Cap & Gown underway

Prototype underway! I’m caught up and finally able to tackle the next design on my list, Cap & Gown. The bicolor embroidery you see there is called a whipped backstitch. It looks fancy but it is very easy. This is my first time trying it. After you backstitch, you simply weave around and under each stitch with a 2nd color. A blunt needle like a tapestry needle comes in handy for it. This is one of the methods I’m testing to add honor cords to my graduate ornaments. I have two other options I’ll be exploring if you prefer free standing cords.

Upon review, these stick straight cords look a bit too stilted, so I will be adding some curve to the lines on my next try. But that whipped backstitch looks so nice! Click to see the ornaments I made my girls last year to mark their college graduations. Unlike those, the upcoming Cap & Gown pattern will have closed robes to bring the complexity back to a reasonable level.