Bulgarian Stitch

The Bulgarian stitch is a system borrowed from the Oriental embroideries, which were executed with the finest silks. It may be described as an artistic combination of back stitch and outline, or even outline alone.

This heavy outline stitch consists of several rows of Kensington Outline Stitch, set side by side. The stitches are not of uniform length, but vary, as it is necessary to conform to the curves of the outline. See the illustration below.

This stitch differs from ordinary outline in that it gives the effect of satin stitch or Kensington filling, and it differs from these in that it always proceeds along the length of the pattern, never diagonally nor crosswise.

Creative embroiderers have worked the Bulgarian Stitch over large surfaces. It then, of course, ceases to be an outline and becomes a filling stitch.

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