The Exemplary 2024
2nd Place, Non-Professional Original

I have done several reversible pieces in double running stitch. I do a fairly good job of hiding the ends invisibly. But I noticed that as I used a bookmark over time, and especially as I washed it a couple of times, those formerly invisible ends had a tendency to fuzz and become visible. I wondered if there could be a different way to start and end the strands.

I decided to see if French knots would work to hide the ends. I designed a simple poinsettia in double running stitch with a French knot center. The double running stitches were done with floche, starting and ending each thread with a small T stitch in what would be the center. The first thread for the French knots was started in the same way. That thread was ended, and subsequent threads begun and ended by running the needle under/through the French knots. To add color variation and dimension, the outer row of French knots was done with 2 strands of DMC floss: one green and one yellow. Some of these were also scattered through the center. The rest of the French knots were done with 3 strands: 2 yellow and one green. My first attempt did all the French knots on one side and then on the second side. I found it worked far better to do a knot on one side and then turn the piece over to do a knot on the other side. When the center was “done,” it was easy to run the needle under existing stitches if an additional knot was needed.

I used the nun’s stitch for the edging using DMC Cordonnet 70. While not identical on the two sides, both sides have a finished look. In some cases, I trimmed to the edge of the nun’s stitch; in this case I left a small fringe.

I had a small metal hook to use as a hanger on this one. On others, I made a loop out of the working stitch for the nun’s stitch or a triple loop with closely placed buttonhole stitch over the top.

I have been thinking about how this technique could be expanded. Clearly, it would be easy to add midlines to the petals, or even midlines and veining and/or to do other flowers like daisies or sunflowers. Bullion knots might be another possibility for the center.