clear navigate_before

Dove’s eye icon
Dove’s eye

  • Dove's eye filling stitch
Dove’s eye main image

This stitch is used to fill simple square holes with a delicate, lacy effect.  When used within Hardanger, the holes are cut and surrounded by groups of four Kloster blocks and is normally worked with a finer thread than that used for the blocks. 

The stitch was certainly in use as early as the 17th century as it regularly features on samplers (normally whitework) from that era.  The example below from the RSN Collection dates to c.1650-80 and is used to embellish the small open squares in three of the panels.

add_circleMy Stitches
Buttonhole Isolated Detached Looped Pattern Reversible Embellishment Insertion Open Filling Hardanger Whitework Buttonhole corner (drawn thread)

This stitch is awaiting a sponsor.

Method

Care must be taken when pulling up the thread so that it remains fairly loose, forming a soft loop.

pan_tool
1
Dove’s eye method stage 1 illustration
Dove’s eye method stage 1 photograph
1

Secure the thread under the top satin stitch kloster blosk and bring the needle up close to the edge between the second and third stitches. Working clockwise around the hole, weave the needle backwards under the centre stitch of the next kloster.

2
Dove’s eye method stage 2 illustration
Dove’s eye method stage 2 photograph
2

Pull the thread through and towards the centre so that a buttonhole loop forms in the aperture. Again working clockwise, weave the needle backwards under the centre stitch of the next kloster.

3
Dove’s eye method stage 3 illustration
Dove’s eye method stage 3 photograph
3

Repeat on the third side of the hole.

4
Dove’s eye method stage 4 illustration
Dove’s eye method stage 4 photograph
4

Again pull the thread through and towards the centre to form the loop, then take the needle under the first stitch to maintain the pattern.

5
Dove’s eye method stage 5 illustration
Dove’s eye method stage 5 photograph
5

Take the needle down into the fabric and secure the thread under the kloster block.

Structure of stitch

Each Dove’s Eye Filling stitch is made up of four looped stitches, each one worked around the central stitch of each of the four Kloster blocks surrounding the hole.

Buttonhole Isolated Detached Looped Pattern Reversible

Common uses

Embellishment Insertion Open Filling

Embroidery Techniques

Hardanger Whitework

Variant Stitches

Buttonhole corner (drawn thread)

References

  • Sue Whiting, The Anchor book of Hardanger embroidery (1997)

Examples of Dove’s eye

17th century sampler, RSN Collection No. 2789

This sampler uses dove's eye in three of the sections: the diamond apertures on the right hand side and the two sections below which span the whole width of the sampler.