Bullion Picot Flower

by Trudy Horne

Using a soft graphite pencil, draw a small circle on the fabric about 1/8" in diameter.  Use a #10 Sharp needle and one strand of cotton floss.  

Note: In the instructions below, A and B are only a few fabric threads apart.   A sharp or milliner needle may be used.  Needle size, number of wraps, and thread will affect the appearance and size of the petal, so practice to determine desired results.

Knot one end of thread.  *Come up from the wrong side at A.  Go down at B.  Come up again at A, but do not pull needle all the way out.  Balance needle with left hand while wrapping thread 25-30 times around needle.  This illustration shows wrapping.

Illustration 2 shows completed wraps and position of needle on the circle.   With right hand pull needle through coils (wraps) while compressing coils with thumb and forefinger of left hand.

Gently tug needle end of thread to be sure all slack has been taken out.  For many stitchers this is a trouble spot in bullions that can result in an annoying loop of thread or "pigtail".  Do not release coils with left hand until needle has been pulled all the way through.

Sinking needle at B creates the picot (loop or petal).*

Continue making picots around circle, repeating instructions above between *'s.  For each new picot, there will be a new A and B.  Fill circle with French knots.

Illustration 5 shows a finished five-loop flower with French knots in the middle.