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Introducing this month's embroidery challenge: the buttonhole stitch. Perfect for edging, outlining and filling, here it's been used to create shimmering scales that subtly curve to give the illusion of movement. Satin thread also adds a hint of shine, while the six-strand provides a solid filling for the mermaids' flowing locks and sweet little fishes.
Buttonhole Filling
Draw a shape using an erasable marker, then outline in backstitch. To make the first row, push the needle up through the fabric on the lefthand edge of the outline, near the top, then down through the fabric on the upper edge.
Bring it out a stitch length below, taking the tip of the needle under the loop of thread. Take the needle up through the loop and pull to tighten; the vertical thread is now held by a small horizontal bar below. Continue along the top of the shape.
Make a second row, taking the needle down through the fabric just above the bar of the stitch above, to link the rows. Continue, working odd-numbered rows from left to right and even-numbered rows from right to left.
Embroider the design
Download and print the template. Fold white cotton in half to find the centre, then place it flat on a surface and trace the mermaid design in the centre. Position it 3cm from the top edg
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