An embroidery book

by Anne Knox Arthur

The linen should be loosely-woven so that the warp and weft threads can be gathered easily together without puckering the work—if hand-made, so much the better; a linen working thread, strong but fine, and a thick needle are required so as to separate the strands of the material. Special needles may be had from needlework depots at 1d. each. The strong fine thread draws the clusters together and yet does not fill up the open spaces which are a feature of the background. Fig. M, Plate II., gives an idea of how the stitch is worked, but in the figure the working thread is cotton, and each group of five threads is gone over twice, so that the open spaces are rather smaller than they would be if a linen thread had been used. When the material has been chosen and the design traced on, fix the work on to a drawing-board, and with a ruler mark off the dots in rows one-eighth of an inch apart; note particularly in starting the first row of dots, that they are in a perfectly straight line—with the warp or weft of the linen; this is very important, as the work will not look well unless care is taken in marking these dots. If the warp and weft lines of the material are easily followed without strain to the eyes, these dots need not be marked, but in many cases it is better to have a guide of some sort, particularly when fine linen or muslin is used. Another method of marking in the pattern of dots is to use an open canvas as a guide; this can be placed over the linen and fixed with drawing-pins at the top; the dots can be marked with a knitting needle or traced at regular intervals through the threads of the canvas with a sharp-pointed pencil. The only difficulty in using the canvas is that the lines of warp and weft of the linen are hidden, so care must be taken to make both materials correspond, otherwise the dots will be off the straight line and the work will prove most unsatisfactory when finished. Some workers prefer to do the outlining of the design first and the background afterwards, others reverse the process—much depends on the worker herself; the background can be kept free from puckering by placing the work in a frame.

To work Fig. M.—Tie the thread to begin with; bring the needle out at the first dot of the top left-hand corner; put it down through the dot to the right; pull the three or four strands together and repeat this horizontal stitch to tighten; pass the needle diagonally under to the second left-hand dot—exactly under the first; make an upward stitch into the first dot; pull strands together; repeat stitch and tighten—this brings the needle to the surface again with one horizontal and one vertical stitch completed. Repeat these two stitches to the end of the row. These stitches should form three sides of a square, the fourth side being added with the second row.

When the edge of the space is reached, turn the work round so as to be able to work from the top down, as at starting. Make a little stitch to keep the thread firm, on the wrong side, then bring the needle out at the dot to the left; put it down through the previous hole—horizontal stitch; repeat; take a vertical stitch, putting the needle down into the previous hole, and, completing the square (Fig. M), repeat; pass the needle diagonally under the material to the next dot, and so on. When a very fine material is used the groups of threads may be held together by a single stitch instead of a double one. This background may be worked in a different way, all the horizontal stitches being worked first, and then the whole turned half round and the vertical stitches, which are now horizontal, worked next. This may commend itself to some, being rather a simpler method; it is done entirely in horizontal stitches and needs no description after studying the first method. After the background is finished the design may be worked in with satin stitch, chain stitch, outline stitch or button-hole stitch. This should be done in the hand.

Richelieu Embroidery.—Richelieu embroidery—another of the embroideries worked in button-hole stitch—is even simpler in execution than Danish work, as the material is not cut away until the button-holed bars—which connect the pattern—are finished. It is worked in the hand, generally over a piece of toile cirée—American cloth specially made for embroidery. The entire design is outlined in small tacking stitches with embroidery cotton; the bars are then worked in—they always have picots, which is characteristic of Richelieu work. For the working of bars see [Fig. 24], and of picots, [Fig. 57]. Care must be taken to secure the ends of the bars, by passing the needle through the linen to the back and making a stitch, before running the stitches along the outline to the point for the making of the next bar. The design is then button-holed all over in equal-sized stitches; the flower centres are worked in, and finally the linen is cut away very close to the button-holed design with a sharp pair of embroidery scissors.

Fig. 52.

Edging: Point de Bruxelles (Fig. 52).—This Fig. 52, which consists of a piece of Honiton braid with an edging, shows the working of one of the most elementary of the lace stitches. It will be seen at a glance that it is the familiar button-hole stitch worked in loose loops; to lace-makers it is known as point de Bruxelles. It is a stitch constantly in use with them as it forms a good foundation net, and charming patterns may be made with it when worked in rows, backwards and forwards. Point de Bruxelles is frequently found in laces of different types as it may be worked closely or openly to suit various styles and designs. The stitches are worked into the loops of the previous row; sometimes a strengthening thread is stretched from right to left, in which case the button-hole loops are worked from left to right over this thread, as well as into the loops of the upper row. There are many beautiful varieties of patterns for covering spaces or openwork fillings to be made from this simple foundation stitch, by varying the grouping of some and duplicating others (Fig. 53). What is known as double-net stitch has two button-hole stitches worked into each of the loops of the previous row. When used as a surface stitch worked in coarse threads the loops may be fairly loose, provided care is taken to keep them regular in shape and size. For those who are not expert a frame is helpful or a piece of stiff glazed calico or brown paper—either might be utilised to keep the material stretched.

As a filling for an open space they should be worked much smaller and closer in a linen thread, the size mainly depending upon the opening to be filled in.

Fig. 53.