Stitch Showcase: Burden Stitch

With my houseplant collection of craft kits, I’m always on the look out for stitches that would look good as pot or basket decorations. When I came across this stitch, I knew I wanted to try it out.

• Lay down parallel rows of horizontal stitches (A to B)

• Start at the bottom corner, add a stitch at right angles ending just below the next horizontal stitch (C to D)

• Keep adding vertical stitches, evenly spaced, with enough gap between each to fit a stitch on the next row

• For the next and subsequent rows, place the vertical stitches between those of the previous row.

Want to have a go at this stitch? Keep an eye out for the palm house plant kit that it heading into my shop very soon. Alternatively, you could use this stitch instead of any of those I recommend in the guidance for any of my houseplant kits. You can find the full range of houseplant kits here.

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Stitch Showcase: Fan Stitch

Fan stitch is also commonly called ray stitch, I prefer the name fan as I thing it really describes what it looks like. To me this stitch conjures up images in my mind of large palm leaves and this stitch can be used to represent leaves.

• Create the base of the fan by stitching one long straight stitch. It is generally about half the length of the fan centre line

• Now create the central fan line. It should be in a straight line with the base stitch

• Either draw on guide lines or imagine the shape of a diamond

• Bring the needle through the fabric a few mm down from the top of the centre line and a few mm away from the centre line. Complete this stitch at the point at which the base and centre lines meet.

• Repeat on the other side of the centre line, making a mirror image stitch.

• Repeat for a further two pairs of lines so there are 7 lines in total coming from the base stitch (the centre line and 3 pairs of stitches)

Want to have a go at this stitch? Sign up to my newsletter to hear when the palm houseplant kit that uses a variation of this stitch will be launched.