This is a multipurpose stitch made over a foundation of a long straight stitch. The blanket stitch covers this straight stitch, without touching the fabric, hanging out like a loop. This method of stitch can be seen in some traditional needlelace embroidery forms like Aemilia Ars, from Bologna, Italy.

This technique is also used to make hook loops  in clothings.

Since this stitch throws out a dimensional effect, it can be easily used and experimented with in dimensional embroideries as well.

Though this stitch is popularly known as buttonhole bar stitch, it uses the blanket stitch. So, you need to know the blanket stitch to be able to continue with this tutorial.

Fig 1:  Begin by making the foundation of straight stitches. The illustration shows two straight stitches made between points A and B. For the sake of tutorial, a contrasting colored thread is used, but ideally a similar colored thread is better.		Fig 2: Now,  Bring the needle out from the point A. Take the needle from under the straight stitches withought plucking the fabric underneath. Loop the thread around the needle as we would for the blanket stitch.
Fig 3: Pull the needle out. We get our first blanket stitch over the bars of straight stitches. Now, continue with the process for the entire length of the straight stitch.		Fig 4: Half way through the stitch would look like this. Keep nudging the finished stitches to keep them close to each other.
		Fig 5: A finished buttonhole bar stitch looks like this.  You can make the straight stitches loose to give it a more outstanding effect.

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Tags: aemilia ars, blanket stitch, bologna, buttonhole bar stitch, buttonhole stitch, dimensional embroidery, embroidery tutorials, hand embroidery, hooks, italy, loops

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This stitch looks like series of crosses or Xs with a knot in between each X. Once you learn this stitch, you can experiment widely with this stitch by making various geometrical patterns like circles. You will then see how the same stitch could look differently wtih each pattern.

I will follow a slightly  curved line. This stitch is done from left to right.  The thinner the thread or bigger the base, the more it accentuates the feature of this stitch.

Fig 1: Start by bringing out the needle through A and putting it in through B. Both these points lie above the stitch line. Then, bring the needle out through C which lies right under A and below the stitch line.		Fig 2: Keep the stitch A-B a bit loose. Take the needle under A-B without plucking the fabric beneath.
Fig 3: Now, once again take the needle under A-B as shown in the illustration.		Fig 4: Pull the needle out to get a knot as shown above and slightly pull it down to bend the stitch A-B towards the centre. Then, put the needle in through D, a point right under B and below the stitch line. Bring it back up again from B as shown.
Fig 5: Continue the procedure by taking the needle in through E, which lies above the stitch line and bring it out through D. Make the knot and pull the stitch B-E towards the centre so that the knot falls on the stitch line. Keep up with this procedure for the entire design.		Fig 6: A finished line of sorbello stitch would look like this. Using a thinner thread would have accentuated the features of this stitch.
		Fig 7: This is a sample of the sorbello stitch done on a broader base. Here, you can see the features of this stitch more clearly.

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Tags: italian embroidery, italy, knot family, knots, palestrina embroidery, palestrina stitch, sorbello stitch

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This stitch is just a plestrina stitch with an extra knot on each knot. This makes the knot look bigger and fuller.

You need to know the palestrina stitch to be able to do this stitch.

Fig 1: Lay one palestrina knot on the stitch line as illustrated. Now make another similar knot over this knot.		Fig 2: Take the needle beneath the base stitch without plucking the fabric underneath or the threads of the first knot to make the second knot.
Fig 3: Continue this process of making such knots.		Fig 4: A finished line of triple palestrina would look like this.

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This stitch is worked similar to the palestrina stitch, but in an entirely reversed fashion. We work this from right to left. What was right becomes left and left becomes right. Top becomes bottom and bottom becomes top.

I will use a curved stitch line to do this stitch.

Fig 1: Bring the needle out through A which lies slightly above the stitch line. Then, take the needle in through B which lies on the stitch line, right below A. Bring the needle out through C which lies on the left of B and on the stitch line.		Fig 2: Take the needle under the stitch A-B without plucking the fabric beneath. Note that the needle is angled below the point C.
Fig 3: Now, bring the needle from under A-B, but this time from above the point C. Loop the thread around the needle as shown.		Fig 4: Pull the needle out to form the knot. Continue the procedure to form more knots on the stitch line.
		Fig 5: A finished line of reversed palestrina stitch would look like this

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Also known as: double knot stitch, tied coral stitch, old english knot stitch, smyrna stitch, twilling stitch, pearl stitch

Palestrina stitch has its origin in Italy. Many embrodiery styles from Italy has palestrina stitch and there is even an embrodiery style called the Palestrina. This stitch is usually used for outlining or bordering purposes. Any type of fabric and thread can be used to do this stitch, but the perle cotton thread will give the best knotted effect.

There are two variations of palestrina stitch: The long armed palestrina stitch and the long legged palestrina stitch, both of which I have shown below.

Fig 1: Bring the needle out through the point A, which lies on the stitch line. Then, take the needle in through B, which lies on the stitch line too. Bring out the needle through C, a point straight above and not too far from B.		Fig 2: Now, take the needle below the stitch A-B, without plucking the fabric underneath, as shown. The needle will be angled above or towards the left of the point C.
Fig 3: Again, take the needle under the stitch A-B. Only, this time, the needle is angled below or towards teh right side of the point C. Then, loop the thread around the needle as shown in the illustration.		Fig 4: When you pull out the needle, the first palestrina knot is formed. Start for the nest knot by putting in the needle through D on the stitch line and bringing it out from E, just above the point D. Continue with the procedure as we did for the first knot.
		Fig 5: The finished portion of palestrina knot would look like this.
		Fig 6: This is a variation of the palestrina stitch. The technique followed is the same. The only difference is that the stitch B-C (Fig 1) is taken a bit longer to give it a long ‘arm’. And so, this variation is called the ‘long armed palestrina’.
		Fig 7: Another variation is when the stitch A-B (Fig 1) is extended giving the stitch a long ‘leg’. Such variation is called a ‘long legged palestrina’. It would look like coral stitch with bolder knots. This illustration shows a long legged and long armed palestrina.

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Tags: double knot stitch, italian embroidery, italy, old english knot stitch, palestrina embroidery, palestrina stitch, smyrna stitch, tied coral stitch, twilling stitch

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