A Good Flower Centre.—Make a number of bullion knots to fit the circle, then surround the outer circle with one or two rows of close regularly-sized French knots. Bullion stitch may be used for small flowers—each petal being made of two knots, meeting at the tip—for leaves, inside fillings, ground powderings and sprigs.
Fig. 23 a shows how to make picots in bullion stitch. They are generally worked into a bar or loop of button-hole stitch, which may form an edging, as in Fig. 37, or an open loop, as in Fig. 23 b. Picots of this type when worked in a fine linen thread are used for the outlines and edgings of laces. To work as Fig. 23 a, make the required number of button-hole stitches, then insert the needle for half its length through the head of the last one; twist the thread round the needle from left to right six, eight, or ten times, according to the thickness of the thread and the size of the picot required; place the thumb of the left hand over the coil and draw the needle and thread gently through; keeping the thumb still on the coil, tighten the thread until the stitch has been drawn up into a small semi-circle; then continue the button-hole stitch till the next picot is reached. Note Fig. 23 b—the thread is placed under the needle before it is drawn through.
If a larger picot is required, it may be made in button-hole stitch instead of bullion stitch. Button-hole the bar or loop to the left of the required picot, and lay the foundation or padding threads for the picot by carrying a thread to and fro three times from the left to the right; pass the needle each time through the edges of the button-hole; when the third thread is laid the needle is at the right side of the picot; button-hole the loop closely till it is covered, then continue on to the next point. Open-looped button-hole edging looks very well with three bullion stitch picots, but the worker requires to be of a patient temperament, as each loop takes some time to work.
Bullion knots are used very frequently in Mount-mellick work. This type of needlework originated in Ireland; it is of a very elaborate nature, generally done in coarse white threads on a strong white linen or jean foundation. Here monotony in tone allows for a great variety of stitching. Openwork is not combined with it, as the patterns in which it is worked are mostly of a bold conventional floral type; most of the stitches used are those which give a raised effect, such as the different linked stitches, chain, cable, raised-stem stitches, French and bullion knots, and padded satin stitch. The flowers are filled in with a great variety of lace stitches.
Button-hole bars are useful for connecting two edges such as the two sides of a lined bag, the seams of a child’s frock, or for adding a false hem to any dainty article. They are in common use for modern openwork embroidery, where they form connecting links between the various parts of the design.
Fig. 24.
Button-hole Bars (Fig. 24).—Fig. 24 shows the method of working connecting bars. The objects to be joined together may be of any shape, provided the lines are more or less parallel with each other. Begin by button-holing one part of the work, which will give a basis or line into which the bars may be worked, then button-hole the part to be joined to it a few stitches, until the place where the bar is to be is reached; lay each of the threads into a different loop of the button-holing—this gives a greater strength and wider surface to work upon; when finished, button-hole along the edge as before, until the next point where a bar is to be worked is reached. These bars are worked over three threads, and should, when worked in lines, be made before the material is cut, otherwise it is better to have the two parts to be joined tacked down on to a piece of stiff linen, glazed calico, or brown paper.
A Luncheon Set.—This illustration gives a table centre in cream canvas embroidered in bright blue, green, red, cream, yellow, heliotrope and black. The design is simple; it is more or less governed by the mesh of the material and the method of working it, which renders the construction so simple and gives a quaintness and rigidity admirable in effect. By examining the illustration it will be seen that the central portion of the design is occupied by a broad band of needle-weaving, about two inches wide, worked on the weft threads, the warp or vertical threads having been withdrawn to the required depth. The weaving forms seven separate groups, each of which is composed of two colours. The whole mass, rich in effect, is finished on either side with two bars of latchet darning; these are worked similarly to repairing darns, but are left free at the sides. They are edged with an oriental stitch in blue which may be worked much closer and more regularly (see [Plate I.], where, as a heading to the band of needle-weaving, it has almost the effect of a braid). The corners, which balance the wide needle-woven bar, are worked in chequers of red, green, and blue; the larger squares are in green, worked in a simple stitch similar to Fig. 18. A row of equally distributed petal or loop stitches (Fig. 3, p. 49) breaks the severity of the line; seven lines of couching—sewn in self-colours—connect the two ends. The edges of the cloth are turned over on the surface and finished with a row of blue galoon—Prussian binding; this is tacked in place on each side with little triangular stitches in green embroidery cotton. Through these stitches a thread of bright red is interlaced; this is followed by a second one in cream colour. Large tassels (Fig. 41, p. 120) in blue make a finish to the corners. Six little mats, 12 inches by 9 inches, when finished, were made to match, each having a border and couched lines similar to those of the scarf. Little blue tassels of appropriate size completed this useful little set.
One yard of material, 54 inches wide, is required to make the complete set, that is the table scarf, 54 inches wide by 24 inches, and six little mats, 14 inches by 10 inches; this allows for folds at ends and sides. If braid is used for finishing the hems, after calculating the quantity an extra yard should be allowed, as with so many corners to turn one is apt to be too short in the end, and these braids are often difficult to match.