Brazilian Embroidery

Stitches
Bullion Stitch: This stitch is best worked with a
milliners needle.
1.Come up at A and pull the thread through.
Insert needle at B and back out at A but do not
pull the needle through the fabric. Hold the
needle and fabric in your left hand and pick up
the thread at A with the right hand.
2. rap the point of the needle with the thread in
a clockwise direction if you are using Bra!ilian "
twist thread# or counterclockwise if using perle
cotton $ twist thread. The wraps around the
needle need to be at least e%ual to the space
between A and B. &or a loop that stands abo'e
the fabric# the wrapped area of the needle needs
to be ()*+ than the distance between A and B
on the fabric.
,. hen you ha'e enough wraps on the needle#
gently hold the wraps with one hand and pull the
needle through with the other. -ull the thread in
an upward motion until the bullion wraps are
nearly down to the fabric. $traighten out the
wraps with the point of your needle# rubbing them
under the core thread. .ou might also roll the
wraps back and forth between your thumb and
inde/ finger to smooth them. 0ow pull the thread
down toward B. If you hold the wraps at the
thread end under your thumbnail as you pull the
thread down it will help keep them tidy. &inally#
complete the stitch by taking the needle down
and out at B.

Cast-On Buttonhole Stitch: A milliners needle
is also the best choice for working this stitch.
1. Come up and out at A. 1o in at B and back up
at A but lea'e the needle there in the fabric 2ust
like doing a bullion stitch.
2. 1rasp the thread a few inches out from A with
your right hand. -ut your left inde/ finger on top
of the thread and gi'e it a twist down and around
the thread picking up a twisted loop. 3rop the
loop o'er the end of the needle and snug it to the
bottom. Continue twisting loops and dropping
them on the needle until you ha'e the desired
number.
,. rap the end of the thread behind the needle
once in a clockwise direction. Hold the loops and
pull the needle through the fabric and loops. -ull
until the thread and loops are snug. Take the
needle down and out at B.
Variations on the cast-on Buttonhole Stitch
Loose Cast-on:
If you want the cast4on loop to be fluffy or looser#
insert 1 or 2 e/tra large darners ne/t to the
working needle as it is planted in the fabric for
the cast4ons. Cast on o'er all the needles. -ull
out the e/tra needles before pulling the thread
through with the main needle.
Up-Down Cast-on Buttonhole Stitch:
&or the basic cast4on# you are dropping half
hitches onto the needle. &or this one you are
making both the hal'es of a tatted double stitch
rather than making all the stitches 2ust the first
half. $ome designers call this the double stitch.
After making the first cast4on loop# put your finger
under the thread ne/t time# bend the inde/ finger
to grab the thread and twist down and out to
make the loop. 3rop it on the needle.
Alternating between the two stitches will create
an up4down cast4on buttonhole stitch# which is

identical to tatting. hen you ha'e completed
the number of cast4ons# pull the needle through
and finish the stitch in the same way as the plain
cast4on buttonhole stitch.
Double Cast-on Buttonhole Stitch:
&or the 'ariation you will need two working
threads. +ither knot both ends of a strand# or
thread two strands of floss in your milliners
needle. Come up at A. 1o down at B and bring
the point of the needle back up at A but do not
pull through. Arrange your threads so one lies on
the left and one on the right.
-ick up the left thread with the right hand. (ake
a twist around the left inde/ finger and drop the
loop on the point of the needle. $nug it down.
0ow pick up the right thread with the left hand.
(ake a twist around the inde/ finger of the right
hand and drop the loop on the needle. Alternate
between threads until you ha'e enough loops
cast onto the needle.
Hold the loops with the left hand and pull the
needle through. Take the needle and threads
down at B.

Couching
A Couching stitch is often used in Bra!ilian
embroidery to create fine lines of green growth.
e call it 5fine growth5. 6sing one of the finer4
weight threads# come up at A and down at B.
7See figure 1)
Come up at C# down
at 3# up at +# down
at & and so on.
Continue until the
thread is securely
couched down along
the pattern line.
7See figure 2)
Hint8 hen doing the couching make short
angled stitches that follow the line of the thread
twist and your couching will blend in better. Areas
that are cur'ed need to be couched more closely
than straighter sections.

Detached Buttonhole Stitch After the bar is
made# a tapestry needle is best for the stitch.
This is the primary stitch used in needle lace# but
in Bra!ilian embroidery we use it a bit differently.
Here rows of detached buttonhole stitch are
worked o'er a single straight stitch# or added to
the outer edge of other stitches. The final petal
or design element is worked generally stays
loose from the fabric e/cept at the beginning 2oin
point.
Begin with a straight stitch as a foundation. A
tapestry needle which has a blunt point will be
easier to use for this stitch. Come up at one end
of the straight stitch. If you are only working one
row# work clockwise. If making more than one
row# some ha'e found it best if the final row is
worked clockwise# but alternating rows in
between will be worked counter4clockwise. )n
the e/ample# the first row is being worked
counter4clockwise and the second row
clockwise.
+ach stitch is worked by forming a loop in the
direction of the work and taking the needle
behind the foundation or stitch in the pre'ious
row and o'er the loop of thread. hen you
reach the end of the row# making the desired
number of stitches# re'erse the direction of the
thread loop and work back in the loops between
stitches. 9eep the stitches somewhat loose but
not sloppy.
hen e/tra stitches are re%uired in a row# you
may increase by making two stitches into one
loop# or by making stitches both into the loops
between stitches and the little e that is formed by
the stitch. $ome suggest that making stitches in
the e:s creates a sturdier petal.
&inally# after all rows ha'e been made# o'ercast
back down the final side to the fabric and take
the needle down to the back. The petal may also
be finished by taking the needle down at the tip
of the petal# thereby holding it in place# rather
than lea'e the petal free of the fabric.


Drizzle Stitch 6se a milliners needle or darner
for easier threading.
This is a 'ersion of the cast4on buttonhole stitch.
The difference is that it is only attached at one
end.
Come up through the fabric with your needle and
thread.
6nthread the needle. -lace your fabric o'er a
pincushion and insert the needle near the thread
and into the pincushion. The needle eye will be
up at the top.
(ake the desired number of cast4on loops o'er
the eye of the needle. These can be plain# up4
down# loose or any 'ariation of the cast4on stitch
you would like to use. The plain cast4on will
create a spiraling dri!!le. The up4down cast4on
will make a firm dri!!le that does not spiral.
Thread the needle and take the tail of the thread
back through the loops and fabric. -ull only as
tight as you want it; then knot the thread.
Leaf Stitch:
This 'ariation of the satin stitch is a basic for
creating lea'es in Bra!ilian embroidery. Anchor
the knot within the leaf and come up at A# at the
tip of the leaf. 1o down at B# about 1<, in from
the tip. ork alternating from the left and right of
the tip and always go back down at the 'ein# but
mo'e the stitches down the 'ein as well as down
the edges. =ike any directional satin stitch#
keeping the angle pleasing is something that
re%uires practice.
Pistil Stitch or Long-ailed !rench "not
A -istil stitch is simply a straight stitch with an
attached &rench knot.
Come up at #$ Holding the
thread# wrap the needle 24,
times clockwise. The
Colonial knot could also be
used if desired. Bring the
needle down at B$ 9eep the
thread taut while bringing the
needle down at B.
0ote8 >arious flower instructions will specify the
number of wraps needed for that particular
flower.
Ste% Stitch
ith " twisted Bra!ilian embroidery threads the
stem stitch will ha'e the thread carried abo'e the
line rather than below. If you hold the thread
below the stitching line# the look will be a smooth
line like an outline stitch. The stem stitch gi'es
more of a twisted rope like look. The length of
each stitch will depend on the thread weight and
look you desire. 1enerally it will be less than ?5
and more than
1
<@5.
After a short compensating stitch# each stitch will
mo'e 2 spaces right and 1 space back