Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Getting better slowly--and invisible chain stitch start

I was hit with a triple whammy--a cold, then bronchitis, and then labrynthitis. The last is when a virus causes nerve damage to the inner-ear nerve that deals with balance. It causes very sudden, very bad vertigo. The first 48 hours are the worst and then things slowly improve. It can take several months for the nerve to heal completely.I finished this spirally tree before the vertigo hit--just after my vacation. I had begun it a while back and enjoyed stitiching it.I began with a stuffed shape and added the random embroidery. Looking at it now, it seems kind of vertigo induced!

When I was stitching it I figured out an invisible way to start chain stitch. (this is all chain stitch in two strands, using two colors of DMC floss on white on white patterned fabric--totally ignoring the fabric pattern for my design.) What you do is use a long doubled strand of floss. Thread the two ends into the needle--this leaves a loop at the other end.

Enter your fabric where you wish the first stitch to begin. Come up one stitch length away, making sure to go through the loop end. This is the first chain stitch. Just continue with regular chain stitches with the doubled thread. The first stitch is only one thread, not two, but I don't think it shows enough to matter on this project. I eneded each thread by running the end into the stuffing, following along under chain stitches already made so the dark thread wouldn't show through the white fabric.

If this doesn't make sense, let me know and I'll make up some simple drawings that will hopefully clarify it.

4 comments:

Rachel said...

I'm sorry to hear you've been poorly. Bronchitis is a very lowering sort of thing and vertigo must have made it ten times worse. You're getting better now, I hope?

Jenny Woolf said...

This is a beautiful little item. I imagine it with a weight inside and then it can be used as an unusual paperweight.

I can't say how much I hope you get better quickly. You have such bad luck with vertigo but this sounds like the worst of all.

Aurelia Eglantine said...

It's horrible to hear that you've been so sick! Best wishes that you'll be feeling better soon :)

I've never heard of your invisible start method, but find it very interesting! I can envision what you're saying (I think), but if you do get around to posting a few diagrams, I'd appreciate it muchly for future reference ;)

mdgtjulie said...

I use a similar start method with my cross stitch. It's called the loop method. Easy, and leaves no tails on the back side to show through. Your tree is beautiful. I'm not creative enough to do something like that, lol.