Linen Finishing Stitch
Overcast Variation
Continued
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Use the same size tapestry needle you used to stitch the project.
Lay the stitchery on a hard, flat surface. Fold the seam allowance to the back side of the ornament along the cross stitched edge. Finger press. Do not iron!
Following the Linen Finishing Stitch diagrams, you will start at either the top or the bottom of one of the straight, side seams. The remainder of these instructions are given as if you are stitching bottom-to-top along one side seam, a straight seam. You will leave a tail equal to the lower diagonal measurement plus 4.”
IMPORTANT!For some projects, such as the Folk Art Ornament, the pieces must be sewn together in a specific order. When assembling these projects, lay the three pieces side-by-side to be sure you are joining the correct panels to each other. (I learned this the hard way.) The Holly Band Ornament features three identical sides so the there is no special order.
You will connect two pieces of fabric by slipping your needle under one linen thread on one piece and then under one linen thread on the other piece. The placement of each stitch is important: they must be directly opposite each other so that the design matches and the seam is smooth.
You will NOT be sewing the right sides together at any time. This technique is gentle on your stitchery because you will not have to turn it right side out when you are finished. Lay the first two pieces side-by-side with the seam allowance tucked underneath.
