Cross stitch, Needlework and Embroidery Glossary: Oblique gobelin stitch to Overlaying
A comprehensive illustrated glossary of cross stitch, embroidery and needlecraft. Clear definitions and working diagrams. Includes over 700 terms used in cross stitch, embroidery, tapestry, blackwork, and goldwork.
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Oblique gobelin stitch | A counted thread stitch. This is often trammed in needlepoint. Bring needle through and up right diagonally across fabric over two inter sections to form the first stitch, insert needle and pull through one thread left of base of previous stitch to form the next stitch. Continue in this way in this row and following. This stitch can up worked over up to five horizontal fabric threads and one or two vertical fabric threads. |
| See also Needlepoint, Slanting gobelin stitch, Tramming, Wide gobelin stitch | |
Oblique Slav stitch | A counted thread stitch This is worked diagonally from bottom to top, left to right following the numbers as shown. It can also be worked in rows horizontally. |
Oblong cross stitch | A counted thread stitch. Working from right to left bring needle out at lower right hand, insert four threads up and two to the left, bring out four threads below, thus forming half oblong cross stitch. Continue along row and work second half of the cross on return. |
| See also Oblong cross stitch with backstitch | |
Oblong cross stitch with backstitch | A counted thread stitch variation of oblong cross stitch. Working from right to left bring needle out at lower right hand, insert four threads up and two to the left, bring out four threads below, thus forming half oblong cross stitch. Continue along row and work second half of the cross on return. |
| See also Oblong cross stitch | |
Octagonal Rhodes stitch | A counted thread stitch A variation on rhodes stitch which makes a raised surface. It is worked in the same way as rhodes stitch with each stitch moving one thread in an anticlockwise direction from the previous but the outline is octagonal rather than square. Follow the numbering from 1 – 22 for the starting point of each stitch which passes over a central point. |
| See also Rhodes stitch | |
Old English knot stitch | A free embroidery. Work from left to right. Bring needle through at A then make a small stitch at right angles to stitch line and pull through. Pass thread over and then under the stitch on surface without needle entering the fabric. then hold thread down with left thumb and pass the needle again over and under the stitch on surface. Pull thread through to make a knot. Space knots evenly and fairly close for best effect. Also known as double knot stitch, tied coral stitch, smyrna stitch and palestrina stitch. |
| See also Double knot stitch, Palestrina knot stitch, Smyrna stitch, Tied coral stitch | |
Old Florentine stitch | A counted thread stitch Work alternating long and short stitches as shown, with the long stitch over six fabric threads or more. An economical and quick to work stitch but the threads can be caught easily. |
Open chain stitch | A free embroidery stitch variation of chain stitch. Bring needle through at A, hold thread down with left thumb, insert needle at B and bring out at C, keeping thread loose. Holding thread down again, insert needle at D and bring out at E. Continue in this way. |
| See also Chain stitch | |
Open fillings | Usually used in white work or hardanger, this is worked on an area of drawn threads within a border of trailing stitch. Outline the shape with two rows of trailing side by side worked one after the other. Then cut and draw out threads within the shape, cut two and leave two threads in each directions, just inside the trailing. With fine thread in a blunt (tapestry) needle, whip the remaining threads together as shown in both directions. |
| See also Hardanger, Squared filling, Trailing stitch | |
Open fishbone stitch | A free embroidery stitch Bring thread out just left of centre of shape and take it up to the right edge diagonally. Bring needle out again on left edge of shape and take just to right of centre diagonally. Bring thread through again just to left of centre a little below, and repeat from beginning. |
Opus Plumarium | A free embroidery stitch used to shade large areas in silk and crewel embroidery . The first row of stitches are alternately long and short stitches and the following rows are stitches of an even length until the last row of the area where stitch length is varied to finish the filling. |
| See also Crewel embroidery, Embroidery stitch, Feather stitch, Long and short stitch, Plumage stitch, Shading stitch, Surface long and short stitch, Tapestry shading stitch | |
Or Nue | A technique in Gold work where coloured silk threads are used to couch gold threads making a shaded pattern. |
| See also Gold work | |
Oriental Stitch | A counted thread stitch – a variation on Milanese stitch. Start with rows of Milanese stitch as in the diagram over two intersections, three, four, five and two again. The second row is worked downwards over five, four, three, two intersections but instead of interlocking the longest stitches are adjacent leaving space for groups of three diagonal stitches over two intersections which can be worked in a different shade as shown. |
| See also Milanese stitch | |
Oslo | An evenweave cotton fabric 87 threads to 10 cms, 22 count |
Outline stitch | A stitch used in smocking. After the temporary stitches have been worked, this basic smocking stitch is worked slightly above. It is not very elastic and serves to keep the work taut. Pick up a pleat just above the gathering thread. Keeping the thread above the needle, make the stitch from left to right. Stitch into each successive pleat. |
| See also Smocking | |
Outlined Double cross stitch | A counted thread stitch Work double cross stitches and then work straight stitches over four threads horizontally and vertically as shown. |
| See also Double cross stitch | |
Overcast stitch | A free embroidery stitch, used to protect the raw edge of eyelet holes, for monograms or for stalks and stems. Bring needle through below stitch line, then work over line and bring needle through below line to the right. Repeat. |
| See also Monograms | |
Overlaying | A method of working tent stitch or cross stitch on a fabric where threads cannot be counted. Waste canvas is tacked to the fabric and then after the embroidery is finished the canvas threads are pulled out. |
| See also Waste canvas | |
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