Surface Embellishments

Surface Embellishment: is an important component of freeform, it’s a great way of bringing your personality, our style & our skills to our work & putting our own stamp on our project. There are 1000’s of ways to embellish.

1. Surface Slip stitch: start where required, with right side facing & yarn at back, insert hook into sp between 2 sts & draw up a loop, * insert hook in next sp between 2 sts just made as required (above, or to the left or right) & draw up a loop through base-fabric & loop on hook, repeat from * to end, finish off & weave in tail ends on wrong side

2. Surface Slip Stitch can also be worked as follows: start where required, with right side facing & yarn at front, insert hook under a loop of stitch & draw up a loop, 1 ch to secure, * insert hook under next stitch loop (above, or to the left or right) & draw up a loop through stitch loop & loop on hook, repeat from * to end, finish off & weave in tail ends on wrong side. Use this method to bring in yarn for dc (US sc) & ruffles

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Crochet Dots: cut a long length of yarn approx 1metre (40”) or more – start where required, with right side facing & yarn at front, insert hook under a loop of stitch & draw up a loop, *1 ch to secure, * YO, insert hook under same loop & draw up a loop** (repeat from * to ** as many times as desired depending on size dot required), YO & draw through all loops on hook, 1 ch to close, then draw through remaining unused yarn, take this long end to wrong side & bring it back up where the next dot is required **, repeat from * to ** until yarn runs out

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Outlining & defining motifs: 

Stem stitch: is a versatile embroidery st that I use a lot… work in contrasting thread or even 2 threads at a time… it’s simple & quick

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Couching Stitch is another favourite: one yarn lies free on the surface & another yarn is used to tack it down. Use contrasting yarns, ribbons or cords.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Crab stitch: (reverse dc (US sc)) – Although Crab stitch is most often used as edging, creating a rope-like finished edge to your project, it’s also a versitile stitch that can be used in freefom to tidy an unsightly seam or join or as an embellishment to liven up a dull, uniteresting patch. Crab stitch can be a little tricky at first but is soon mastered with a bit of patience & practice.