An embroidery book

by Anne Knox Arthur

To work Honeycomb or Mexican Stitch.—To obtain the best result work the small foundation stitches in one tone and the interlacing in another. If worked on a material where the warp and weft threads are distinct the small stitches may be kept quite regular without difficulty, otherwise it is better to mark their position by means of a ruler and pencil. The spacing will vary according to the material and the thread used; about half an inch should be left between each small stitch for bold effective work, and the second row should alternate with the first. When all are in position, a long thread is taken for the interlacing, which is done in rows. Fasten the thread at the right top corner, and, eye of needle foremost, pass through the first stitch in the top row, down to the second, up to the top row again, and so on, as shown in Fig. 14. As the edges are undefined, this stitch requires a good firm outline round it.

Table Runner (Plate V.) of cream cotton canvas, or netting, is of a very open texture; it is treated in a simple direct manner, which is both pleasing to the eye and interesting to the worker.

It may be made of half-a-yard of material, 54 inches by 18 inches. The pattern is worked in wools and thick cottons, in stitchery eminently suited to the loosely-woven texture.

Method of working:—Turn over on to the front surface a single fold of about 1 inch on each side and tack in place to prevent fraying; later on these raw edges will be covered with galoon or braid. Allow about 12 inches at each end for the wide hem, and from there about 14 inches for the needle-weaving. Get the centre line by means of a measuring tape; cut ten warp threads at each end of the bar, which in this material is about three-quarters of an inch. Great care must be taken in cutting the top threads to see that they correspond exactly with those already cut. It is a good plan to draw the two outer threads a little, the tightening of which will indicate the exact place to cut the upper ones. This bar should be worked before the adjacent bars are cut. Leave a strip of material about half an inch wide on either side, then proceed to cut the weft threads, as before, for the broader bands—each is about one-and-three-quarter inches wide, so that twenty-four threads are withdrawn.

PLATE V.

A BUREAU SCARF.

In weaving these wide strips, a frame is of assistance on account of the very soft nature of the material: the pattern should be easily followed from the illustration, but perhaps a few suggestions might help the beginner. Fig. 31 gives the method of weaving. Start with cream cotton or flax; run a few stitches on the under side; bring the needle to the point and weave, by passing over three of the double warp threads and under three, backwards and forwards, until these upright threads are completely covered—it is necessary during this process to press down the threads closely from time to time, and care must be taken not to tighten the groups too much or the material will get puckered. Repeat these woven bars in different groups of colour to the end of the strip, which gives five groups in cream flax and three in colour, jade green, reddish-purple, royal blue. Cover the half-inch bands of material with a herring-bone or oriental stitch, worked in cream linen floss embroidery thread. Take up the strands in groups of three on either side—this separates the threads into groups and simplifies the weaving of the next strip. Proceed now with the more elaborate weaving. It will be noticed that the weaving moves in a step-like manner, and that the pattern changes three times in each ascending or descending line, so that each line from edge to edge is divided into threads. Begin with the green group and pass under and over four groups of thread (in Plate V. the group worked in purple is the most distinct). Each group, as before, consists of three double warp strands; weave one-third of the space, then leave out the fourth group; continue to weave on three groups for another third of the space; leave out the third group; finish with two groups. Overcast one stitch into the canvas and weave over two fresh groups downwards for one-third of the distance, then over the next two groups of the second third; then take up the two next groups and weave to the edge of the threads—thus weaving diagonally in groups of two from the bottom of the bar, this last row produces a series of steps. Repeat the same in ascending groups; finish exactly in the same manner as before, with the exception that the weaving over four groups is this time at the top of the bar—these masses of weaving are separated by plain bars of cream, woven over four groups. The cut threads at the top are button-holed to keep them secure. Lines of darning stitches connect the edges with the woven bars. The bands of galoon are now laid over the turned-over folds, hemstitched on the one side and button-holed on the other, with dull blue; a line of tacking stitch in cerise gives a touch of bright colour to the outer edge.

Turn up about 6 inches at each end to give weight to the hems; fill the central parts with darning stitches worked in rows—it is best to mark off the central unworked space with lines before beginning this darning; this serves as a guide and prevents the stitching from encroaching on the space.

The galoon on either side is attached with button-holing and French knots—the spaces being filled with laid threads in cream, couched in the same colour. Latchet darns give emphasis and connect the green bars. Finally, the band of green is placed over the hem to finish it. The edges of the galoon are button-holed with blue to correspond with the rest of the runner.