HOME

Cross Stitch

Ordering Info

Stitch Primer

Chart Index

Newsletter

Recipes

Friends & Family

Contact Us

GO TO:  Stitch Primer Index 

General Information:
PULLED THREAD STITCHES
Definition
Pulled thread stitches are the ones that require you to add extra tension as you stitch -- pulling the linen threads together.

Tension
Depending on the stitch and how open you want your stitches, the amount of tension or pull you put on each stitch will vary. Pulling rearranges the weave of the linen threads and creates enlarged holes -- the holes that already exist in the weave of the linen. The tighter the pull, the "lacier" the look.

It is important to keep a consistent tension within a project.

You may find that you will break a needle while working pulled thread stitches. This is an indication of an inferior needle, a needle size that is too fine, or that you are pulling too hard. Make whatever adjustment necessary.

Color
Traditionally, pulled thread stitches are worked with a stitching fiber that closely matches the linen threads in color and in weight. This maximizes the lacy look. The human eye sees the "holes" and not the "stitches." It is this very thing that creates a challenge in learning pulled thread work. Sometimes it is helpful to practice your stitches with a slight contrast between fabric and fiber colors.

Pulled thread is often used referred to as “whitework“ which is simply stitching with white fibers on a white linen or canvas. Today, whitework is also done with colors. Match the fiber and fabric colors as closely as possible. Another term you will hear is tone-on-tone.

Fibers to Use
Pearl Cotton is an excellent choice to use for pulled thread stitches. It is a strong fiber and can withstand the tension needed for pulled thread work. It also comes in different weights (thickness). In the US, numbers 3, 5, 8 and 12 are commonly available. Number 12 is the finest and number 3 is the heaviest in this range.

If you can find linen stitching thread on a bobbin or card, you may find it to be your favorite. It is often only found in white and ecru.

The best way to match the weight of the linen to your stitching fiber is to remove a thread from the linen and lay them side by side.

If you must use floss, avoid using less than a single strand for pulled thread stitches. A single strand of floss simply cannot withstand the tension and easily breaks.


Four Sided


Algerian Eyelet


Diamond Eyelet


Beginning
Unless otherwise instructed, pull while executing the entire stitch, start to finish. The first stitch will not stay put until the next one is in place and the beginning of the thread is anchored. The last stitch will not stay in place until the end of the stitching fiber is secured.

It is best to begin with an "away waste knot." Trying to stitch over the tail of your stitching fiber as you begin to stitch is a study in frustration. It is best to put a knot in the end of your fiber, insert it on the front of the fabric about 4" from the place where you will begin to stitch and out of the way of the stitching area. Begin to stitch. You cannot pull on your first stitch. Begin pulling with your second stitch. 

You will go back and clip the knot off (that's why it is called a waste knot -- you are wasting it!) when you get to the end -- the end of a row or the end of the stitching fiber. Re-thread your needle. Secure the beginning of your fiber in the same way as the end, described here:

Ending
When you get to the end, secure the fiber by working it under the last few stitches on the back of your project. Because you have been pulling your stitches, you may have to secure it under one stitch at a time.

Pointers
When stitching an area or a row of stitches, take care not to carry the working fiber across the back of your fabric in such a way that the delicate holes are blocked.  If it seems impossible to move from one stitch to the next without trailing the working fiber, “tunnel” under a finished stitch and then begin the next one.

Important: the unworked threads of the linen should be smooth, straight, and without any gaps.

If you use a hoop or stretcher bars, be sure that the fabric is not pulled tighter than its natural tautness.

It is easy to get confused by our most often used word: stitch. In pulled thread, each stitch is made of up of two, three, and even sixteen individual stitches. I once threatened to use the term "stitchlet" to refer to the stitches within a stitch. I do wish our needlework vocabulary included some way to make it clear! 

Be aware that many stitches can be either pulled or not pulled. A good example is the satin stitch. It is often called "pins" when it is pulled, but the stitch is executed in the same way as the non-pulled variety.

Other stitches seem to be either pulled or not pulled, but are actually just pulled with different degrees of tension. For example, an eyelet can have a center hole large enough to thread a ribbon through it, or it can have a soft, almost dimple-like effect in the center. Both of these are considered pulled stitches.
 

Copyright 2003 by Jean R. Farish. All rights reserved. No portion of this page may be reproduced by any means without expressed written consent of Jean Farish,  unless explicit permission is granted within the text of the page. Please read  Fair Use clause. To obtain written permission, please address all correspondence to Jean Farish, 230 Second Street SW, Taylorsville, NC 28681 or email at jeanfarish@gmail.com