More Shaped Basketweave Background!

And now the second installment of stitching basketweave background around irregularly shaped ornaments! (or purse appliques or even fun shaped pillows). At the top, you can see where the weft is the next row of stitching, as the warp extended down across the outline. Stitching will begin again there and continue around on the left.

Meanwhile, the arrow on the right indicates where the next row is begun. The space between the two areas of stitching will be filled in - as you can see by enlarging the picture the direction of the warp threads from lower right to upper left.

This is actually very very little trouble, and becomes second nature when you know proper basketweave - and although this is just a little ornament, and the seam allowance isn't going to show that much, it gives one satisfaction to know the surface is smooth and pretty and well done.
The second picture shows the stitching going all the way around the outline, almost to the bottom, where attention must be paid to where the stitches meet. NEVER turn the piece upside down at this point and stitch until the areas meet - there will be an ugly groove or ridge, and it isn't necessary.. Next, I have stopped on the left where the arrow points - the stitch is the last one I can make on that side.



















The stitching will be continued on the right side down to where you see the arrow - study it closely, and you will see that the warp row here extends all the way up to the left side outline, and will be a smooth joining of the rows of stitches.

The last little bit of background left to do is shown in the next picture, with the arrow indicating where to start the row.

Now it's finished - and I've begun to wonder what it is - maybe a ghost? An octopus? I could draw most anything inside and make something of it, except that I have painting to do and this is classified as "creative avoidance." Next time, the pink one - it's more complex!