Elizabethan Plaited Braid Stitch

Sometimes during the holidays a friend and I have stitching days. They are the best. One sorts lunch, the other the snacks and that's us for 5 or so hours. We stitch, we make plans and generally put our worlds to right. 

Recently I was tidying up and came across a box of metallic threads that I have kept separate for a project. This is a Sweet Bag class I attended in 2023 with Di Fisher.

© Di Fisher

I love it. She has stitched it as it looks now. So she has chosen silver, gold, copper and black to stitch a piece that looks tarnished and aged. It is a fantastic concept and she has done a beautiful job. I haven't touched mine since the class.

Box of Threads

Start of my Sweet Bag

This piece has either Elizabethan Plaited Braid or Ladder stitch scrolls on it. That is up to the stitcher. I had completed one plaited scroll. So this I thought would be an ideal project to take. I know how to do this stitch. I don't need a pattern or many threads. Great idea until I discovered with my friend that I couldn't remember how to start the Elizabethan Plaited Braid stitch. Now I don't know about you but I am fairly scatter-brained when I am with my friends or socializing and for the life of me could not figure it out. I taught myself how to stitch this one about ten years ago when I stitched my first Sweet Bag. I've used it on multiple projects and stitched it for hours. Oh crap.

My Original Sweet Bag 2015

I originally taught myself the stitch from a few sources - Jacqui Carey of course. Her books are amazing and I own all of them. The braiding and Elizabethan ones.  

Then I purchased a tutorial from Mary Corbett to help and between them I nutted out how to stitch this. In 2022 I taught a miniature casket at the ANZEG Embroiderers' Conference in Tauranga which had Elizabethan Plaited Braid stitch on each side.

My Miniature Casket 2021

 When I taught this I found a You Tube clip to share with my class which demonstrated very clearly where to put your needle and how to stitch it. The clip is from Ars Amalie - Elizabethan Plaited Braid Stitch Tutorial . I sent them off with the address so they could check back and recap how to form the stitch. I searched my You Tube but hadn't saved it, of course I thought I would remember it. Clearly not. Anyway after searching my viewing history I found it. I don't watch loads on You Tube so it wasn't that difficult, once I had waded through all the gaming videos my Favourite Child had watched!

So a quick recap of the video, which I have safely saved and I am off again. Loving this stitch. The tutorial is excellent. I have completed more scrolls. This piece is full of specialty stitches done in metallics, very exciting.  I am pleased to have this stitch progressing again.

But, as I do, this piece is not currently my main focus so I will not be finishing it for a while yet. It is one of my Progress pieces not a finish piece (at this stage).  I am focusing on my Mirror when I am at home. Hopefully an update on that soon.

Currently I am reading The Watch Maker of Filigree Street by Natasha Pulley. I am enjoying this one immensely. My Lovely Husband read it years ago and has been at me to read it also so we can discuss it. No pressure!