Embroidery with stems in buttonhole and leaves in detached buttonhole stitch, worked in natural
perle cotton on cotton-linen
fabric,
United States, 1990s.Buttonhole stitch in embroideryRaised buttonhole scallops, from
Isabella Beeton's Beeton's Book of Needlework[1]
Traditionally, this stitch has been used to secure the edges of buttonholes.[3] In addition to reinforcing
buttonholes and preventing cut fabric from raveling, buttonhole stitches are used to make stems in
crewel embroidery, to make sewn eyelets, to attach
applique to ground fabric, and as
couching stitches.
Buttonhole stitch scallops, usually raised or padded by rows of straight or
chain stitches, were a popular edging in the 19th century. Buttonhole stitches are also used in
cutwork, including
Broderie Anglaise, and form the basis for many forms of
needlelace. This stitch is well represented on 16th- and 17th-century whitework items. The buttonhole stitch appeared on the Jane Bostocke sampler (1598) which is the earliest, signed sampler known to date and is presently housed in the
Victoria and Albert Museum in London.[4]
Variants
Examples of buttonhole or blanket stitches include:
Blanket stitch
Buttonhole stitch
Closed buttonhole stitch, in which the tops of the stitch touch to form triangles