Knotted Buttonhole Stitch

Here we are at the end of September, in week 39 of Take a Stitch Tuesday, a weekly embroidery challenge by Sharon at pintangle.  Trying not to run out of steam, I’ve started a small project that I can carry over for a few weeks adding the new challenge stitches until it is complete.  It’s a doll body; one of my spirit doll shapes.  The face is a 3D needle felted head that I’ve held onto for just the right occasion.  I’m hoping this will be that occasion.  The stitch is knotted buttonhole which is not surprisingly a variation of the regular buttonhole.  Here it is on a remnant of upholstery fabric with a detached chain stitch for embellishment.

I’ve basted around the edge of the doll pattern for guidelines to keep the stitches in bounds.  I stitched the dark blue row first.  It must have been later and darker than I thought last night by the time I got to the light blue row because now I can see that I’ve made a couple of errors.  Ooops!  Funny how a close up photograph zooms in on mistakes that I hadn’t noticed before.

I have just enough hand-made felt scraps left to make up a bunch of circles.  The first two are finished.  When I make more, they will be a bracelet or two perhaps.

I like the look of the knotted buttonhole on the edge of the felt.  This felt is so thick and luscious.   It makes a great base for a touch of embroidery.