About RSN Stitch Bank
Closed buttonhole stitch
Closed buttonhole stitch is widely-spaced buttonhole (also known as blanket stitch) alternate ‘legs’ of the stitch are angled forward or backward so that they meet and form a triangle.
For more background see the entries for buttonhole stitch and blanket stitch.
Closed buttonhole stitch was certainly in use in the 17th century as it features as an edging stitch on two English coifs, currently held by the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.
Closed buttonhole stitch is generously sponsored by Karen Goldie-Morrison
Method
Working left to right. Bring the needle to the surface at the base of the stitch and back down as if to create a diagonal stitch. Keep the thread slack.
Bring the needle up on the base line again half a stitch length behind the end of the last stitch, ensuring the needle comes up behind the last slack stitch.
Tighten the first stitch against the needle, creating a kink in the diagonal stitch. Pull the working thread to the surface. Take the needle down at the end of the first stitch, leaving the thread slack on the surface.
Bring the needle up on the base line again, half a stitch length ahead ensuring the needle comes up behind the last slack stitch and tighten against the needle.
Pull the thread through to the surface, creating a triangular shape.
Make another buttonhole stitch with a forward slant.
Complete the triangle with a second buttonhole stitch, sharing the top hole.
Continue forming the stitches as before
A completed line of closed buttonhole stitch.
Closed buttonhole stitch
Structure of stitch
Embroidery Techniques
Related Stitches
References
-
Mary Thomas’s Dictionary of Embroidery Stitches (1934) , p.21–2
-
Anchor Embroidery, 100 Embroidery Stitches
-
'17th century women’s coif ', Victoria and Albert Museum (2021). Available at: https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O78811/coif-unknown/ (Accessed: 19 October 2021)
-
'Elizabethan coif', Victoria and Albert Museum (2021). Available at: http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O251169/coif-unknown/ (Accessed: 24 November 2021)