General Tips on Specialty Stitches
I’ve never done specialty stitches before. Are there any tutorials out there?
- Fortunately, in this age of Youtube, there are often lots of how to’s available out there if you just search. Most of the time, Martina’s diagrams are pretty good if you can enlarge them on your computer or tablet. Practice the stitches on a scrap of cloth with some cotton floss to get a feel for it before you stitch on your project. You’ll get the hang of it in no time!
How can I tell which specialty stitch to stitch and which fiber to use?
- Read, read, read, and re-read the instructions. Even those of us who have stitched many a Chatelaine spend a great deal of time reading the instructions. Typically, Martina writes the instructions working from the center outward, particularly for mandalas. If color choice is difficult to discern, try checking with the color version of the pattern to see if that is helpful. Occasionally, something gets left out of the instructions, which is why this website contains helpful hints and corrections for each design. If you have done those things and are well and truly stuck, then by all means, make a post on the Chatelaine Support Group asking the question. Chances are it is something the admins should add to the hints and errata section!
I cannot tell from the pattern how many fibers or how to space the specialty stitch
- In general, the image for the specialty stitch in the pattern is a generic placeholder. The specific instructions are within the detailed instructions of the design. For example, the "icon" for the Algerian Eyelet is the same throughout the pattern; however, one may be stitched with two ply every other hole and another may be stitched with one ply, every hole. Again, read the instructions very carefully and multiple times.