DetachedButtonholeNeedlelace

Detached Buttonhole Needlelace
Copyright Tricia Wilson Nguyen for Thistle Threads, 2007
Stitching by Tricia Wilson Nguyen, Thistle Threads
Graphic Arts by Heather M. Blackburn and
Tricia Wilson Nguyen
Detached Buttonhole Needlelace
outline to start forming the bar of the ‘return’. Note how this looks
in the Right Hand Diagram. By wrapping the outline thread instead
of piercing the linen, the entire piece can be detached later.
The Right Hand and Left Hand Diagrams show the ways that the
outline can be wrapped to secure the thread and change direction
between rows.
All the detached buttonhole stitches will use one strand of the
Soie Perlee. First use an #8 sharp embroidery needle to couch the
outline onto the shape which is on a piece of waste linen. Use a blunt
needle to work the buttonhole stitches.
Care must be taken when finishing an area or moving from one
‘lobe’ to another. Wrap the thread around the outline to move from
one region to another. Study the pictures of the partially detached
pea pod to understand the progression.
Wrap your thread back to a corner where the piece will be
attached to the final fabric. Using these threads, tack stitches along
the outline can secure the detached buttonhole needlelace in place.
Detached buttonhole can also be worked in such a way as it’s
edges can also be detached from the surface of the fabric. This allows
items such as the liftable 3-D wings on the butterfly or the peak-aboo peapods to be constructed. This technique is primarily used in
needlelace and stumpwork to work a figure on a waste piece of fabric
and then attach it where needed on the larger lace or embroidery project. To help distinguish it from the other detached buttonhole stitch
that is used on this project, we are adding ‘needlelace’ to the title.
The primary difference between the two stitches is the treatment
of the outline. The needlelace version must have an outline that does
not go through the linen. To do this, we couch the outline silk thread
in place using a thin thread with a contrasting color. Care is made to
make a uniform spacing between the couching stitches.
As shown in the figure and the photographs, a trailing thread is
left at the start. Some versions of the detached buttonhole needlelace
will take care to double the tails into the stitch. Because we are using a
thick thread, we will not use this method, instead the beginning and
ending thread will be used to secure the piece to the final linen.
Once the outline is finished, the thread is wrapped around the
Start of couched
outline
Right hand
closeup showing
wrapping around
outline
Left hand corner
showing wrapping
around outline
Detached Buttonhole Needlelace Example
(Fully detachable butterfly wing)
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1
Wrap around
couched outline
to start new row of
stitching
Wrap around
couched outline
to begin new row
Right Hand Side Diagram
Left Hand Side Diagram
Picture 1
Picture 2
Picture 3
Picture 4
2
Picture 5
Picture 6
Picture 7
Picture 8
Picture 9
Picture 10
3
Couch
Picture 11
Picture 12
Picture 13
Picture 14
Picture 15
4