The ladies' complete guide to crochet, fancy knitting, and needlework

by Ann S. Stephens

The common stitch used in embroidery is termed long-stitch. It closely resembles the Irish stitch of canvass work,[^[2]] only without its regularity. The stitches are taken closely together and of uneven lengths; the second shade is blended with the first by filling up the vacant spaces of the short stitch; the next shade, in the same way, unites with that one, and so on in an irregular form, the outline only presenting, a regular line of stitches, exactly within the limits of the marked pattern. The shading must, of course, be done with artistic accuracy.

[2]. See Part II.

The veinings of leaves are worked in silk rather coarser than that used for the rest of the work. Sometimes this silk is considerably thicker; it is then laid on, and sewed over with very fine silk of the same shade, the ends being drawn through the material. Leaves are frequently veined with gold thread in a similar manner.

Large leaves should be worked from the points to the veins; small ones seldom require to be veined at all. Like stems they are formed of a succession of slanting stitches very evenly laid on, forming curves and lines of the width and dimensions of the patterns, and forming accurate outlines.

When gold bullion is employed in embroidery, it is cut into short lengths, which are then laid on with fine silk of the same hue. Gold thread is sewed over, and the ends brought through the cloth and so passed from one part to another.

The Chinese employ, in their most elaborate embroidery, a very pretty stitch termed, by us, the French Knot. It is made thus:—Bring the needleful of silk to the right side of the work, in the exact spot where the stitch is to be. Hold the needle in the right hand, and with the left take up the silk, at an inch or two from the cloth. Twist the needle twice round the silk, insert it in the same spot you drew it through before, and, with the right hand, draw the needle to the under side, gradually tightening the silk with the left hand. When quite drawn through the knot is formed. The great art in this work is to make the stitches all lie perfectly even. We seldom use the French Knot for anything but the seeds, stamen, or pistils of flowers; but the Chinese execute whole pieces in this stitch, shading them most exquisitely, and only using a coarse white silk or gold thread as an outline to the whole. In bead embroidery, every stitch is generally put on separately, and in its own place; but a very beautiful effect may be obtained in pearl beads imitating grapes, by stringing them with white silk, and letting them cross each other in various directions, still preserving the outline of the cluster.

A very pretty and effective style of embroidery is that done with gold braid and wool on canvass. It is very suitable for slippers, cushions, the bands of smoking caps, blotting cases, and many other things. An outline design in arabesque, or anything else that may appear suitable for two colors, should be drawn on paper of the proper dimensions and then marked on the canvass. The gold braid must be cut into pieces of the proper lengths, and laid on piece by piece, the spaces between the pattern being filled with wool of some well-contrasting color—as bright blue, green, or claret—so that the pattern appears in gold on a ground of wool. When leaves are so worked, a rich silk, of a deeper gold colour than the braid, should be used afterwards to vein it.

Having spoken of cushions, it may be well to tell my fair readers how to make them up most comfortably:—Cut some good strong calico bias of the proper size; line it with two or three thicknesses of good wadding, well fastened to it in every direction; and stuff the bag thus made with down; the pillow to be afterwards covered in any manner that may be desired. Pillows made in this way are not only much softer than others, but they also keep their shape much better, and are not liable to sink after a little wear.

Waistcoats and other articles are now much embroidered in soie ombre, that is, silk shaded in varieties of one colour. I cannot say I think it so pretty as the variety of natural colors, or even a single self-shade. It is however, fashionable.

The Choice of Colors.—I will conclude my instructions for embroidery with a few hints on the choice of suitable colors; as Dogberry observes, that “reading and writing come by nature,” so I may be excused for asserting that the axiom is (in part, at least) correct, as regards the power of discriminating colors. In a great measure it is a natural gift; still it may be cultivated, nay almost created.