About the Surrey Stitch
This stitch, you can see if you pay attention to the technique, can be worked perfectly over even weave fabric. The Surrey Stitch is used in Berlin Wool Work, a form of wool on canvas embroidery that was popular in the 1800’s. Initially, the Berlin patterns were flat, but around the mid 1800’s the patterns started to become more realistic and dimensional with the use of padding and plush trimmed stitch, which of course, was acheived by the Surrey Stitch. In surface embroidery, this stitch can be used wonderfully on the edges of the fabric to make a threaded effect. It can also be used in successive rows, and later trimmed and cut to make a velvet filling or a bushy effect. This tutorial will only teach you the technique of doing this stitch.
How to do the Surrey Stitch
Work between two closely drawn parallel stitch lines.
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| Fig 1: Go in through A, and come out from B, in the lower stitch line. Leave the thread open. Now, go in through C, a point directly above A and in the above stitch line. Keep the open thread towards the left, as shown. | Fig 2: Bring the needle out through A as shown. |
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| Fig 3: Now, take the needle in through D and out through A, as in Fig 1. Do not pull the thread out. Instead, leave the loop at a length that you desire. | Fig 4:Keeping the loop long, take the needle in through E, and out through D. |
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| Fig 5: Keep up with this process for the entire row. Remember to keep the loops hanging and at a similar length. You can either leave it like it is, especially if doing edgings. | Fig 6: Else, you can cut the loops to give it a different effect. You can make rows of such stitches to fill a given area. Later, you can cut and trim the threads for a bushy feel. In such a case, remember to begin from the bottom row and work upwards. This will keep you from begin bothered by the threads of the previous row! |
