Autumn Leaves: The Tent Stitch Family (Basketweave)

There are three types of tent stitch--basketweave, continental and half-cross. They look identical from the front but from the back of the canvas, they look very different. Each stitch has advantages and disadvantages which I’ll go over. Let’s start with basketweave. Here’s how you stitch it--

http://www.threadneedlestreet.com/Basketweave.html

Notice how the threads on the back look like a woven basket? That gives BASKETWEAVE its name. The fact that the threads run both horizontally and vertically means basketweave doesn’t distort the canvas nearly as much as its tent stitch cousins since it pulls the canvas both ways. All that thread on the back also means that this is a very durable stitch for rugs and upholstery. If you are going to sit or walk on your needlepoint, consider basketweave. However, it uses more thread than the other types of tent stitch. If you are worried about running out of thread, don’t do basketweave in more than a small area.

if you are left-handed, here’s how lefties do basketweave.

http://www.stitching.com/npg/bsktwve.htm

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