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.
1_20-2017They 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.
2_20-2017A single Blanket stitch eyelet is used as small accent flower to a larger circle motif.
3_20-2017Single Blanket stitch eyelets, connected with Coral Knot lines, adorn the center of a design.
4_20-2017A single Blanket stitch eyelet is embroidered as an eye of a traditional bird motif.
5_20-2017A grouping of three – close together –
6_20-2017or with a small distance between is often worked.
7_20-2017Five Blanket stitch eyelets are connected with a star stitch to create a small flower.
8_20-2017Six Blanket stitch eyelets are worked closely together establishing a small flower.
9_20-2017Six Blanket stitch eyelets are arranged like a bunch of grapes.
10_20-2017One Blanket stitch eyelet encircled with four half-eyelet scallops is found in the dense embroidery of a parade cushion border from 1826.
11_20-2017A similarly formed small flower is used in a small border.
12_20-2017One 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.
13_20-2017One Blanket stitch eyelet encircled with six Blanket stitch scallops is the center of a small flower. In addition, there are many Blanket stitch leaves.
14_20-2017It is common to find single Blanket stitch eyelets surrounded by circles worked in Satin stitches; some of these circles can be smaller
15_20-2017or approximately the same size as the Blanket stitch eyelet.
16_20-2017A Blanket stitch eyelet can be also be surrounded by Bullion Knots,
17_20-2017small undivided or
18_20-2017divided Satin stitch leaves.
19_20-2017A single Blanket stitch eyelet can also be used as the center of individually designed flowers, as seen here in an embroidery by Thekla Gombert.
20_20-2017A Blanket stitch eyelet small flower, Blanket stitch leaves, and Blanket stitch half-eyelet scallops decorate the areas between large shapes.
21_20-2017Blanket stitch eyelets of differing sizes can be arranged in the manner of a tendril.
22_20-2017The 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.

2 Comments
  1. Hello! Where can I find similar fabric for embroidering?

    • Some of the here shown items were embroidered on old handwoven linen. As contemporary linen we mostly use Weddigen linen with 16/cm thread count.

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