Stitching Week - Simple Borders and Lines

One of the easiest ways to add stitching to a project is with simple borders like a straight or zig zag line. They can be used in many ways from a single line across a strip of paper to framing an element on the page. Stitching is a great way to add a little dimension and it can really enhance the look of your project, even with something as simple as a straight border.

Take a look at these pages from our Creative Team and how they used these borders on their pages.

"Persist" by Carolyn Wolff

On this layout I used red floss to create a zig-zag pattern along the edge of the striped pattern paper and I also used red floss to create a straight line of stitching that followed the edge of the die-cut. It is a great way to make your die-cut backgrounds stand out.

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"You Are Unbelievable" by Carolyn Wolff

On this layout I added a straight line of brown stitching around the edge of the striped pattern paper. I created another layer and defined this paper on my background.

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"The Best of Times" by Robbie Herring
Supplies Used - Bo Bunny Timepiece Collection paper, chipboard, stickers, trinkets, brads and wraps.

Sometimes, you might want to get the look of stitching or to add a bit more detail to a page but not want to spend quite as much time as it would take stitching all the way around. If you take a closer look at the border of this page, you will notice that I didn't stitch all the way around. I simply put a stitch at the corners and then pulled my thread across the page for a really LONG stitch.

With this technique, I prefer to use all 6 strand of the floss. Another thing good about this technique is that it is easily added when the page is finished or mostly finished. Notice that I just stopped the stitches near the embellishments instead of completing the border all the way around.

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"My Guy" by Jill Sarginson
Supplies Used - Cardstock: Bazzill Basics; Patterned Paper: Pink Paislee; Floss: Anchor; Letters: My Little Shoebox, Thickers; Paint: American Crafts; Tools: Creative Memories heart punch, Creative Memories circle cutting system, Fiskars Scallop Sentiment border punch; Pen: zig pen

This layout was created with three areas. In order to add some cohesiveness across all the sections, I decided to add some stitching. To add variety, I stitched in both horizontal and vertical lines as well as single lines and double lines. I used the Bazzill Basics In Stitch'z Cardstock Stitching Template 8x8 Circles template (it comes with a line stitch) as a guide for piercing my holes.

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"Super Hero" by Christy Arthur

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"Give Me a Popsicle Please" by Allison Davis
Supplies - Cardstock: Bazzill; Patterned papers: My Mind's Eye; Alphabets: Prima Marketing Inc. (give me a, please) and BasicGrey (popsicle); Jewel flourish: Prima Marketing Inc.; Stickers: My Mind's Eye; Embroidery floss: DMC

I added a wavy, single stitched line across the striped strip on my page to add more interest. I hand drew my wavy line but if you are a little leery of doing that, the BoBunny Flex Ruler would be perfect for it!

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"Brothers to Best Buds" by Allison Davis
Supplies - Cardstock: Bazzill; Patterned paper: My Mind's Eye; Alphabet: My Mind's Eye; Die Cut title and brother ticket: My Mind's Eye; Tickets: Jenni Bowlin; Star stickers: Jenni Bowlin

On this layout I used two and three lines of stitching to help frame the photos on the layout. At the end of a few lines I added a small star sticker with a brad in the center. On one of the horizontal stitched lines I added small vertical lines over the top.

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"The After Party" by Allison Davis
Supplies - Cardstock: Bazzill; Patterned paper: Scenic Route; Alphabets: Doodlebug; Party sticker: unknown; Chipboard embellishments: Me and My Big Ideas; Word stickers: Scenic Route and 7Gypsies

I added a zig zag stitch to the seam of the striped strip and the green scallop strip across the center of the layout. I wanted to get a little bit of white in there to help break up the bold colors. Plus, I love the look of zig zag stitching to the seam of papers!

To create a zig zag stitch by hand I start by lightly drawing two lines side by side with a little bit of space between them. I pierce the holes on one line with my piercing ruler. Then when I pierce the holes on the second line, I move the piercing ruler so that the holes will line up with the center of the space between the holes on the first line.

Here's a little overview of the stitching on each of the layouts today:

• Add a zig zag stitch to the edge of paper for interest.
• Using stitching around a die cut paper background is great for helping it to stand out.
• A simple border of stitching on patterned paper is a great way to define the edges.
• To save time, use long stitches.
• Combine horizontal and vertical lines of stitching.
• Try using double lines of stitching for a bolder look.
• Use small slanted lines on the edges of paper.
• Add a wavy, single stitched line across a strip of patterned paper. 
• Use stitched lines to frame a grouping of photos.
• Add a zig zag stitch to the seam of two patterned papers.

If you are new to stitching, check out this post about how to get started.
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