This graceful design which can be utilised in various ways is formed of leaves of 7 lobes, worked alternately in dark and light green; of flowers of 3 petals, worked in red and the centres in yellow, and of small leaves in violet. The setting, throughout, is worked either in black or in dark brown.
Stripe worked in flat stitch (fig. [228]).—This pattern, simple as it is, will be found both useful and effective for the trimming of all kinds of articles of dress. The bottom edge should be finished off with rounded scallops or toothed vandykes worked in button-hole stitch. The flowers in flat stitch, are worked alternately, in Rouge-Géranium 351 and 352, and the leaves alternately, in Vert-de-gris 474 and 475; the centres of the flowers are worked in knot stitch, in Jaune-Rouille 308.
Fig. 228. Stripe worked in flat stitch.
Materials—According to the stuff: Fil à dentelle D.M.C, Cordonnet 6 fils D.M.C or Coton à repriser D.M.C[A]
Colours—For the flowers: Rouge-Géranium 351 and 352.—For the knot stitch: Jaune-Rouille 308.—For the foliage: Vert-de-gris 474 and 475.[A]
Bouquet in straight and encroaching flat stitch (fig. [229]). As we have already observed, it is by no means easy to arrange the colours in an embroidery of this kind, so as to obtain a really artistic effect. Whether the design be a conventional one or not, the great point is to put in the lights and shadows at the right place. If you want to make a faithful copy of a natural flower, take the flower itself, or a coloured botanical drawing of it, and if possible, a good black and white drawing of the same, match the colours in 6 or 7 shades, by the flower itself, keeping them all rather paler in tone, and take the black and white drawing as a guide for the lights and shadows. The colours for the leaves and petals, which should always be worked from the outside, should be chosen with a view to their blending well together. The stamens and the centres of the flowers should be left to the last, but the veins and ribs of the leaves, should always be put in before the grounding.
Fig. 229. Bouquet in straight and encroaching flat stitch.
Materials: Coton à repriser D.M.C No. 50.
Colours—For the forget-me-nots: Bleu-Indigo 312, 322 and 334.—For the other flowers: Jaune-Rouille 365 and 366, Violet-Mauve 376, 316 and 377, Vert-Pistache 369.—For the foliage: Vert-de-Gris 474, Vert-Mousse 468, 469, 471 and 472.—For the stalks: Brun-Havane 455 and 457.[A]
For embroideries of this kind, suitable materials must be selected; the more delicate and minute the design, and the more varied the colouring, the softer and finer should be the quality of the material employed. Specially to be recommended, as adapted to every form of stitch and as being each of them capable of being subdivided, are Filoselle, Marseille, open Chinese silk and Coton à repriser D.M.C.[A]
Flowers embroidered in the Chinese manner (fig. [230]).—All Chinese embroidery displays undoubted originality and wonderful skill and judgment in the choice of material and colour. It excels particularly, in the representation of figures, flowers, and animals, but differs from European work in this, that instead of using flat stitch and making the colours blend together as we do, the Chinese put them, side by side, without intermediate tones, or they sometimes work the whole pattern in knot stitch. The little knots, formed by this stitch are generally set in gold thread.
