You cannot therefore simply repeat the subject four times; when you have copied the one quarter, given in fig. [868], you must lay this first quarter on again at the cross + on the left side; when the second quarter is finished, you again turn the copy to the left and tack it on at the +; when you come to the fourth quarter the lines of the first quarter must exactly meet those of the last. We beg here to draw attention to the directions, relative to the copying of patterns, given in the subsequent chapter.
Basket stitch on linen (fig. [869]).—This stitch has some resemblance with the Greek stitch, fig. [278], and the Montenegrin, fig. [306], only that it is not crossed like the latter.
Fig. 869. Basket stitch on linen.
Basket stitch can be worked on all kinds of stuffs, on counted threads or on a wide or narrow tracing, with fine or coarse thread, and more or less closely, according to the taste of the worker.
You insert the needle from right, and pass it under, from 3 to 6 threads of the foundation, according to the stuff and the material you are using, then downwards from left to right, and over, from 6 to 8 threads, into the stuff again from right to left; then you push it under the stuff in an upward direction and bring it out on the left in the middle of the space left between the last stitch and the top of the second. The dotted line in the engraving indicates the course of the stitches.
Old German knotted stitch (fig. [870]).—This is a stitch often met with in old church and house linen embroidery. A beautiful design worked in this way is given further on.
Fig. 870. Old german knotted stitch.
Contrary to most stitches, this is worked upwards; the needle is put in horizontally under the stuff, the thread tightly drawn, then laid from left to right and drawn through underneath the first stitch and a tight knot made. We find the same stitch, worked in a variety of ways, according to the taste and skill of the worker; for instance the knots may be set slanting, as in fig. [870], or else straight and very close together, as in fig. [873], where they present the appearance of a close string of beads, or again wide apart, as they are in fig. [876].