I have this little star sitting on my desk right now. It uses a simple star outline (like this one) and I thread I hadn’t used (Oriental Linen from The Thread Gatherer). Making a simple design like this is a great way to test out a thread.
But it’s also a fantastic way to create some simple stitch variations. You can make this kind of a variation even if you are a beginning stitcher.
Just separate the units of lines of a stitch by a single row of threads. This process is called “exploding” a stitch and any stitch that has clear lines or units can be exploded. If you have seen stitches that are framed by rows of Tent Stitches, those are exploded stitches with the open lines filled in. Or, vice versa, a stitch such as Jacquard or Famed Scotch, is exploded when those rows of Tent Stitch are left out.
I also think of these stitches as “skip-a-row.”
This start used an Exploded Straight Gobelin in a pattern, below.
Some other exploded stitches I’ve done include:
Next time you have a thread you want to try but don’t know what to do, try this. They are loads of fun and fast to stitch.
About Janet M Perry
Janet Perry is the Internet's leading authority on needlepoint. She designs, teaches and writes, getting raves from her fans for her innovative techniques, extensive knowledge and generous teaching style. A leading writer of stitch guides, she blogs here and lives on an island in the northeast corner of the SF Bay with her family
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