TAST week 1: Fly stitch

English name: fly stitch

Swedish name: öppet/öppna kedjestygn, y-stygn

*UPDATE: there's a new pic of my spot sampler with new stitches here.*

So here it is, finally, my first Take a Stitch Tuesday challenge. The first stitch of the year is fly stitch, a small stitch that can be very fun and versatile to work with. This was one of the stitches I learned last year when took up my interest in embroidery again after 15+ years. Pics of the (few) fly stitches I did then can be found below.

I've embroidered these little doodles on a thick polyester felt if you wonder what that porous surface is -- I'm pretty much using up scrap fabric and old cotton floss for this challenge. As you can see, I do consider myself to be a beginner level embroiderer. In other words: please don't expect perfect, even stitches, ideal choices of materials etc.

The doodles I'm most pleased with are the "maltese cross"  on the right (made with four long-stemmed stitches and four large regular fly stitches in between) and the border with two rows of interlocked stitches in the middle left. I liked making doubled stitches, e.i. stitching a second v in the same tacking stitch (the third pink flower from the left is made from a triple fly stitch), and making twisted fly stitches as the on i the lower right corner.

The first ever fly stitches I made looked like this:

Fly stitch is fab stitch that I most likely will use a lot in the future. There's so much potential in it and it's so easy to make.

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What is TAST?
Take a Stitch Tuesday is a weekly embroidery challenge throughout the year by Sharon of Pin Tangle. You can read more about it here (or by clicking the TAST badge to the right).