TAST 2016 – Stitch 28 – Vandyke Stitch

I almost caught up, and then got left behind again! Not to worry, catch up is in full swing.

Stitch 28 of the TAST 2016 challenge is Vandyke Stitch. I think I was determined to like this stitch, based purely on it’s name! I’m not sure what it is about the word ‘Vandyke’, but I like it, and regardless of the reason, I really did enjoy this stitch once I got the hang of it!

Sharon had recommended using a thread with a twist to it (something like a perle thread). When I was hunting around in my thread stash I came across this beautiful variegated perle silk thread from Colour Streams. At the end of stitching the Vandyke stitch, I was really pleased with the effect the variegated thread had on the stitch. I am usually somewhat hesitant about using variagated threads due to the lack of control over colour placement, however I thought now was as good a time as any to give it a go, and it worked brilliantly I think!

This was a stitch where I struggled to understand ‘how’ to stitch it, and after finding Mary Corbet’s video, watching it three times over, and then stitching it step but step and hitting the pause button at each step on the video, I finally understood! Sadly, it really isn’t that complicated, I’m not sure why it took so long for the penny to drop, but that’s the way it goes sometimes!

The stitch creates a lovely braid on top of the work by ‘twisting’ the thread around the foundation threads (in essence). Like a lot of stitches and stitching, once I was in the rhythm of the stitch, I found it really relaxing and an enjoyable stitch to work. I also chose to make life a little harder for myself on my first attempt at the stitch, and worked it on a curve. This does give a lovely effect to the stitch, however you do need to watch your stitch placement to ensure you move around the curve gently and with the stitches well balanced. As you can see, I also struggled to keep the braid in the centre of the stitch. I’m not sure if this is because of the curve, or if it was to do with my tension as I worked. I suspect it is the later, and I need to work another sample to find out! Does anyone know why my braid is so off-centre? Your advice is invaluable!

Another wonderful stitch, thank you Sharon! I truly enjoyed this stitch once I understood it (and not just because of it’s name!). I can see this stitch being a very useful stitch for creating an interesting border, or by adapting it, to create an interesting filling stitch.

If you are partaking in TAST 2016, how did you find Vandyke stitch? I’d love to hear your thoughts!