Encyclopedia of Needlework

by Thérèse de Dillmont

Fig. [864] represents the fourth part of one of the subjects that make up the design fig. [863]; that is, four such, joined together, form one of the squares of fig. [863].

Figs. [865] and [866] are patterns of two little borders and an insertion, suitable as a finish to fig. [863], which can be enlarged to any size by the addition of other squares to those that are represented here.

Fig. 865. Morocco embroidery.
Small outer border of fig. [863].

Fig. 866. Morocco embroidery.
Border and insertion suitable for fig. [863].

Most of the stuffs, already so frequently alluded to in this work, can be used as a foundation for this kind of embroidery, provided the right working materials to go with it are chosen; Coton à tricoter or Fil à pointer should only be used for the coarser stuffs, such as Rhodes linen No. 1, or Russian linen and the different kinds of tammy cloth, whereas the other kinds of D.M.C threads and cottons and especially the finer numbers, are best adapted for embroidery on fine stuffs, such as Rhodes linen No. 2, and Spanish or Algerian linen.

Spanish embroidery (figs. [867] and [868]).—Spanish embroidery consists almost exclusively of button-hole stitch, fig. [171], and flat stitch, fig. [221].

The button-hole stitches, for which the more subdued shade of the colours indicated should always be taken, or else yellow, dark or pale, to match the gold thread, are made over two threads of gold and follow the outlines of the pattern, which should be more or less appropriate to this style of embroidery. One of the gold threads always keeps the inside of the line and follows it throughout in an unbroken course, whilst with the second, the outside one, you form picots, folding the gold thread over from right to left and catching down the loop by a button-hole stitch, which is introduced into the loop itself and carried over the combined gold threads, as shown in the left corner of fig. [868], representing one quarter of the whole design, where the position of the needle and the way in which the picot is secured are plainly indicated.