Laced Pekinese

Laced Pekinese

Hand Embroidery / Hand embroidery stitches
Laced Pekinese Stitch sampleLaced Pekinese is a stitch that creates a great braid like texture yet unlike many of the heavy embroidery stitches it can follow a curved line well because Pekinese stitch has a foundation of back stitches. Also since it has a foundation of back stitches it makes a good stitch to use on the edge of something. It is heavy in appearance so acts like a frame making it ideal to use on the edges of  projects like fabric books or fabric postcards. If you need a refresher on Pekinese stitch see my tutorial on how to work Pekinese stitch in my Stitch dictionary.

How to work Laced Pekinese

Laced Pekinese Stitch step 1
First work two rows of double Pekinese stitch side by side. A tutorial for double Pekinese stitch is in my stitch dictionary.  You can use between two to five rows of back stitches as a foundation. Make sure the foundation back stitches are worked a little loose so that you can thread a thicker thread underneath them. Also make sure they all line up side by side.
Laced Pekinese Stitch step 2
Use a blunt ended tapestry needle to avoid splitting the foundation stitches. In a heavier thread lace the loops of the Pekinese stitches. As you move from stitch to stitch do not pass the needle through the ground fabric.
Laced Pekinese Stitch step 3
The thread that you lace with, can be a fine cord, a heavy thread, a metallic, or a fine ribbon. Have fun and experiment with threads contrasting weight and texture.
A crisp clean effect can be achieved with lighter weight threads such as pearl 8 and pearl 12. This example is a very heavy weight as it was stitched with the foundation back stitch rows in pearl 5 and the Pekinese threading is done in pearl 3. The final lacing up the centre is worked in heavier thread again.

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My book for creative stitchers

Creative Stitches for Contemporary Embroidery book coverIf you enjoy my site you will get real value from my book  Creative Stitches for Contemporary Embroidery: Visual Guide to 120 Essential Stitches for Stunning Designs

Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned embroiderer, Creative Stitches for Contemporary Embroidery gives you techniques to develop a fresh and creative embroidery style. Discover play points in your embroidery. Explore variations in height and width, stacking stitches, or using repetitions of the same stitch to create areas of texture and shape. All these techniques and more will give you creative variations. I have included numerous demonstrations of small tweaks that create big effects. To send you down your own creative path, the book is richly illustrated with plenty of eye candy.

8 Comments

  1. Yet another great way to stretch a stitch. Not only two but THREE different threads can be used, making it a very decorative and rich stitch. An extra bonus is that it looks good on curves.
    THANKS, Sharon, for another treasure.

    Queenie Patch
    Reply

  4. Pekinese is one of my favorite stitches because of the variety of ways it can be used. I never considered the option of Double Pekinese, let alone lacing it. Guess what is going on my Stitch Sampler next. Thanks!

    Tracy P
    Reply

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