Butterflies in Chains

I have previously written about a pillow case project I had started. The pattern contained  butterflies and flowers. The pattern was stamped on the pillow case as cross stitch. I love cross stitch but not as a surface embroidery stitch, so I had the wonderful idea that I was going to do the entire project in chain stitch or some derivative of chain stitch.  You can see the beginning post  and an update.

Well they are done!

Butterflies in Chains

There is a little glare on this picture, but it works.

I owe a debt of thanks to Mary Corbet of Needle N Thread. I have written about her and her blog before. No doubt, it is one of my most favorite blogs. She does not know me, but I am still proud of her contributions to the needle arts!

I could not have stayed true to my original intention without her blog. First, she speaks about using chain stitch as a filler stitch which I had never heard of.  Not too long after I had started the pillow cases, she wrote an article about the Hungarian Braid Stitch. I decided that would be my first derivative and the outside scalloped borders were done using that stitch. Next I worked the pink flowers in Detached Chain Stitch. I was thinking about using her tip about Daisy Flowers in Two Colors but decided to try out the Oyster Stitch instead.

You can't see it now, but my next step was to outline the end butterflies in Cable Chain Stitch. I took it out, however, because I had used a dark blue color that just didn't work with the other colors. The project languished as other priorities too place, but I had not forgotten it. I might take a while, but I am proud that I usually finish the projects I start. 

The project came to the forefront again after I purchased Mary's e-book Stitch Sampler Alphabet: Decorative Initials in a Variety of Stitches!. That is how the outer butterflies came to be laced and the next outer butterflies were whipped. I had forgotten about her article on Lacing and Whipping Embroidery Stitches! I also utilized her idea about putting a straight stitch in the middle of my detached chain stitch flowers. It really plumped them and added a lot of definition.

There is still a lot of other information about the chain stitch on her blog. Starting a new thread and Chain Stitch Tip:Circles are just a couple. I will say it again, I could not have stayed true to my original intention without her blog!