The Pistil Stitch is a lovely embellishment
stitch to use in smocking. It is stitched the same way
as you stitch on flat fabric, except that you need to
make sure that the start of the stitch and the knot are
on the top of the pleat.
The Pistil Stitch does
not have to be vertical. When stitching across pleats,
take extra care to make the knot on the tip of the pleat.
Hints:
Like all knotted stitches, this
one works best if you use a milliner's or straw needle.
It is important to pull the thread
tight before the needle leaves the fabric. If you
don't, not only will the knot look loose, but the
stem will be loose, too.
Because of the restriction that
the knot has to be on top of the pleat, you can't
always place the stitch exactly where you want it,
the way you can with the Pistil Stitch on flat fabric. This
makes it difficult to use the Pistil Stitch for round
starburst patterns (such as a Spider Chrysanthemum).
