Plaited Braid Stitch Instructions from Calico Crossroads

Plymouth Embroiders' Story told us a few weeks ago that the instructions for the Plaited Braid Stitch they are using on the reproduction of the Laton jacket are available from Linda Conner's Calico Crossroads.

So I bought them, and they arrived today.

They come on 6 A4 pieces of glossy light card, with very clear colour reproductions of the photographs of the steps of the stitches and clear easy to read print.

2/3 of page 1 is taken up with an introduction. This contains several major tips, a commentary on the documentation of the stitch in the past, and a reference to the Leon Conrad 2 part article "which covers additional information and variations on the stitch not covered here". Oh, for a copy of that article!! (personal comment here)

The rest of page 1 through to page 5 is taken up with step by step stitch photographs.

The stitches are shown being done on a large openwork canvas, and are described by counts over the canvas threads - whereas normally even lengths are judged by eye and guidance dots for the width on fine linen - but the use of the canvas makes it clear where the needle is being placed at each point.

Each step shows two photos - one of the needle going in, and one where the needle ends up when it's come out.

The instructions show the first pretzel, and then two repeats after that, and then a final length of Plaited Braid.

I haven't actually worked through them yet, but they look as clear as could possibly be.

Included are

:- Finishing a thread
:- What the back of the work looks like
:- Ending a thread and beginning a new one
:- Working in curved lines.

The final page shows the stitch worked in various Kreinik threads, DMC Pearl Cotton and Satin Ribbon.

If I can't learn how to do Plaited Braid Stitch using these instructions, then I obviously just can't learn it, because I don't seen how Linda could have made it any clearer.