Saree embroidery - 8 - Basque stitch

Chain stitch is a very common embroidery technique used in a variety of settings.  It lends itself well to all kinds of decor, be it dresses, curtains, bed linen, curtain embroidery etc.  Of the numerous variations in Chain stitch, one is called the Basque stitch. 

I used  the Basque stitch to create a continuous running band of spirals for my silk saree. My silk saree is a algae-green-leaf color with a printed border and pallu in green-white-orange colors.

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The Basque stitch is a a combination of twisted chain stitch and buttonhole stitch, upside down.Note that the chains face outward and are hooked onto the running stem.

To add a touch of glamor to a seemingly dull saree, I set out to embroider simple concentric circles.

I stitched a pair of circles throughout the length of the saree, and a long band of circles attached to each other at the beginning of the pallu, in a vertical line.

The threads used were Anchor shaded colors  #01219 and #01220, since these shaded threads had all the colors which the saree itself had.

Finally, to add some pizzazz, I glued on some spindle-shaped kundan stones/ Rhinestones in bright yellow/orange color along the border which would be visible in the front of the saree when one wears it, and kundan/rhinestone flowers on the motifs in the saree pallu.

This is a layout chart for tracing out the spiral arrangement on the saree.

Here is an excellent simple video tutorial on the Basque stitch technique by Mary Corbet on her blog - Needle 'n Thread.