

So, continuing with our ABC Archive series here on Needle ‘n Thread, today, we shall look at the letter Y. Literally.

Way back in 2013 – that’s 13 years ago! – I wrote about this Y.

This was an “extra” from my Stitch Sampler Alphabet PDF, a decorative alphabet involving some 65 embroidery stitches and stitch combinations. This downloadable PDF is a hefty work that teaches you all kinds of embroidery stitches played out over a decorative alphabet. Of course, you can apply them to other projects as well – but the letters are a whole lot of fun!

Embroidered almost entirely in floche and / or coton a broder #25, the letters are colorful, pretty, and packed with a lot of stitch variety. The variety is what makes them so satisfying to work, I think.

Here’s the same Y, but in a different color scheme. I like the first color scheme better, although when I first stitched the samples for this, I think I was more inclined towards the brighter pinks and purples.

Stitch Sampler Alphabet was one of the earliest download PDF (“e-books”) that I published, and it has been a favorite over the years. The information in it is timeless, so even though it’s 13 years old, it’s still a good one!

Let’s Talk Stitches

Like I said, there are a lot of stitches and stitch combinations in these letters, and may of those are detailed in tutorials here on the blog.

For example, you’ll find a tutorial for the interlaced chain stitch band (highlighted in the photo above) here. In the photo above, the band has a backstitch running down the center and some French knots out on the sides for accents.

One stitch combination “motif” that runs through the whole alphabet is the scalloped buttonholed chain stitch. I’ve got a step-by-step tutorial for that stitch combination here. On the Y, this stitch combination is accented with French knots, too.

The mock wheatear stitch allows you to work what looks like a wheatear stitch, but with separate colors for he chain and the little “spokes.” The stitch is further enhanced with running stitches down the center of the chain.

Those are just a few of the many, many stitches and stitch combinations I played with when creating Stitch Sampler Alphabet! If you want more, check out Stitch Sampler Alphabet in the shop, or you can meander through the Stitch Fun series of tutorials here on the website, where you’ll find all kinds of stitches and combinations to explore!

Happy Wednesday!