The open chain stitch works well on lines, curves, and circles. It creates a square-looking stitch if space is left between the individual stitches, but you can also close up the open space between the stitches, to create a more solid-looking line.

I’ve been working a wee bit of satin stitch lately.

Today, courtesy of Yvette Stanton, I’m giving away another copy of Portuguese Whitework: Bullion Embroidery from Guimarães. If you’d like to know what this book is all about, and what it can teach you about hand embroidery, you’re welcome to read my review of this book that focuses on a beautiful whitework technique.

The laced backstitch used in hand embroidery is somewhat like the whipped backstitch. To create the laced backstitch, the needle passes under a line of previously stitched backstitches, but instead of always passing under the stitches in the same direction, the laced backstitch passes under in alternate directions from stitch to stitch. To put it really simply, the needle goes up under one stitch and down under the next.

Here’s a bit of embroidery inspiration for you from Judith, a reader here on Needle ‘n Thread. I love this, and I think it’s a terrific idea for a hand embroidery project.

Lately, I’ve been playing a lot – probably too much. There’s some serious work going on in my stitching world, too, but what’s been occupying me most pleasurably is the whole notion of Play.

Earlier this week, we looked at one way to create isolated French knots (or colonial knots, incidentally) without carrying threads across the back of the fabric.

Today, I’ll show you two other methods I use to begin isolated French knots (depending on the thread I’m using), and one method to secure practically any isolated knot after it’s made. Keep in mind that this is how I do it – this doesn’t mean there aren’t other (and probably better!) ways to start and end isolated French knots. But for those of you who don’t know how, if you try the methods suggested here, I think you’ll discover they both work.