Openwork Insertion Seams - Work On The Scarf Continues

I've completed the insertion seams.  The Spring green color I worked them in helps to make the seams pop.


I haven't found much information on how to work these seams.  In fact, the only sources I found are a few diagrams and photographs in  Janet Arnold's Patterns of Fashion 4, and some instructions in T. de Dillmont's Encyclopedia of Needlework.  If anyone knows of another source, please contact me.




I chose a seam which was both diagramed in Arnold's book, and included in de Dillmont's...

from Patterns of Fashion 4 by J. Arnold

from Complete Encyclopedia of Needlework by T. deDillmont

It consists of groups of 3 Buttonhole stitches, with the center stitch about twice the length of the 2 outer stitches.  Therese deDillmont's instructions state that both pieces of linen should be lying flat while the seam is stitched.  I found this uncomfortable and in the end I folded the 2 pieces of linen at the area of the seam and stitched them like that.  After ironing the seam it lays flat and doesn't appear to look any different for having been stitched at a different angle.  It was quite fun to work.  If you like hemming by hand, you'll enjoy doing this.













Here you can see the seam in process.  The 2 pieces of linen to be seamed have been placed together with wrong sides facing each other.  Pick a side to start with and begin the buttonhole stitches.


The needle pierces one piece of linen at a time.  So, in this step the needle pierces the top piece of linen only.

The first buttonhole stitch is complete.

The second buttonhole is about twice
 the length of the first.

The third buttonhole is the same
length as the first.

Next, complete the same sequence of buttonholes on the second piece of linen.

 I turned the piece in my hands so that the side I was working on was facing me each time.  The thread is run back and forth between the 2 pieces of linen to work groups of buttonholes first on one piece, then on the other.  It's the thread connecting the groups of 3 that actually holds the 2 pieces together.


The fringes on the scarf need to be completed yet.  I ran out of floss and am awaiting my package in the mail.  As soon as the fringes are complete, I will post a pic of the finished scarf.