In a run-up to our Live FORM Workshop, I decided to have a play about with some stitching. Revisiting some I used to use a lot in my degree work and some ones I hadn’t tried before. All of the stitches had one thing in common, they were very decorative.

For trying out these stitches I used bold opposite colours to make it obvious how the stitches are made up. I think I’ll try them out again in more connecting colours to get a better sense of what I like and don’t like.

I love the look of couching because it adds a strong sense of line and when I seen whipped and laced stitches before I felt they gave a similar feeling. Starting off with a simple running stitch (also called straight stitch) or a backstitch you weave or loop thread around these stitches, starting and finishing in the same place your running or back stitch does. I think I preferred the backstitch as the starting point as I was able to have more control over the loops. Though I could try the straight stitch as shorter stitch lengths to see how that would change the grip of the looping thread in the laced stitch.

I then explored some tailor stitches but as decorative stitches. When in the final year of my degree I played about with this idea after a visiting designer showed us lots of garment stitches. The orange triangle looking one is called an arrowhead tack, really it’s meant to go down to the bottom to complete the arrowhead shape and offer stability on areas of garments but I like it this way too. It looks like a pleat that’s coming apart.

The second orange one is like a backstitch but it’s got loops, as you can see in the below picture. I think this is also a tacking stitch but I can’t quite remember, I’ll have to dig out my old sketchbooks! I’ve stitched this one before into 2.5m of silk, forming a pattern by having lines of 3 different colours in a specific rhythm. It took forever but this stitch is so enjoyable to get into a rhythm doing.

Finally, the catch stitch. I’ve used this one in hemming before but I wish I knew this stitch when I was 19 working in a hotel shop. There was a visitor who after finding out I was studying textiles asked me to hem their trousers because they were too long and they had a golf game the next day. Sorry! Anyway now I think this stitch would work really well as a detail, or layered up in rows to fill an area.

I’d still like to try more of these as I like the idea of something that should be hidden or non-permanent becoming the focus of the design.

Stitching like this is always fun and relaxing. Just trying out things or reminding myself of ideas and taking them further. There’s something I find really intriguing about problem-solving and springing up ideas that I could play about with further. Not having the constraints of a final thing means these ideas can grow arms and legs like little daydreams.

I’ll always go back to this Making Hour because an hour is never enough when you’re hooked on stitch. Have a go at some stitching, all you need is a needle, thread, and a scrap piece of fabric or even a piece of paper!

Want to have a go of stitching but need some help? Then why not try our FORM Embroidery kit or FORM Embroidery Live Workshops?

FORM embroidery image by Form and Balance.

The Making Hour .13