Stitch Explorer 2009 February
Hello everyone I hope you enjoyed last months challenge.
The challenge for this month is a little known stitch called trellis stitch.It is a raised needle woven stitch that I think is a lot of fun and has loads of potential. The image to the left is a version of the stitch called spiral trellis stitch.
This stitch looks complex but actually once you get in a rhythm it works up fine and new hands should not find it too difficult.
Like in crochet and knitting if you want to decrease skip a stitch and if you want to increase add a stitch by working two into the same place.
I was going to write a tutorial but two my delight I discovered that Jeanne of Just String has already written a very good well illustrated step by step guide.
Also Mary Corbet of Needle ‘n Thread has produced a video tutorial.
Between these two useful sites people have more than enough information to explore this little known and highly unusual stitch.
Unlike chicken scratch which is an embroidery style that is based on building a pattern, the charm and interest of trellis stitch is based on the texture it produces.
During the TAST challenge many people were surprised at what could happen when you take an embroidery stitch and push it. I hope that if people take spiral Trellis stitch and experiment with it we will see all sorts of strange creatures and growths emerge from our needles.
These samples are worked using a perle cotton thread the same weight and thickness as perle 5
Worked in a circle viewed from above
Worked in a circle viewed from the side (this is the same sample)
Worked in a decreasing circle viewed from above
The same sample viewed from the side. As you can see it would be easy to tuck beads inside these forms.
Worked in a decreasing square viewed from above
The same sample viewed from another angle.
I hope people enjoy this stitch as I think it has loads of possibilities and deserves to better known.
Some ideas to try
Increase and Decrease: Increasing or decreasing as you work the rounds produces different effects.
Expand the shape outwards:
Contract the shape inwards:
Try different threads : What does thin, thick, matt, high shine, textured thread look like? What about hairy thread. How would silk work up or wool?
Try different shapes: Try triangles, hearts, circles, squares, hexagons etc see what they look like
Tuck beads in and around different shapes:
What do they look like clustered together on mass?
What do they look like arranged in a pattern?
What happens if you work them on a different or unusual fabric such as scrim, net or lace?
A Flickr Group
I have established a Flickr group for those who want to use it. The name is Stitchexplorer
How to participate in the stitch explorer challenge
Stitch some samples that push this stitch
Blog it or put images somewhere online where people can see them. If you use flickr send them to the Stitchexplorer group
Come back to this post and leave a comment with your web address in it so that people can visit and see what you have done.
Note if when you leave a comment, if you fill in the form with your URL, it means that when people click on your name they will be taken to your blog.
The full guidelines for the challenge are here and if you what a round up of what was done last month settle back with a cuppa and read Stitch Explorer: Chicken scratch results
Have fun!
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Reader Comments (33)
I have done this stitch before but didn't know it was called Trellis stitch.
Now I'm off to go and do it correctly because I wasn't shown the right way when I learnt it before.
Doreen
http://doreeng.blogspot.com/
Hmmm, I went off and watched the video on Needle n Thread of this stitch. Your samples look rather 3D but in her video, she is obviously working a filling/covering stitch (reminds me of buttonhole lace). Are both of these Trellis Stitch?
Linda
Linda yes they are as the construction of the stitch is the same. The first sample up the top is not 3D the rest are because I have either not decreased as I went around or I have - hope that makes sense!
Oh dear . . . . I can see that this is going to cause all kinds of addictive trouble for me. I'm seeing cabochens, rivolis, lumps of coral and turquoise, pearls . . . .
The real question is whether or not I will be able to sleep tonight after seeing the next stitch!
Hi Sharon,
Thanks for the compliment on my tutorial. I look forward to seeing what creative things come out of the challenge. I haven't explored this stitch enough myself!
What a delightful looking stitch, with so many possibilities - I will have to try it on "scrim" (needlepoint canvas in my world). Thanks! I've never seen it before.
Well my dear...you have managed to distract me yet again with this stitch! It is new to me ... don't know why I've never seen this before...but...having checked out both tutorials....and with time to play...have since done a wee sample using both the circular and the linear methods....and must admit...like Virginia said...I started getting visions of so many things that I could do with it!
Thank you Jeanne and Mary for your fabulous tutorials!
Will post a pic of my playing on my blog later! I still need some practice...but first efforts not too shabby!
Marie
I tried the stitch! I posted a few pics on my flickr site. feel free to post comments! Thank you for this new stitch!
Happy Day,
Eva
I posted my first examples here:
http://fat-quarter.blogspot.com/search/label/Stitch%20Explorer%202009.
I have started practising too, see http://borduurblog.blogspot.com/search/label/Stitch%20Explorer .
I posted my trellis stitch bouquet on the flickr group. It's here http://flickr.com/photos/28293162@N06/3302859601/in/pool-1054717@N22
When I practiced the raised herringbone on my band sampler I didn't care for it much because it was so heavy, but I think it's just the right weight for the spiral trellis.
Just tried this for the first time so it is not very neat, but I love the way it rises up and will keep playing.
I tried a few examples of spiral trellis - posted at http://snowdays.wordpress.com/ I do like this stitch.
I followed the example of Annie (of Annies Crazy World) and made two hats today. See my blog http://borduurblog.blogspot.com . It is a lovely idea.
Hi Sharon,
Many thanks for all the samples to start us off on exploring the trellis and spiral trellis stitches. I've begun to post a bit of work with these stitches here.
Cool Stitch. I'm posting my results today on my blog.
I have posted a few of my experiments at http://creativeinstincts.wordpress.com
Hi Sharon,
What a great challenge for me. This stitch is completely new to me. I really enjoy it !
I posted some attempts on my blog. You can see them here :
http://elena33.canalblog.com/archives/stitch_explorer/index.html
You can see my Feb stitches completely blogged along with dismal first efforts
at http://mindblogglings.blogspot.com/
or you can skip to the picture alone on our Flickr group site.
Hi Sharon! Finished my experiments with this stitch, they can be found here
Hi Sharon,
I keep forgetting to do this - I've clearly got out of the habit! I have a couple of posts on trellis stitch up on the blog:
http://smockery.blogspot.com/
Sharon, t was a challenge for me. I have posted my first attempts at my blog
http://steekjes.blogspot.com/
Saskia
I have done the Trellis stitch by another name before but loved the look of your Twisted version Sharon and yearned to try it. I used Mary's tute for the flat version and it was so easy to follow. I also used Jeanne's great tute for her beautiful flowers but failed dismally. The fault is Not Jeanne's but mine.
I blogged my failures and hope by some miracle I can yet succeed, because I intend to work this out. Of course if anyone could help it would be most appreciated.
My stitches seem to lay straight upward rather than slanting.
Maureen
http://crazyqstitcher.wordpress.com/
My samples are on the Flickr site.
Thanks all for the feedback on my Trellis stitching. I've blogged replies and the updated stitch.
Maureen
http://crazyqstitcher.wordpress.com/
Finally I managed to make something in flat trellis stitch. I tried at least 8 times (and unpicked 8 times). See my blog http://borduurblog.blogspot.com/search/label/Stitch%20Explorer and the Flickr group. But I am not satisfied yet, so this will be continued ......
For me, trellis stitch was not an easy task. I tried it many times, tried different threads but finally I managed to work at least some spiral trellis.
I have posted my interpretation of the trellis stitch on my blog http://greasyminginc.blogspot.com
This is my attempt at the trellis stitch. I was trying to finish up a project first, so I didn't get to this until a few days ago. I didn't do a lot but you can see my work on my flickr site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/vallor/
Sharon, I really am glad to do this because I want to learn new stitches. Thanks for your time in doing this challenge.
Dear Sharon,
The trellis stitch reminds me so much of the Raised Cup Stitch. I posted a couple of views of a flower done in this stitch on the flickr group. I just love these stitches that give you so much texture. Thanks for bringing this to our attention. I'm mid-way through an online class, but hope to play more with trellis either in the class or when it's over.
Happy Stitching,
Lin Moon
I finally figured out how to do trellis stitch and started a little rock pool piece using it. I never did dimensional work before but this is fun.
Hi Sharon
I have finished my Trellis stitch sample -sort of-----
Not a happy chappy though.
I don't know where I was going wrong but what I have done hopefully will pass (if you don'y look too close that is.
Doreen
I am falling in love with this stitch! I just posted some pictures on my blog: http://newsfromthebasement.blogspot.com. I posted pictures of the Chicken Scratch last month, but forgot to comment here! Better late than never, I suppose.