Mathematical (Curve) Stitching Appendix

  

 

Using Cutout Areas When Stitching

Of the previous designs we’ve looked at, a few of them lend themselves to cut out stitching.  Any stitching that is secured around the perimeter of the shape will work.  Here is an example of an accordion book that I put together that uses a circle cutout as its main motif.  The circles line up exactly so that when the pages are folded, the stitching can be seen as though through a tunnel.

The stitching for the epicycloids would also work for this cut out style since the stitching is just around the perimeter.  The cardioid and nephroid and Epicycloid of Cremona (n=4) would fit the criteria.

Cut-out squares could also work, although the designs of stitching to fill the squares is not as plentiful as for the circles.  In Curve Stitching you are basically limited to designs that use the parabola in the corners or draw a larger circle around the square and just use the points where the square touches the circle as stitching points. 

      

    

The outer square represents the cardstock, the dotted line represents the stitching line and the red dots are the holes that are punched into the cardstock.  The solid square is the cut out section. This is what you would see on the back.  You would need to draw the circle in order to determine where the line would touch the square for stitching.  The second diagram shows what you’d see on the front. Or you could try the variation that would leave you with the square iris (cut out the square shape as above and simply stitch around the square as you would if it were a circle). 

Just as with the circle cut outs, varying the length of the chords would change the diameter of the hole in the center.

Other polygons could also be used as cut out shapes.  Because polygons have angles and straight sides, they will give some version of a parabola like curve if each side has the same number of holes.

   

Ways to Display Your Stitching

Cards

Curve Stitching makes excellent designs for cards.  There are plenty of designs on the internet for cards for all occasions that make use of the basic elements of curve stitching.  Since curve stitching adapts so well to card stock, it is a natural for card making.

Erica Fortgen and Joke De Vette are two authors who have written many books with patterns that use curve stitching designs.  We will be taking a look at some Christmas card designs in the next class.

Because we are working on paper, these designs are easily mounted in frames for display.

Books

You can also display your work in a journal or a more sculptural book like an accordion book which will stand to display your stitching.  

Here is a link to an accordion book that would be an effective way to store your samples.

Accordion Mini Album Tutorial    Einat Kessler

I used a different type of accordion book, made from custom sized envelopes to display a stitched alphabet and store the templates I used to create it.  Here is a video explaining its creation.

Storage Accordion  

Another way to use the accordion fold is to simply use it as the spine of your book (also know as a concertina spine) and attach the pages to the folds.  The flexibility of the spine will relieve some of the pressure on your stitching. 

Mini Accordion Hinge Book

Accordion Hinge Album  (same technique, just a different approach to the inner hinge page -- fast forward to 22:45 if you want)

Another book style for display is the flag book. It is quite a sculptural display.

How to Make a Flag Book

If you are interested in the Waterfall flipbook I demonstrated as my storage for samples in Lesson 2, I used the following videos for instructions.  The first video is by Peter Baumgartner, a German bookbinder.  There is no audio, but his actions are very clear, and he provides a template at his website (look below the video for the template).  I simply attached my covers at the side instead of at the top.  I used the second video for that inspiration.

Waterfall Flipbook Directions   Peter Baumgartner (notice he doesn't cover his book board covers with decorative papers before putting his book together.  He is just making a model)

Large Waterfall Card/Mini Album  I made sure my spine was full height and I reinforced the pull section on both sides. (i didn't want the seam - if I didn't have long enough paper - to catch) I didn't put a pull tab but made the back section longer and put in an eyelet with a ribbon pull.

Alternative Methods of Display

Since your patterns are done from the back, you can even think about stitching on a small, stretched canvas.  Plan you work out on graph paper, determine your colour changes, tape your pattern to the back of your canvas to pierce your hole and then use your pattern as your stitching guide.  The canvas will hold the tension for the stitches.  You can use a thicker thread to make your design show up against the canvas.

Just remember that you need to balance the thickness of the thread, the complexity of the design and the size/spacing of the design for maximum effect.  If your thread is too thick and your holes are too close together in a complex but too small design, you won't be able to appreciate the delicacy of the work you have created.  Whereas, enlarging your design and increasing the spacing of your holes might show the thicker thread to advantage.

Depending upon the size of your designs, you can frame them.  There are a number of items made to house 4" x 6" photos and small, square photos that could be used to display designs of a comparable size.  The small jewellery box that I showed as a sample was one such item.  Shadow box frames are another possibility.  It is also possible to purchase 2mm felt and that would have enough body to hold the thread tension of a design.  That could be used to make ornaments for Christmas or as a background for a design or for jewellery or other purposes.

These are just a few of the ways in which you can use of display the designs you create.

Happy Stitching