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Wave Stitch Tutorial

Wave Stitch Tutorial

Wave stitch is a bit similar to Cloud filling in the sense that it is a waved patterned filling stitch. You work the stitch row upon row to fill an area and build up a pattern. When worked in different shades this stitch is also known as Looped shading stitch.

Note with this sample I have spaced each ‘wave’ a little apart so that you can see what is happening but normally the gap between the feet of the stitch would not be so large.

How to work Wave Stitch

You start this stitch at the top row.

With the first row work a line of evenly spaced small straight stitches that stand vertically

Bring your needle out at the base of the first row and pass the needle under the first straight stitch. Pull the needle through to thread your yarn under the straight stitch.

Insert your needle at the base of the row to the left so that the yarn forms an inverted V shape.

Bring your needle out to the left close to where it entered the fabric (this is the step I have worked further apart so that you can see what is going on)

Continue in this manner to work the first row.

On the second and following rows bring your needle out at the base of the row and working in the opposite direction along the row, thread your yarn through the feet of the inverted V stitches made on the previous row.

Continue in this back and forth manner until the area is filled with Wave stitch.

As you can see Wave stitch looks good worked in a space dyed thread. This is some hand dyed perle #5 thread.

Worked in a traditional manner Wave stitch is evenly spaced but if you change the spacing and heights of the rows it can become a very contemporary filling stitch. As with all patterned stitches beads looks good stitched in the gaps or at the feet of the wave.

I hope you enjoy Wave stitch!

 

 

Have you seen my book?

holding my book in front of quilt

My book The Visual Guide to Crazy Quilting Design: Simple Stitches, Stunning Results  shares detailed practical methods on how to design and make a crazy quilt. Topics such as fabric choice, tricky challenges like balancing colour, texture and pattern, and how to create movement to direct your viewers eye around the block are topics covered in detail. I also explain how to stitch and build decorative seam treatments in interesting and creative ways. My book is profusely illustrated as my aim is to be practical and inspiring.

18 Comments

  1. Sorry Sharon..
    Late again but not because I am disinterested in TAST2. I enjoy and complete my stitching on time but have much bother with the computer and photo program.
    Why do they break down at the wrong time?

    I have seen some very nice examples, by members, of the Sword stitch but my brain was on the blink along with the computer.

    Week 19 is one of my favourite stitches.

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/crazyqstitcher/
    http://crazyqstitcher.wordpress.com/

    Maureen Bond
  2. Yes – many thanks for sharing. This is a wonderful stitch, and has triggered my imagination once again. I need to keep needlepoint backgrounds stitched and ready so that I can get right to the embellishing stitches I see here. I can already "see" this one on a tree ornament with DMC Memory Thread and Kreinik metallics.

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