Daisychain Sampler G
October 28, 2011 Ok. I'm about to say something that might shock you if you embroider ... the french knot & I are sworn enemies. I am SO not even joking about this, you guys. I mean enemies as in:
- Montagues vs. Capulets (Please tell me you know a little Shakespeare)
- Edward vs. Jacob (If you don't know Shakespeare, you MUST know these guys)
- Mr. Darcy & Mr. Wickham (my favourite)
But seriously. I will never reconcile with the french knot. And there isn't a single one in this letter - or in my entire sampler, for that matter. I swore off french knots a few years ago and haven't made one since.
Huh?
Nope. Not a single one. So what knot DID I use for this letter?
Brace yourself. I'm about to rock your embroidery world ...
The Colonial Knot.
When you are making it, it doesn't misbehave like a french knot can (and often does for me! Grrr). And it lays on the fabric all nice and flat like a donut.
Yes, go ahead all you lovely Americans and make fun of this stereotypical Canadian who somehow found a way to compare embroidery to donuts. tee hee ;)
I have yet to find a situation where the french knot CAN'T be substituted with a colonial knot. Give it a try. It's worth the time to learn. Trust me. If I can teach my 10 year old dyslexic daughter how to do it, you can do it.
Here's how my sampler looks so far ...
Ugh. But now H is more satin stitch (I'm typing this in my very best whiny voice ... can you hear it?) Guess I better just suck it up and go back to A before my sampler ends up looking like Swiss Cheese on account of all the holes left where satin-stitched letters should be!
Daisychain Sampler, Embroidery 
Reader Comments (24)
I'm with you girl, I HATE french knots. They never work for me, never. So thanks for the colonial knot hint I'll try this;-) My favorite letter so for is 'C', guess why.
Hildy
Kristyne, the whole point of a sampler ( any sampler ) is to learn, and doing all those satin stitch letters you will learn.Don't fret, it is like FMQ, you will get the hang of it.
Hope Houston is being good to you!
I have always wanted to know how to make a colonial knot, and that was the best tutorial I have ever seen. Thanks!! I love the colors you used for the "C". Hang in there your embroidery piece is going to be just as beautiful as all your quilts. Angels are still singing:-)
Take care,
Carole Y.
Me too! Not a fan of the french knots and I ALWAYS use colonial instead...even on my own ABC sampler. :) So much easier and they are always perfect. I heard that they are less likely to come apart too which is another reason why I prefer them over french knots.
Your sampler is LOVELY!!! I don't have any trouble with French Knots. I make them all the time. Bullion knots are the tricky ones for me. I watched the video so I could learn what a Colonial knot was... I did not know it before.
lol, yes, i could hear your best whiny voice! i feel your pain, sister. ;0
Oh my GOSH. You have made my hero list! I have very little experience with embroidery, so I don't know many (read: any) tricks, but I DO cross-stitch! Why have I never even HEARD of a colonial knot? That's the BEST THING I've seen in a long time! Made my day... :) It looks less painful than a French knot, too... they always make my fingers hurt...
It occurred to me that if you keep skipping all the satin stitch (I am so NOT a fan of satin stitch - I just can't perfect it!) guess what you will have left at the end.....ALL the satin stitch!!
On another note...close ups of greeny brown colonial knots....slight resemblance to poo!
Love your blog, its my favourite ever!
I also much prefer colonial knots to french knots and your G looks great!
He he...I knew all three groups. What a literary guru I am! Might be that English Degree - LOL! I wish I even knew how to make French Knots, let alone hate them...much like Colonel Brandon hates Willoughby (sorry, I couldn't help myself).
Totally feel for you on the French Knot. Argh. I will have to try out the colonial knot...loving your sampler...another project I want to do! You have a dangerous blog. (For those of us who can't resist adding just one more project to our list.) Oh and congrats on all your happy news! I am about two weeks behind in checking blogs...
Oh, yes, I completely agree! The colonial knot stitches up perfectly every time and I absolutely substitute it for the nasty French knot every time! LOVE your sampler! Just lovely!
I hear ya! I have been subbing Colonial knots for French knots for years!
Your sampler is looking great!
After watching that video and then the video for the french know, I realized that the french knots I have been making since I was 6 years old are actually colonial knots. LOL.
I agree with you - french knots can be really tricky. Not having done very much embroidery, I didn't know about the colonial knot. Thanks for the link to that great site - the tutorials are really well done. Of course, now I'm itching to do an embroidery project!!! I saw a pattern for a really pretty winter quilt at my local quilt shop the other day that has embroidery and piecing in it and I think I'll run down and buy it today. And yes, I'm stumped about the second pair of enemies - who are Edward vs Jacob??
Right on!! I'm a died in the wool Colonial Knotter too! Those french ones do my head in! Mine always stand out on stalks... if you bash them with the iron they move.... have you noticed that... they splatter themselves in entirely the wrong place. Give me a well behaved Colonial every time. Beside I like doughnuts!
Yep...Colonial knots win every single time. They sit up soooo much nicer than the French!
I agree that the Colonial Knot can be subbed for the French Knot but it seems so much harder to do! What is your problem with the French Knot? (I say that in a nice voice) Is it something we can help you with? And I agree about the satin stitch. I totally avoid it!
If the colonial knot works for you then you sew girl. I don't get along with french knots or colonial knots - lots of dirty words are spoken when I have to one or the other. Ugh!!!!
Your sampler is looking oh sew sweet. Love it.
I don't have trouble with the french knot...I love doing them. I totally hear you though on the satin stitch!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My dreaded stitch of all time.
I did purchase this sampler and had hoped to work on it this past summer. No such luck. Watching you do ours has me thinking of changing the fabric. Love your choices/changes you have made.
blessings,
jilly
French knots are evil! Evil, evil evil! I love this knot; will have to try it.
Your sample looks great!
I don't mind doing French knots - I use them quite a lot for embellishing applique flowers. Not quite so keen on satin stitch!
Your smapler looks wonderful!
dude, you just rocked my work with this colonial knot. AMAZING. thank you :) i also think the satin stitch sucks like crazy but i am trudging through...
your sampler is LOVELY.