French Knots

I just love French knots, because there are so many different ways you can use them. You can bunch them together, scatter them across the background, use them as a filler, etc. A French knot is an embroidery technique in which the thread is knotted around itself. Here are a few examples...

Here, I have used French knots as a filler (totally bunched together) to make a heart and spaced a bit further apart to represent flowers on one of my more primitive pieces.

Here is a close up of the heart. I love the textural look (and feel) the French knots give to this heart.

Here, I have used French knots to fill in the background of a part of this design. When people view it, they can't believe how many French knots are in this piece. (As a matter of fact, all of the design elements in this part of my piece (except the checkerboard on the far right, the yoyos, and the black circle on which the yoyos sit) are made from simple embroidery stitches--French knots, stem stitch, blanket/buttonhole stitch, and satin stitch.)

French knots are pretty easy to make. Bring the needle up where you want the French knot to be and wrap the thread once or twice around the needle. (The number of times you wrap the thread around the needle depends on how big you want the knot to be.) While keeping some tension on the thread, take the needle back down into the fabric very close to where you first brought the thread up. (Don't go back down in the same hole. Your knot will most likely pull through the hole if you do.) Hold the knot in place as you take the needle back down into the fabric. With just a little practice, you should have a really nice knot.

Here is as close as I can get to drawing an illustration of the making of a French knot.

I know, I know...this is a sad rendition of a French knot illustration, SO...here is a great visual. Sarah Whittle has given me permission to link to her post "The Perfect French Knot." She does a really good job of explaining how to do it and photographing the steps. Check it out at The Perfect French Knot.

Tomorrow, I'll show you how I use the buttonhole stitch to embellish my quilts. 

I have yet another giveaway to announce. I contacted Larkin Van Horn about giving a copy of her book to our blog readers, and she graciously said, "I'd be happy to donate a book for your giveaway." (If you remember, I mentioned Larkin's book as being one of my favorites in my first post this month.) I also asked for a little information about her. She said, "As for information about me, I suppose you could say I have been beading since 1972 (wedding dress - not the way I'd recommend anyone start beading). I also add beads to wearable art, fabric vessels, beaded dolls, and nearly anything that will sit still long enough to get beaded. My purpose in writing my book was to present, as well as I could, stitches and techniques that would keep the beads on the fabric as securely as possible, having had a disaster in that area (which I included in the introduction of the book)."

SO...the process is the same as before...add a comment to this blog post (and, again, I'd love for you to become an official "Follower" of this blog (if you are not already)--just click on "Join this site" right under "Followers" to the right of this post). I will draw a winner on January 27. Good luck!

Stay tuned...I have another great giveaway tomorrow and a special treat (in the form of a YouTube video debut) later this month.

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