There is a marvelous collection of non-traditional thread in my studio. Much from weaving, crochet, and some just because they are wonderful to touch. I set out to see what could be stitched with reasonable ease, and I found that almost anything can be used for high-textural interest. The “ease” part is colored by how the world is treating me on the day of stitching.
I gathered an assortment of these non-traditional beauties and sampled them for textural possibilities. The fibers included nettle yarn, linen, hand-spun silk (really rough and slubbed), reclaimed sari silk ribbon and sari silk yarn, hemp, banana fiber, some Habu chenille and a stiff, thin silk, silk paper thread, raw silk, finely drawn and flattened silk, cottons fat and skinny . . . . . . the list is a long and fun one.
I chose to use Buttonhole Stitch because it is an open loop that does not make multiple passes through a single hole in the fabric the way a traditional Chain Stitch does, and it can be enlarged or shrunk down, overlapped or stitched in a single line. In all these variations, it retains its character. Most importantly, it accommodates a large range of fibers.
I found a number of the yarns at Darn Good Yarn, a shop that is pure eye candy for unusual yarns. Others I have picked up as Charles and I travelled, some are from like-minded friends. In a small moleskin sketchbook I placed samples of the fibers and made notes on the stitching. Between the sampler and the notebook I have as complete a reference as I could make from the stitching, and there is a small amount of space left at the bottom of the fabric so I can continue to scan the horizon for more candidate threads.
What fun this was!
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