Blanket Stitch Eyelets

Blanket stitch eyelets are small elements commonly used to fill the areas between the larger shapes in Schwalm whitework,

A Blanket stitch eyelet is a small circle covered with closely worked Blanket stitches. All stitches start from the center and are worked counterclockwise. The loops create the outside edge.
They are often embroidered singly as centers of small flowers or for other purposes, but they are also found in groups of three or more and in groups of differing sizes. The following pictures show the different arrangements of Blanket stitch eyelets on traditional and contemporary whitework.
A single Blanket stitch eyelet is used as small accent flower to a larger circle motif.
Single Blanket stitch eyelets, connected with Coral Knot lines, adorn the center of a design.
A single Blanket stitch eyelet is embroidered as an eye of a traditional bird motif.
A grouping of three – close together –
or with a small distance between is often worked.
Five Blanket stitch eyelets are connected with a star stitch to create a small flower.
Six Blanket stitch eyelets are worked closely together establishing a small flower.
Six Blanket stitch eyelets are arranged like a bunch of grapes.
One Blanket stitch eyelet encircled with four half-eyelet scallops is found in the dense embroidery of a parade cushion border from 1826.
A similarly formed small flower is used in a small border.
One Blanket stitch eyelet encircled with five half-eyelet scallops is found in the dense embroidery between large shapes on a parade cushion border from 1826.
One Blanket stitch eyelet encircled with six Blanket stitch scallops is the center of a small flower. In addition, there are many Blanket stitch leaves.
It is common to find single Blanket stitch eyelets surrounded by circles worked in Satin stitches; some of these circles can be smaller
or approximately the same size as the Blanket stitch eyelet.
A Blanket stitch eyelet can be also be surrounded by Bullion Knots,
small undivided or
divided Satin stitch leaves.
A single Blanket stitch eyelet can also be used as the center of individually designed flowers, as seen here in an embroidery by Thekla Gombert.
A Blanket stitch eyelet small flower, Blanket stitch leaves, and Blanket stitch half-eyelet scallops decorate the areas between large shapes.
Blanket stitch eyelets of differing sizes can be arranged in the manner of a tendril.
The simple Blanket stitch eyelet is a very important element of Schwalm whitework. I hope this article shows that this simple element is readily used, and used in many creative ways.