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Mystical Stitches
Use a French knot to create a pretty raised dot in your design.

Posted by Storey Publishing • Published 9th June 2021 • See Storey Publishing's 42 projects » © 2024 Johnson, Christi / Timber Press · Reproduced with permission. · Excerpted from Mystical Stitches, by Christi Johnson. Published by Storey Publishing. Illustrations by © Nina Chakrabarti and Ilona Sherratt.

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Storey Publishing published her project French Knot 09 Jun 09:00

Step 1
After pulling the thread through to the front, wrap the thread around the needle very closely to the fabric (one wrap makes a small knot, two make a bigger knot), while pulling the loose end of the thread securely.
Step 2
Insert the needle just a tiny bit from where the thread came out of the fabric, then pull through to the back.

When creating French knots on top of a satin stitch or other filling stitches, you’ll want to insert the needle about ¹⁄8 inch from where the thread came out, tacking down an entire width of thread on the satin stitch so the French knot doesn’t get lost in the stitches below.
Step 3
Gently pull the thread all the way through, holding the knot down with your fingertip to keep it from tangling.

TIP: It may take a few tries to get the hang of this stitch. If the knot isn’t staying, check that you are wrapping the needle from the eye toward the tip, and that the knot isn’t pulling through the fabric to the back. If your knots continue to pull to the back, it may be because your fabric has a very open weave; try a bigger knot by wrapping the thread around the needle twice.