Welcome back everyone. I've chosen this soft maroon cotton fabric. It has such a rich,
calming tone and I've already framed it up in an 8 inch hoop. To make our stitches perfectly even,
I'm using a little trick, a small card strip marked with 4mm dot guides.
Before we step through the process together,
take a look at how this finished woven border sits right here on the sleeve of this dress.
Let me just trace these gently onto the fabric.
Finished one full line and now leaving about a 1 inch gap before marking the second line.
Perfect! Now we have two parallel dot guides ready to go.
For our palette today, I wanted something subtle yet elegant. Light purple and soft light grey.
Let's start with the grey floss. Thread your needle, tie a gentle knot at the end of your floss
and we're ready to go. Now we're going to make simple straight stitches connecting
the dots across the gap. Think of it like building a tiny thread ladder.
It's a very soothing, repetitive motion. Just move smoothly from left all the way to the right end.
If you want your base ladder stitches to stay perfectly taut during weaving,
try using a slightly higher number of strands, like four or six strands or a sturdy cotton pearl
thread. This keeps the ladder from sagging as you weave over and under.
Now for the fun part, weaving. Thread your needle with the light purple floss and bring it up at the
top left. We're going to weave through the first four vertical straight stitches. One, two, three
and four. This is the classic technique for a woven picot stitch. Just gently slide your needle
under, over, under and over. If you notice your woven shape pulling inward or looking pinched at
the sides, simply use the tip of your needle to nudge the threads gently back into place.
Take your time, enjoy the rhythm and watch the pattern slowly build up.
Once the section feels soft and plump right up to the top edge, pop your needle to the back
and secure it. Look at that, our very first half circle woven picot shape. Let's rotate the hoop
180 degrees. Next we'll pick up stitches three, four, five and six to create the overlapping petal
effect. Once that second shape is woven, flip the hoop back again and weave across stitches five
through eight. Just follow this alternating rhythm all the way down the line. It's so
meditative. Experiment with contrasting colors or gradient threads here if you want an extra vibrant
look. Let's take this delicate woven border and turn it into a statement piece for your wardrobe.
Today we're adding this stitch right along the edge of a dress sleeve.
I've just completed the final two woven shapes and tied off the back. To elevate the whole pattern
and make it really pop, let's add tiny seed beads right in the centers between the woven arches.
Just two tiny anchor stitches and a neat knot at the back. See how that subtle shimmer brings the
whole border to life? Imagine this trailing along the cuff of a linen sleeve, a neckline,
or even the hem of a cozy tote bag. It's such an easy, peaceful hand embroidery technique to master.
Thank you for stitching along with me today. Take care and happy crafting.
Look at that shimmer. It turns a plain sleeve cuff into a wearable work of art. You can apply
this same technique to a neckline, the placket of a button-down shirt, or even the edge of a sheer
organza dupatta.
