This stem stitch looks sophisticated after being completed. It is not though. It follows a simple stem stitch technique with a little extra loopings between each stitch.

I will work on a slightly curved stitch line to demonstrate this stitch to you. You need to know the stem stitch to be able to do this stitch.

Fig 1: We start with a single stem stitch. Bring the needle out through A, take it in through B and out through C.		Fig 2: Now, take the needle under the stitch A-B without pluckign the fabric beneath. Make sure the needle comes out from the left side of the point C, as shown. This makes a loop around the stitch A-B.
Fig 3: Make another similar loop around the stitch A-B, keeping it towards the left of the previous loop. So, we get two loops.		Fig 4: Now, make the next stem stitch. After making both loops, continue to take the needle in through D and bring it out through E. Then, make the two loops. Make sure the loops encircle both A-B and C-D.
Fig 5: Half way through, our portugese stem stitch would look like this. It gives out a complicated look.		Fig 6: A full curved stitch line woud look like this. Observe how the stitch shows up at the two curves.

Tags: embroidery tutorial, hand embroidery tutorial, portugese stem stitch, stem stitch, stem stitch family, straight line stitch

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This stitch looks similar to the split stitch, but flatter on the fabric. The technique followed is like the back stitch. This stitch is ideal for making outlines or even for laborious fillings.

You need to know the back stitch to be able to do this stitch. The knowledge of the split stitch will be an advantage.

Fig 1: We start normally like a back stitch. Make a stitch A-B. Bring the needle out from C.		Fig 2: Now, like a normal back stitch, take the needle towards B and, splitting through the stitch A-B, put in the needle near B or B itself.
		Fig 3: The stitch would look like this. It looks similar to the split stitch with a slight chain like effect.
Fig 4: A finished row of split back stitch would show up like this.

Tags: back stitch, back stitch variations, embroidery tutorial, hand embroidery, hand embroidery tutorials, outline stitch, split stitch

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This stitch is worked similar to the palestrina stitch, but in an entirely reversed fashion. We work this from right to left. What was right becomes left and left becomes right. Top becomes bottom and bottom becomes top.

I will use a curved stitch line to do this stitch.

Fig 1: Bring the needle out through A which lies slightly above the stitch line. Then, take the needle in through B which lies on the stitch line, right below A. Bring the needle out through C which lies on the left of B and on the stitch line.		Fig 2: Take the needle under the stitch A-B without plucking the fabric beneath. Note that the needle is angled below the point C.
Fig 3: Now, bring the needle from under A-B, but this time from above the point C. Loop the thread around the needle as shown.		Fig 4: Pull the needle out to form the knot. Continue the procedure to form more knots on the stitch line.
		Fig 5: A finished line of reversed palestrina stitch would look like this

Tags: border embroidery, embroidery tutorial, hand embroidery, italian embroidery, italy, knot family, palestrina embroidery, palestrina stitch, reversed palestrina stitch

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rocksea

my great grandma used to call me bosky. she could never twist her tongue for roxy. roxy comes from persian roxanne meaning dawn. pals used to call me all sorts, roskie, sexy, foxy, rocky whatever mutations and i lent my ear to all of them. so this rocksea came in between like a brand name, suited my profession and sounded like my name as well. once, i remember when i was 14, i cried cuz i didnt like my name and demanded it shud be changed. now itz fun playing with it.

sarah

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On what we can do. The idea is still in its preliminary stages.

Excerpt from the first email.

Talking more about the group, let me tell some feasible and beneficial ideas. Most of us are in touch or in reach by an email or phone call. We’re a previleged group in such a developing country like India. Why don’t we collect a small fund or smtg from among those who’ve settled with some jobs? Shouldn’t be a compulsory one. With such a fund we can do smtg like adopt (not techinically) a child, i.e. we provide a 100Rs per month (itz low but easy for start) towards education/dress/books for a child. If just 12 people put a 100 Rs per year such a thing is possible. May be it looks an ugly idea (is it so ) now but it would be worthy in the long run, as we grow. Other benefits are: satisfaction of doing something, to have a child of our own, bettering the world, some use of the money we consume every month, future investment, etc etc

Supporters so far: (Physically / Intellectualy / Financially or in whatever ways one can help it)

Anoop John
Charlie Malkachan

Do you support? If so please mail to saps or comment here or email me.

• Herez how we can do the financial part:
  1.make a paypal account for those who can put anything thru credit 
  2.open a bank account in Kerala (litty ) for others.
• For the working out part we have to do detailed study on how we should utilize it and where when etc. may be this should be done before collecting any funds and the plan laid out.

We’re still studying on the idea and it may take time. Meanwhile, here is a wonderful documentation/statistics on the state of the world’s children 2006 by UNICEF to chew on. Excluded and Invisible, State of the World’s Children 2006 (pdf, 3 mb)

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