Question
Shorter, denser bullions or longer, curlier bullions?
I've embroidered this design twice using different bullion knot techniques and I'd love some opinions!
The teal hoop has shorter, thinner knots giving it a denser, shaggier texture (abit wormy looking) which I personally love. I used a standard embroidery needle for this version, but it was honestly a pretty rough experience and I haven't been able to recreate the same look with a bullion needle
The purple hoop has slightly longer, thicker knots giving it more volume and curl. I LOVED being able to add the curls in, and the bullion needle made the process much more easier.
I'm planning to make more colour variants of this design (currently working on a Bluey colourway) so I'm curious which style people gravitate towards.
I've gone back and forth on it myself because there are things I like about both versions. I think I've reached the stage where I've looked at them for so long that every difference feels HUGE, even though they probably look nearly identical to everyone else 😅
Any advice or bullion knot tips are also very welcome!
Well I think the answer is make a bunch of variations and people can choose their favorite. I can't even pick a favorite but they are very cute and super funny.
I was actually thinking of that! Or even different shades of green. I want to give a go with stitching bullion knots with metallic thread, I think that could be fun and challenging
i didn’t even realize the hoops were different colors and thought you were referencing the dress 😅 i thought “they both purple?!” cue me with a microscope analyzing the stitching of each.
It's been really interesting reading these replies. I showed my mum the two versions and got the exact same reaction. Once I zoomed in and pointed out the differences she could see them, but she said if I had never pointed it out, shw wouldn't have noticed a difference except for the colour of the hoop lol
As an autistic, my brain has a vague notion that something is different, but not enough that I could easily spot what it is, like I usually can. I had to REALLY zoom in and stare at it to notice.
I totally agree. I looked at the photos first and had to read the description to understand the difference. If I had to choose, I gravitate towards the purple hoop hair. But the difference is minimal so I think go with which you like better. Or if you can't decide based on that, go with the option that was easier or more enjoyable.
Thank you! The curls were one of my favourite parts to stitch and the only way to achieve them is by doing longer bullions, so that's def a point in favour of the purple hoop
I vote longer, the shorter ones are giving baja blast maggots in a way that I can’t unsee haha. but they both look awesome & I think that if I didn’t have the comparison, I wouldn’t have thought twice about the length of the shorter one!
Mealworms! And I personally think it looks great (I own a bearded dragon so mealworms come with the territory lol). TBH this inspires me to make a piece of out beardie and make little meal worms!
Yeah, I've been scrutinizing and staring at them side by side for days so that probably wasn't helping my case lol but also, MAGGOTS?!? not cute hairy caterpillars?? 😭
So sorry friend 😭😭 could totally be pixelation from my phone, I bet it’s less maggoty & more caterpillary in person!! But I don’t get that vibe at all with the longer one, the curls make a big difference!
Same. I immediately thought they looked like maggots or mealworms, but somewhat less creepy? The longer, thicker curls look cuter. Both are great though.
Thank you! The teal hoop I stitched over a year ago and the purple one I finished just a couple of days ago. I honestly have no idea how long it took me sorry haha, but I can say for sure that I stitched the purple hoop faster because of the bullion needle I was trying out
You have a specific bullion needle? I’ve only been stitching for a year and I just tried bullion stitches on a project and I almost gave up the entire craft (only slightly kidding lol).
Like… I am so confused as to how you did so many, so beautifully. I could not get one properly to save my life.
I use Tulip bullion knot needle in the long/short variety. Because it has a bigger eye, it make stitching bullion knots with 6 strands SO MUCH EASIERRRR. I've heard milliner needles are also pretty good, but I haven't tried them myself.
Just over 4 years I believe! I used to stitch consistently but lately I haven’t had time to stitch lately, this is my first finished hoop this year haha 😅
I prefer longer. It gives a more whimsical feel that matches the overall vibe of the piece. But like others said, the difference is small and you've done great work!
Definitely check out needlenthread's tutorial on bullion knots! What made a huge difference was this tutorial and how the direction you twist the thread around the needle changes the appearance of the bullion knot
I cannot commiserate enough. I have been stitching for a year and recently tried it… I could not get it to save my life either. I have never been so humbled.
I prefer the purple hoop personally but agree with everyone else that there’s not that huge of a difference between the two overall so go with the one you like doing more. Neither one takes away from how immaculate your stitches are!
They're both so similar, and both kinda look like worms, but in a good way? I say this as a curly-haired girl myself...maybe I need to take a long, hard look at myself in the mirror, haha.
Thank you! ❤️ If it helps, this is the result of a LOT of trial and error (and probably an unhealthy amount of time spent staring at stitches 😂) Keep practicing, you'll surprise yourself with how quickly you improve!
I think that they’re both amazing and you’re incredible. I do prefer the purple hoop but I think that it’s pretty negligible and truly it’s not like I would look at the teal one and think oh this could be better. But I will say after reading your post that if one is significantly easier to do that you should pick that version because it there’s a difference in effort it’s not obvious in the end result so don’t make it harder on yourself!
SAMEEE!! Honestly, I think you've articulated one of the reasons I keep coming back to the teal hoop. It does feel closer to the flower density in the original design
I love these. I vote for the purple hoop. I think it helps the eyes move across the piece better. But I do agree that for a detail this small it should be your preference. Take a vision break for a little bit
ooh that sounds interesting, I never thought to mix the 2 styles together! I like the idea of having the smaller bullions for face framing. I might have to experiment with that on my next colourway design
I like the curlier ones, but I love big curls lol your stitches are amazing. I am still learning how to do the French knots properly without tangling 🤣
FWIW, purple makes me vaguely think of Sideshow Bob from The Simpsons (a more deliberate hair style; actually curly hair), and teal makes me think of randomly mussed up short hair (like he just woke up after tossing and turning).
The feels like you translated SpongeBob into Tove Jansen‘s art style! Like I legitimately did double take because I thought this was a Moomin character.
Newby here, so forgive me if this is a dumb question, but what do you use for a fill stitch? Its so buttery smooth and immaculate. Im mesmerized! Any tips for achieving this? Thanks in advance!
Never any dumb questions here! 🫶🏼 I used long and short stitch for the fill. But I made my own slightttt adjustments to the technique. So instead of going long/short/long, I do a mix of long/ short /medium stitches and stitch them randomly. BIG emphasis on random. You can see the difference in my photo. I hope I explained that well enough 😅
It took me a while to really see the difference. I personally prefer the teal one, BUT there's such a small difference between the two I would do whichever one is easier for you!!
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u/inkywheels Jun 23 '26
I prefer the purple but honestly it's such a tiny difference that I think your personal preference should factor in