Linen Finishing Stitch
Overcast Variation

Continued


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3. Sew the first diagonal seam.

Continue to stitch with the fiber you have threaded in your needle. Keep the design matched and pick up one linen thread on each side of the seam. At first, it may be awkward. The project is beginning to take shape and you are no longer working with a flat surface.

The diagonal seams are sewn in much the same way as the straight ones, except that once the fabric is turned so that opposite cross stitches match up, they look like a "+" instead of an "x." You will continue to pick up a single linen thread from each side, connecting the horizontal parts of the "+" stitches to each other, as shown with the blue stitches.

On this diagram, the red stitches are the ones you completed on the straight seam, with the double wrap stitches (two sets) shown in white. 

Making a flat diagram show the shape of the project is a challenge! The red and white stitches would be pulled snug and not pulled apart as they are shown here!  The detail photo, right, gives a better understanding of what the finished straight and diagonal combination looks like. Remember, the stitch colors in the diagram are used as an illustration. This entire seam will be stitched with your pre-cut stitching fiber.

When you get to the top of the peak, stop stitching. Do not cut off the tail!

Stitch Primer Index  l Linen Finishing Stitch Introduction
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