Some Stitch Types

Today, we will introduce some stitch types, for example, running stitch, zigzag stitch, satin stitch and fill stitch.

Running stitch
A running stitch is most often used for traveling from object to object, underlay, outlines and detail work.
Other variations of the run stitch are the Bean stitch also referred to as a triple stitch. Since a run stitch doesn’t have underlay, sometimes it’s difficult to keep the stitches from being lost in the fabric’s grain. This is most often the situation when the run stitch is in the same direction as the fabric grain of what it’s going on, if this is unavoidable, then three passes might be in order.

Zigzag stitch
A zigzag stitch alternates from one side to the other in an angled fashion. Zigzag stitches are used primarily for underlay, however they are the stitch of choice for securing appliqué. Zigzag is well suited as an underlay for satin stitches, because the stitches are always at an angle, which prevents them from popping through the top stitch. A variation is called double zigzag, which alternates back up the column on the opposite side as the initial zigzag stitch.

Satin stitch
Satin stitches are very similar to zigzag stitches however, the stitches alternate between a straight stitch and an angled stitch. Satin stitches can also be called blat stitches and are often referred to as column stitches because they form the look of a column. The danger in the use of the term column is that zigzag and fill stitches may also be formed in the shape of a column, therefore the use of the term column stitch does not on it’s own indicate the type of stitch being used. Satin stitches are used in letters, lines and border.

Fill stitchAlso known as a ceding or Tatami stitch, fill stitches are used to cover large areas with thread. The low profile characteristics of a fill stitch make them popular for backgrounds. A fill stitch is a series of run stitches placed side by side

Winter luxe at Milan Fashion Week

Models present creations from the Roberto Cavalli Fall/Winter 2009/2010 women's collection at Milan Fashion Week.Photo: Reuters

Valentine's day

February has long been a month of romance. It is the month associated with Valentine's Day celebrations. We have, time and again, heard the name St. Valentine being uttered before us in this season of love. But just who is this St. Valentine? Why is this month associated with love and romance? Learn about St. Valentine, how Valentines day came into practice as it is today. The origin of this lovers day goes back as early as 270 A.D and started with the clash between a kindly priest and a mighty ruler. To know more, just read on and discover the true meaning of this festival. If you like our little article about the splendid history of Valentine's Day, just click here and refer this page to your friends and loved ones. Wish you a Happy Valentine!

Difference Between Men and Women

Difference Between Men and Women

1. A man will pay $2 for a $1 item he wants. A woman will pay $1 for a $2 item that she doesn't want.

2. A woman worries about the future until she gets a husband. A man never worries about the future until he gets a wife.

3. A successful man is one who makes more money than his wife can spend. A successful woman is one who can find such a man.

4. To be happy with a man you must understand him a lot & love him a little. To be happy with a woman you must love her a lot & not try to understand her at all.

5. Married men live longer than single men - but married men are a lot more willing to die.

6. Any married man should forget his mistakes - there's no use in two people remembering the same thing.

7. Men wake up as good-looking as they went to bed. Women somehow deteriorate during the night.

8. A woman marries a man expecting he will change, but he doesn't. A man marries a woman expecting that she won't change & she does.

9. A woman has the last word in any argument. Anything a man says after that is the beginning of a new argument.

10. There are 2 times when a man doesn't understand a woman - before marriage & after marriage.

English embroidery

English embroidery was already well-known before medieval times, but became internationally renowned during the thirteenth century. In the Vatican inventories and elsewhere, the term Opus Anglicanum (English work) was used to describe elaborately-embroidered vestments. These were made by professional embroiderers in England.

During the reign of Elizabeth I (1558-1603), English embroidery entered a second period of preeminence, this time with embroidery for secular and household use. Embroidery for wealthy customers continued to be done by professionals. Blackwork embroidery was popular in Elizabethan times, but is rarely preserved, as the iron dyes used for black corroded the cloth.

Embroidery

Embroidery is the art or handicraft of decorating fabric or other materials with designs stitched in strands of thread or yarn using a needle. Embroidery may also use other materials such as metal strips, pearls, beads, quills, and sequins. Sewing machines can be used to create machine embroidery.

Scientists: True love can last a lifetime

Love's first blush fading? Lost that loving feeling? Love is not all around?

Scientists have used brain scans to study how long love lasts between couples.

Sick of cliches?
Take heart, scientists have discovered that people can have a love that lasts a lifetime.
Using brain scans, researchers at Stony Brook University in New York have discovered a small number of couples respond with as much passion after 20 years together as most people only do during the early throes of romance, Britain's Sunday Times newspaper reported.
The researchers scanned the brains of couples together for 20 years and compared them with results from new lovers, the Sunday Times said.
About 10 percent of the mature couples had the same chemical reactions when shown photographs of their loved ones as those just starting out.
Previous research has suggested that the first stages of romantic love fade within 15 months and after 10 years it has gone completely, the newspaper said.
"The findings go against the traditional view of romance -- that it drops off sharply in the first decade -- but we are sure it's real," said Arthur Aron, a psychologist at Stony Brook, told the Sunday Times.