Split stitch is a perfect stitch for hand embroidering lettering and text. In this tutorial, we'll talk a little bit about threads and take a look at using the split stitch to embroider words. We'll also look at stitching an isolated French knot.

If you're just joining in on these hand embroidery tutorials for writing with your needle and thread, you might want to take a look at the index of lessons so far in this series. In previous lessons, I've covered subjects such as starting and ending threads, traveling threads on the back of your work so that they are invisible from the front, and combining stitches.

Before venturing into this tutorial, you also might want to check out my split stitch video tutorial, especially if you're not quite sure of how to do the split stitch.



In this tutorial, I'm embroidering the word "jumped" using the split stitch. I'm using cotton floche in a coral color. (I love this color, by the way!)

Floche is a four-ply cotton thread with a very nice shine. It is relatively softly twisted, and it is one single strand - it is not normally strandable. That is, you don't normally separate floche into smaller strands to stitch with.

I chose floche because it's a beautiful thread for split stitch. I prefer working split stitch in a single-strand thread, rather than working it with two strands of cotton or silk. Why is that? Because I think you achieve a better looking split stitch with a single strand of thread. Using two strands of floss, the split falls between the two strands and separates them so much that you don't get the close "hugging" of the fibers around the working thread. This close "hugging" makes a solid-looking split stitch.

If you don't have floche, try a perle cotton #8, or, if that's not available, a #5 will also do, but it will be slightly thicker.



When working the split stitch, the key to getting a nice looking stitch is to split the thread in the middle. With floche, the thread is thick enough that it's pretty easy to see. It is more difficult to find the middle of a single strand of DMC cotton floss, because it is much finer than floche. Because of this, it's hard to split the thread right in the middle. With floche, the middle split is not so difficult.

To split the thread easily, make sure that your straight stitches (before splitting them) are pulled firmly so that they hug against the fabric. If they are loose and bulging up from the fabric, it's harder to split them in the middle.



So in the photos above, you can see that I began at the top of the J using the same method of starting my thread discussed in earlier tutorials. Then I just worked the split stitch straight down the letter. As the tail curved, I didn't really have to turn my work, because the split stitch doesn't depend on stitch direction. But if it's easier for you to turn you work, then by all means, turn it!



To end the thread, turn the work over and whip the backstitches that were formed on the back of the fabric, anchoring the thread under these stitches.



I'm going to use a French knot to dot the J. To dot the J (it's lower case), begin in the same manner as discussed in the article on dotting I's. Stitch three anchoring threads very close together, over only one thread of fabric, stitching each stitch into the stitch before. This will require you to stitch perpendicular stitches. I didn't do that in the photo above - but it will work better if you do it that way!



Now all you have to do is work your French knot over your anchoring stitches, making sure that the knot is fat enough to cover the anchoring stitches. I used three wraps on my needle for this knot.

Turn your fabric over and hitch your working thread under the stitches behind the knot. Then cut your thread.



The U is split stitched just like the J.



In working the M, when you come to the point where the direction changes, end your split stitch line and then begin the next split stitch line.



Instead of taking a straight stitch forward, notice that I brought my needle up a stitch length away from where I wanted my line to start, and took a stitch length backwards. Then continue split stitching as normal.



Keep your stitches relatively small when working around tight curves. This is the M, finished.



Here you have the P and the E finished. Pick a starting point on each letter that makes sense, so that you can follow the flow of the letter easily. With the P, I started at the base and worked up. With the E, I started in the middle of the letter, worked around the loop and down the tail.



With the D, I started at the top of the tail and worked down around the loop.



And here's the sampler so far! I still need to add an "S" or two to the text! This word is supposed to be "jumps" rather than "jumped." That's what I get for relying on my foggy memories of junior high typing class!

If you're practicing on text yourself and have a blog, feel free to leave a link so we can check out your progress. You're also welcome to post photos in my Needle 'n Thread group on Flickr, if you like. If you do post any, drop back by and let me know, so I can check them out!

Enjoy the tutorial! If you have any questions or comments, feel free to leave them below!

Labels: beginner embroidery, embroidery lessons, embroidery tips and tricks, hand embroidered lettering, needlework pictures, needlework tutorials, pictures

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Tuesday, November 17, 2009
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The Long and Short Stitch Shading Lessons here on Needle 'n Thread are drawing to a close! Lesson 9 is the final lesson for the sampler, featuring a shaded leaf with a turned tip.

For those just joining in, you can find the rest of these lessons listed under Long and Short Stitch Lessons in the "Editor's Floss" in the right hand column.

I've really enjoyed putting together this series, but I have to admit, this last lesson is not everything I wanted it to be. My stitching skills seem to be a bit "off" lately, and I feel as if I'm rushing everything I do. Long and short stitch is a technique that shouldn't be rushed. This leaf demonstrates this point really well!

So I'd like to encourage you to play a bit with the shading. You don't have to follow my instructions to the letter. If you've been following along here for the last eight lessons, then you are ready to play a bit with shading, to try to get the effect you want.

All that being said, let's move on to the lesson!

Materials: You'll need your sampler in a hoop or frame, focusing on the center section of the left side of the square, where you'll find element #8, a leaf with a turned-up tip. Small, sharp scissors are a must in all hand embroidery, and you'll probably want a pencil nearby, too, for drawing in your stitch direction lines. For needles, use #9 or #10 crewel, and finally, you will need the following colors of DMC stranded cotton: 469 (dk green); 471 (med. green); 472 (med-lt green); and 613 (pale green).



Begin by marking in your stitch direction lines. Just as we did with the other leaf lessons, your stitch direction points to the "growth point" on the leaf, towards the base of the leaf (which is at the top of the image) and the stem.



Split stitch only around the sides of the leaf using 613, leaving the turn-over part alone for now. Don't outline any part of the turn-over at all at this point. Then work long and short stitch on the right side of the leaf, using 613. Notice that, at the base of the leaf, by the stem, a larger area is filled in with long and short stitch. I've actually worked two layers of L&S stitches in that area, using 613.



Using 472, fill in a small area of medium-light green at the base of the leaf, working into the layers of color already there. Notice that I haven't taken the medium-light green all the way up the side of the leaf - it fills part of the base, and ends about half way up the side of the leaf.



Switch to the medium green (471), and continue filling the leaf. Work the color into the 472 layer, and up to the center vein. Then moving up the side of the leaf, work a layer of the color into the palest green (613).



You can see here how the medium green (471) fills the remaining area at the base of the leaf, near the stem, up to the central vein, and then works into the pale green at the top of the leaf, leaving some space towards the center vein.



Now work the darkest green (469) into that empty space on the right side of the leaf, filling to the center vein of the leaf. Fanning the stitches around to keep your stitch direction consistent, continue filling with the dark green across the base line on the turn-over.



At this point, I switched back to the medium green (471), and began to fill the left side of the leaf.

Here's where you can play a bit with your shading. If you want, you can mirror the other side of the leaf, keeping the layers of color the same on both sides of the leaf. You could also continue with the darkest green on the left side of the leaf, and then work a layer of medium, then light. Be adventurous!



After stitching that much of the medium green on the left side of the leaf, I began to notice that I did not much care for my color placement. However, the only way to overhaul the whole leaf would be to take much of what I had already done out. I decided not to do that.

Still, in looking at the leaf at this point, I could see that there was one spot where I could make a minor adjustment without much effort - the corner area on the right side of the leaf, just under the turn-over. I did not like the drastic change from pale green to dark green, and I didn't like the pale green covering that corner.

What to do?



I brought the dark green up, just outside the corner of the turnover, and just beyond the end of the pale green stitching.



Angling my needle very low, so as to slide under the stitches already there, I put it between the stitches there, and drew it through. The needle was almost lying down directly on the fabric - just about horizontal to it - so that the thread would slide into the fabric at a long angle, rather than simply going straight down into the fabric and stitches already there, which would be very noticeable.



In this way, I took the dark green around the corner below the turnover, on the right side of the leaf. You can't really tell which are the properly done long and short stitches here and which are the "tucked in" stitches in dark green, can you?



After that was corrected, I moved back over the left side of the leaf and finished the medium green. (In the photo above, I have the leaf turned, so it actually looks like the right side of the leaf....)



Next, I switched to 472, and layered in some medium-light green.



Finally, I filled the rest of this side of the leaf with 613, the pale green.



Taking the darkest green (469), I worked a stem stitch vein down the middle of the leaf, and along the right side of the stem. Again, above, my work was turned so that the right side of the leaf is actually in the lower part of the picture.



I left the stem at that point, to finish it up later. Now, let's turn our attention to the turn-over.

The turn-over is going to be satin stitched, using the medium-light green (472). Begin by split-stitching all around the turn-over. You can also draw in your stitch direction lines if you wish. The stitches are going to span the width of the turn-over, just slightly pointing down towards the leaf, as you can see in the photo above.



After outlining the turn-over with split stitch, fill in the center with some long straight stitches, going perpendicular to your stitch direction lines. This will serve as a very light padding under the satin stitch, and will help to lift the turn-over up above the rest of the leaf.



Beginning in the center of the turn-over, satin stitch over the split stitch outline, from the center to the right side (towards the leaf).



Then move back to the center of the turn-over, and satin stitch up to the tip of the turn-over.



I finished the stem with medium green (471), filling in the remaining area of the stem with stem stitch.



Then, picking up the dark green (469) again, I worked a small straight stitch at theh tip of each of the little points on the sides of the leaf.



You can see the dark green straight stitch tucked under the points on the left side of the leaf...



... and also on the right side of the leaf.



Congratulations! You've finished the final element on the Long and Short Stitch sampler!



This is the finished sampler, as far as the long and short stitch elements are concerned.

If this is a sampler you want to keep, you could stitch around each box in your favorite line stitch, and then fill the center area with your own long and short stitch motif. How about a monogram? The first monogram alphabet on this page would look terrific in long and short stitch!

If you're looking for the rest of the long and short stitch lessons, please check the index for them. They're all listed there!

You can find the PDF for this particular lesson here:

Long and Short Stitch Shading, Lesson 9: Leaf with a Turned Tip

I hope you've enjoyed this series on long and short stitch shading! Now... any suggestions for a new series?!

Labels: embroidery lessons, Hand embroidery stitches, long and short stitch, needlepainting, needlework tutorials, stitch along, stitchalong lessons

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Friday, September 25, 2009
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Moving along in the Long and Short Stitch Shading Lessons series, we've arrived at Lesson 8, which is a very simple flower.

If you're just joining in on this series of lessons on long and short stitch, you can "catch up" by checking out the index of long and short stitch shading lessons, where you'll find links to each lesson so far.

The lessons are arranged incrementally, going from basic filling with long and short stitch to filling more complex shapes. The entire series is for beginners in this embroidery technique, and once you've worked your way through it, I'm hoping that you'll have a bit more confidence in using long and short stitch as a filling technique in your embroidery projects.

For Lesson 8, we'll be working on the small flower located in the center of the base of the sampler. Note that the point is not necessarily to achieve a "dimensional" effect - this is a simple, flat flower - but once you've stitched it, you should have no trouble translating the lesson into more challenging flowers.

For your materials, you'll need the sampler in a hoop or frame, scissors, #9 or #10 crewel needles (embroidery needles), and the following colors of DMC stranded embroidery floss: 471 (medium green), 469 (dark green), Ecru, 225 (light pink), 223 (dark rose), and 814 (dark burgundy).

As in the previous lessons, the stitching is done with one strand.

Most of the procedures in this lesson do not need to be explained in thorough detail, as you have already experienced them in the previous lessons. Also, the flower is a series of five repeats, so the lesson will only focus in detail on creating one petal and one leaf, although you will see photos of the flower develop.

NOTE: There are different ways to approach stitching something like this. I went one petal at a time, in order to show you a complete petal. You can also stitch each layer of the all the petals at one time, progressing from the outside of all the petals, to the middle layer of color in all the petals, and finally to the inside tip of all the petals. Following such an approach may help you on two accounts: 1. it may save you time by not having to change back and forth to different colors of threads; 2. it may help you keep your layers of color shading uniform as you move from one petal to the next.

Procedure:



The first parts of the flower that will be stitched are the little leaves that jut out between the petals. Feel free to draw your stitch directions inside these little leaves. Your stitches should point towards the "growth point" of the little leaves, which will be the center point where the flower petal lines merge together.



Using one strand of 471 (medium green), split stitch around the outside of the leaf.



Beginning in the middle of the leaf (the tip), over the split stitch line, fill the leaf in color 471, stitching long and short stitches from the center to one edge, then from the center to the opposite edge of the leaf. This is the same long and short stitch technique we have been using all along.

Your stitches should fill most of the leaf, leaving only a bit in the center and down at the tip empty.



Switch to 469 (dark green), and, coming up into the first layer of medium green, fill the rest of the leaf with the dark green.



The first leaf will look something like this. Following the same procedure, finish all five leaves.



The leaves are relatively tiny, so it won't take too long to stitch them all.

A note here about beginning with the leaves. In this type of needlepainting, it is common to begin with the part of the design that is farthest away from you or that is tucked behind other parts of the design. While some books and some designers don't always insist on this point, I think it does help to achieve a more dimensional and realistic effect in needlepainting, to start with the parts of the design that are farther away and behind other parts of the design. In this way, the "painting" seems to build up, one layer on the next.

In this little design of this flat and simple flower, it probably does not make that much of a difference, but as you progress to more complex designs, it will make a difference! Especially with elements like hair, feathers, animal fur, etc., it is important to work the layers from the farthermost layer to the closest layer, in relation to viewer.



For the petals, begin with Ecru and split stitch a line from the inside tip of the green leaf, around the top of the petal, to the inside tip of the next green leaf. Essentially, you are stitching only the arch of the petal, not the area where the petals are touching.

Draw in your stitch direction as shown above. Your stitches will slant towards the inside tip of the petal.



Following the same techniques learned before and still using Ecru, begin in the middle of the arch of the petal, and work the long and short stitch from the middle to one side, then from the middle to the other side of the petal. You will fill up most of the petal - about two-thirds the length of the petal, leaving only about a one-third arch area empty.



Switch to the light pink thread (225), and fill in practically all of the remaining petal, fanning your stitches out in the same fashion you learned in previous lessons.



Leave a tiny bit of space just at the tip of the petal.



Switching now to the dark rose (223), work in a few small fanned stitches right at the tip of the petal. It's easy to work one in the center and one at each side, then to add a tiny stitch in the spaces between - five stitches in all.



Continue to fill the petals in the same manner. Remember that you do not have to end every thread. When you're finished with a color but still have plenty of thread left, bring your threaded needle to the front of the fabric, away from your stitching area. You can then pick up the color on the next part of the design, when needed.



Continue working your way around the little flower...



... until all the petals are filled.



Now, using dark rose (223), stitch one long stitch, bringing your needle up at the inside tip of each green leaf, and taking it down in the center of the flower. The stitch should lie in between each petal. This will help distinguish the individual petals.



Now, you can switch to dark burgundy (814) and work a few random French knots in the center of the flower. If you want to use a different color - like yellow - feel free to do so! The darker yellow (3855) might look better than this dark burgundy.



It was hard to get a good shot of the flower with the French knots.



Here's a shot of the sampler up to this point! And only one more lesson to go!

Enjoy stitching your little flower, and next week, we'll tackle the final leaf.

Here's the PDF version of Lesson 8:

Long and Short Stitch Shading: Lesson 8, a Simple Flower

As always, feel free to leave a comment down below if you have any questions about this lesson!

Have a terrific weekend!

Labels: embroidery lessons, embroidery tips and tricks, long and short stitch, needlework pictures, needlework tutorials, pictures, stitchalong lessons

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Friday, September 18, 2009
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It's time for Lesson 7 in the Long and Short Stitch Shading series here on Needle 'n Thread! In this lesson, we'll be working element #6, the leaf in the center right side of the sampler.

If you've just popped in, you can find the rest of these lessons on long and short stitch in the Long and Short Stitch Lesson Index. We're working incrementally through a small sampler in order to practice filling and shading with long and short stitch.

In today's lesson, the leaf that we're working is pointind downwards, and it has some little spikes on its outer edge. We're going to be working from a dark edge to a lighter center. Other than the shape and the direction of the color changes, the concepts are much the same as those used in Lesson 6, where we stitched a simple flat leaf shape. We'll be cutting in a bit of color for shadows on this leaf, but I think you'll find, overall, that this leaf is fairly simple if you've already worked the flat leaf in Lesson 6.

For this lesson, you will need the following colors of DMC stranded cotton: 469 (dk green); 471 (med. green); 472 (med-lt green); 613 (pale green); 3012 (med. olive green) and 814 (burgundy)



Split stitch the outline of the leaf. To do this, you can use 469 (dk green). I used 613 (pale green) because I was planning different color placement, originally. If you are afraid you won't cover your split stitch line completely, use the dark green because it's the color on the outside of this leaf. If you don't generally have problems with the outside edge, it really won't matter which green you use for the split stitch outline.



Draw in your directional lines and your shade spaces. I'm afraid I made another mess with my pencil lines, so here's a cleaned up version so you can get a better idea of where to sketch in your lines!



The dark purple lines are stitch direction and the green spotted lines indicate shade changes.



Beginning with the darkest green (469) and working on the left side of the leaf, stitch in directional lines for the outer edge of the leaf. Fill in between the directional lines with long and short stitch, in the same manner covered in previous lessons.



As the stitch direction changes, the stitches "fan out" a bit - that is, they are closer together on the inside of the leaf, and slightly farther apart on the outside of the leaf. Notice that there is some tiny space there between the stitches next to the split stitch line. This won't be noticeable at all, because the "fanning" out of these stitches isn't that extreme. If, however, you notice that, in fanning your stitches out so that they lie in the correct direction, there is a noticeable space between your stitches at the split stitch line, take a small stitch over the line (forming a "short stitch") to cover up the split stitch line. Tucking in a little stitch here and there to fill a gap is not only fine, but it's often quite necessary!



Work long and short stitch in dark green around the outside edge of the leaf, filling it in completely. Your long stitches may be as long as a quarter inch here.



On some parts of the leaf, where the little spike sticks out, you can take one stitch from the tip of the spike and completely cover the split stitch line with it (it will run in the same direction as the split stitch line, so you'll basically be stitching a straight stitch from the tip of the spike on top of the split stithch line to cover it up.



After you've finished the dark green all around the left side of the leaf, change your thread to medium green, 471. This will be your second layer of color. Remember to go deep into the first layer as you stitch, and to alter where you start your stitches, so that the starting points don't create a line on the leaf.



Here's the stitch direction again.



And here's the completed second layer. Once you finish the second layer, switch threads to med-light green (472) and stitch the third shade of color towards the center of the leaf, leaving room for one more shade.



As you get to the base of the leaf with the third layer, you will probably be running into the center vein. That's ok. In this area, which is slightly crowded, you can take the third layer of color all the way in to the center vein. This is the circled part in the photo above.

On this leaf, you want to keep your central vein area as neat as possible, and you want all your stitches to meet, if possible. Although you will be stitching a vein as you did in Lesson 6, the vein on this leaf is not as thick.



This is what the leaf should look like after stitching the third shade of green. Now, switch your thread to the palest green 613. This is the color you will use to fill in the center of the leaf.



Notice in the photo above that I "cut in" some small stitches in 613, into the stitches that have already met the center vein at the base of the leaf. This is to lighten up that area, so that the color change does not seem so drastic.



Finish filling the center area with 613, taking your stitches all the way to the vein line in the center of the leaf. Once you've finished filling the center with 613, change your thread again to color 3012. In the very center of the leaf, where 613 meets the vein line, "cut in" some tiny stitches in 3012, to create a shadow along the vein line.

I'm not sure if "cutting in" is a legitimate term. That's what I call it when a few tiny stitches are being added to an area where the color is already stitched in. So, basically, you're splitting stitches that are already there - you don't have any filling space left, so you're just adding these tiny stitches into the stitches already there.

You've pretty much finished the left side of the leaf, so now it's time to move to the right side.



Again, stitch in directional lines with dark green, 469.



Fill in the dark green in long and short stitch on the outside edge, from the tip all the way to the base. Make sure you cover the base split stitch line.



Now, switch to color 471 again, and stitch the next layer of color. When you finish the second layer, it should look something like the leaf in the photo above.



Now, you're going to switch directly to the palest green (613), skipping the light green layer. Fill to the center, with the exception of a small area, as shown in the photo above. Change your thread to medium olive green (3012) and fill in the remaining area.



You can also "cut in" some tiny stitches of 3012, all the way up the vein line towards the tip, as shown in the photo above.

Once you finish filling in a bit of a shadow next to the vein, take your thread to the base of the leaf, coming up in the center on the vein, and work a long split stitch line along the vein in 3012, to help define the center of the leaf. The "vein" you are now stitching should not extend all the way to the tip.



For the stem, I split stitched around the edges in 3012, and then satin stitched in the same color all the way down to where the stem meets the leaf. As the stem narrows, the satin stitches become very tiny.



This is the leaf so far. The stem is a bit too large for the leaf, methinks!



Now, to make the leaf pop out a bit, I took the burgundy (814), and stitched a tiny straight stitch in burgundy on the inside edge of each spike on the leaf. This may look better in a darker brown, but I used the burgundy since it is on our color list. If you have a darker brown on hand and want to use it instead, feel free to do so!



Ta-dum! You've finished Lesson 7! Only two more lessons to go!!

If you want to visit the other lessons in this series, go to the Long and Short Stitch Lessons index, where you'll find the whole list of lessons so far, including one with three videos demonstrating long and short stitch.

If you're following along with the lessons so far, you can add your photos to the Needle 'n Thread flickr group if you would like feedback on your progress.

And, finally, here's a PDF version of this lesson, if you'd like to print it out:

Lesson 7: Long and Short Stitch Shading - a More Complex Leaf (PDF)

Enjoy the lesson! Feel free to ask any questions or add comments below!

Labels: embroidery lessons, embroidery tips and tricks, long and short stitch, needlepainting, needlework pictures, needlework tutorials, pictures, stitch along, stitchalong lessons

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Thursday, September 10, 2009
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Now that you've had some experience with various shapes and stitch directions in long and short stitch shading, it's time to move on to elements that are used often in needle painting. In this sampler, we look at four elements that are commonly shaded in embroidery - botanical samples. We're going to stitch three types of leaves and a very simple flower. Lesson Six in this series of Long and Short Stitch Shading lessons focuses on a simple leaf shape. It is not the most realistic looking leaf in the world, but with a little shading, it'll end up looking pretty good!

If you are just joining us in these Long & Short Stitch Shading lessons (also known as needle painting, thread painting, silk shading, and so forth), you can find the rest of the lessons in the index in the right column under "Editor's Floss." We've been working through a small sampler of various elements that we're shading with long and short stitch - a technique that sometimes intimidates embroiderers, but that becomes easier and easier once you understand the basic concepts, and - of course! - once you practice the technique a little bit!

So here we go, on to the next element - the simple leaf at the top center of the sampler.

For this lesson, you will need the following materials:

1. The project in a hoop or frame, with element five (the top leaf) centered in the hoop

2. #9 or #10 crewel needles

3. Small, sharp embroidery scissors

4. DMC stranded cotton in the following colors: Greens - 3011 (dark), 3012 (medium), and 3013 (light); and burgundy 814.

For the basic stitching technique for long and short stitch, refer to the long and short stitch videos included in Lesson Two.

All stitching is worked with one strand (from the six) of regular DMC 6-stranded embroidery floss, with the exception of the stem, which is worked in two strands.



For stitch directions, mark your leaf with a pencil. The purple solid lines in the diagram above illustrate the direction of your stitching, while the dotted lines can be penciled in to mark the areas of color change.

When stitch a natural object like a leaf or flower petal, the stitch direction follows the natural direction of growth. The stitches angle towards the "growth point" of the element. In a leaf, that is the center base of the leaf towards the stem.



Split stitch around the leaf in the lightest green, 3013.



As we did in the boxes of Lesson Two and the triangles of Lesson Three, stitch in some directional stitches using light green (3013). These stitches will be about a quarter of an inch long, more or less, and will act as "long" stitches. They can extend slightly beyond your first "color area" marked on the leaf. (My pencil markings on the leaf above are a mess - but they'll be covered up, thank goodness!)



Begin the long and short stitching in the middle of the side of the leaf, and work to the base. Return to the middle and stitch to the tip. I left the base (down by the stem) blank, and filled it in last, after finishing the rest of the leaf. You will see this as the lesson progresses.

Stagger your stitches, long and short, as explained in previous lessons, and do your best to follow the stitch direction lines.



After stitching one side of the leaf in light green (3013), move to the other side, and stitch the other side in the same manner. When stitching at the tip of the leaf especially, the stitch direction will change drastically in a very little space. Tuck in little hidden stitches as necessary to neatly fill the area, without over-crowding the tip.



The light green (3013) is complete.



Thread your needle with the medium green (3012), and, beginning in the middle of the side of the leaf, work the next layer of long and short stitches down to the base, and then go back to the center and stitch up to the tip. As you get to the tip, manipulate your stitches as best as possible to give good coverage, but don't crowd your stitches into the tip. You will be using fewer stitches as you work towards the center area of the leaf. Stitch both sides of the leaf in the same manner, filling the second layer with the medium green.



Once the medium green is completed, switch to the darkest green, 3011.



Begin in the mddle and work up to the tip, bringing your stitches to the center vein line on the leaf. On each side of the leaf, your stitches will meet at the center, forming a line down the center of the leaf.



Stretch your stitches to the center line where possible - up towards the top of the leaf, this will be easy, as the distance to the center line is not as far. As you work down the leaf (you can see this in the photo above), your long stitches may be too long if they are to meet the center line. This is ok. Don't take them all the way to the center line - you can go back and fill in one more layer of the dark green, to complete the filling process.



You can see in the circled area that my dark green did not stretch all the way to the central line. After working this area, I went back and filled in with another layer of dark green.



As you fill in at the base of the leaf with the dark green, take the stitches over the split stitch line where the stem meets the base, as necessary.



You will notice here that I have still got one area at the base of the leaf (on both sides) that is not filled in.



At this point, instead of long and short stitch, I will use long straight stitches (satin stitch) to cover the rest of the base of the leaf. I worked these stitches in medium green (3012).



This is the leaf, completely filled in.



There are a couple little "trouble" spots, but I didn't let them worry me. The first is that area on the center line. You can see the white fabric there where the stitches don't quite meet, and you can see one area where the stitches in the center do meet. We will stitch a stem over this, so it will not be noticeable and is not worth correcting. Also, at the base, the satin stitches seem more obvious, as they are not shaded. Once the stem is in, however, they will be less noticeable.

For the stem, take one strand of dark green (3011) and one strand of burgundy (814) and thread both strands together in your needle. You do not need to arrange them in any special way - just thread them both in.



Beginning at the base of the stem (the end of the stem line, farthest away from the leaf), using stem stitch, work your way to the tip of the stem area on the leaf. End your stem line about 1/2" - 3/4" below the tip of the leaf. If you are unsure of how to work the stem stitch, check out my stem stitch video tutorial.



Congratulations! You have completed Element Five and now you're ready to move on to Element Six - another leaf, but slightly more complicated than this one.

If you'd like a PDF of this lesson so that you may print it out, here 'tis:

Lesson Six: a Simple Leaf (PDF)

Good luck and have fun with it! (And don't hesitate to leave a comment below if you have any questions!)

Labels: embroidery lessons, embroidery tips and tricks, long and short stitch, needlepainting, needlework tutorials, stitchalong lessons

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Thursday, September 03, 2009
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In Lesson Five of this series of Long and Short Stitch Shading Lessons, we're looking at element 4 on the sampler, the ribbon-like swirl and the little swash shape in the top right corner.

If you are just joining us for these lessons in shading with long and short stitch, you can find all the articles related to the lessons listed under the Long and Short Stitch Lesson Index. For those of you who want to know what these lessons are all about, they are merely to help the embroiderer learn the basics of long and short stitch shading in order to feel confident in tackling more complex needle painting projects. The lessons are free and will be kept here on Needle 'n Thread, easily accessible, so that you can follow them at your own pace.

The fifth long and short stitch lesson focuses on stitching around a curve, in order to shade design elements such as ribbon or flowing text.

For this element (the top right corner of the sampler), you will need the same shades of blue that were used on the triangle: DMC 159, 159, 160, and 161.

You'll also need #9 or #10 crewel needles, sharp embroidery scissors, and a hoop or frame to keep the work taut.

For basic technique in long and short stitch, feel free to visit Lesson Two, where you will find three videos demonstrating basic long and short stitch. Reading and working through the previous lessons up to this point will help you as well.



Begin with the small swash next to the ribbon. Anchor your thread and split stitch an outline around the small swash in medium-light blue (160). Begin the long and short stitch (in 160) in the center of the rounded end of the swash, working to the right side of the swash, then going back to the center and working to the left edge of the swash.



When you finish with color 160, if you still have "stitching room" on your thread, take your needle from the back of the fabric to the front, outside to the working area, without cutting the thread. You can leave your thread here until you are ready to use this color again. This way, you don't have to end and re-start the thread each time you need to use the same color.



Switch to light blue (159) and stitch two ore more rows of long and short stitch, to fill the main central part of the swash. As you stitch each row, make slight adjustments in direction in order to ease your way aroudn the turn of the swash. See the phot below for stitching direction:



The red slashes indicate the turning stitches. The green slashes indicate the stitches that extend to the side and over the split stitch outline. As the stitches on the left approach the split stitch line, take them over the line to ensure a smooth edge. Keep gradually moving your stitches around the bend of the swahs, adjust the stitch direction as you grow. Switch back to medium light blue (160) for one row, then medium-dark blue (161) for the next row, and then end the swash at the point in dark blue (158).

The key in getting around the curves gently is to slowly adapt your stitches to the curve. Take small stitches where need be (in fact, your stitches will be smaller going around the curve), in order to "tweak" the stitch direction so that your stitches are working in the direction you want them to go (which is toward the tip of the swash). Remember that, as your space gets smaller, you use fewer stitches (just as you did with the triangles).



When you finish your swash, it should look something like this.



(Mine looks better from farther away!)



Once you've finished the small swash, you're ready to move on to the large ribbon shape. Begin on the lower right tail of the ribbon. Outline in split stitch (159) as demonstrated in the photo above. You do not need to outline the whole shape - just the top edge of the ribbon and about half way down the sides.

Use a pencil to mark direction lines down the length of the ribbon tail, and color-change lines across the width of the ribbon tail, as shown in the photo above. You want four sections of the area "blocked off" to mark approximately where you will change shades.



Working in light blue (159), work the long and short stitch over the split stitch line at the top end of the ribbon.



Begin the next row of long and short stitch in medium-light blue (160). Remember to take your new stitches deep into the first row of stitches.



Work the third row of stitches in medium-dark blue (161). Begin shifting your stitch direction more dramatically in order to accommodate the curve.



When it becomes necessary to cover the split stitch line, bring your needle up outside the line so that you can cover it. You'll take the stitch back down inside the shape.



You'll probably work at least two rows in medium-dark blue (161). These rows will require the most dramatic change in stitch direction. Try to follow the curve of the ribbon, using relatively short stitches and adjusting their direction as you work around the curve.



Finally, switch to the darkest blue (158), and continue working in short stitches, easing around the curve to the point of the ribbon curl, and decreasing the number of stitches in order to fit the design area.



Continue to add subsequent rows of dark blue (158) until you reach the tip, as shown below:



This is the finished first ribbon tail.



At this point, you can mark in your stitch direction lines and your color lines on the main section of the ribbon. Divide the ribbon across its width as indicated above. In the widest part of the ribbon here, the center will be light, and it will gradually get darker towards the tips. The stitch direction will work around the curve of the ribbon.



Now that you've finished the lower tail of the ribbon and marked your stitch direction, turn your work over so that the element is upside-down. The next section of the ribbon is easier to work upside-down. First, using 158 (dark blue), stem stitch the thin line between the curl you just finished and the main section of the ribbon. (The area circled in red in the photo above). When your stem stitch reaches the point where the lines divdide to form the mid-section of the ribbon, you can switch to split stitch for outlining the area. Outline on a little way up into the main curve of the ribbon (also shown in the photo above).



Then, in the darkest blue (still 158), work long and short stitches to fill the tip of the ribbon, working from the narrow point to the wider center.



The red lines above indicate the stitch direction. Notice that I'm not starting in the tip of the ribbon, and fanning out. Rather, I'm starting on the side of the ribbon, and working almost vertically.



Switch to the medium-blue (161) and then medium blue (160) and continue to work long and short stitch to fill the riboon shape.



As you switch colors, anchor your working threads in the fabric above the design so that you can keep using them when you return to those colors on the rest of this section.



In the widest part of the ribbon (center), switch to light blue (159), and stitch two or three rows (depending on the size of your stitches). Alter the direction of your stitches to gradually move them towards the tip where the lines of the design converge.



Keep adjusting your stitches as you round the curve, and then switch back to medium blue (160).



After stitching a row of medium blue, switch to medium dark (161) and continue towards the tip of the ribbon.



If you turn your work right-side-up at this point, it should basically look like this. You can outline the tip in split stitch, using dark blue (158) if you wish. I did not outline at this point - I just continued filling to the tip where the lines of the design converge.



Working upside-down again, continue filling with the darkest blue, to the tip of the large ribbon curve, easing your stitches around the curve by changing their direction little by little.



The tip should look like this.



Continuing with the dark blue (158), stem stitch the line between the main part of the ribbon and the top curl. Again, where the lines separate to form the top curl of the ribbon, switch to split stitch and outline the lower third of the curl.



Mark in your stitch direction lines and the lines to indicate changes in shade, if you wish. Split stitch the very edge of the ribbon (hidden here by long and short stitch) in medium-light blue (160), and then work one row of medium-light (160) in long and short stitch. If it is easier for you, turn your work upside down again.



Following the same sequence as in the lower curl on the ribbon, work a row or two of light blue (159) in long and short stitch, tweaking your stitch direction as you work around the curve. Then switch to medium-light blue (160), then medium-dark blue (161) - one row of each - then to dark blue (158), which will fill the tip.



Congratulations! You have finished the fourth element in the Long and Short Stitch Shading Sampler - the most difficult element so far! If you're still with me, you'll find the next element (the center leaf on the top of the sampler) a breeze! See you in Lesson Six!

Here's a PDF download of this lesson:

Lesson Five: Long and Short Stitch Shading on Curves

For previous lessons, visit this Index of Lessons in Long and Short Stitch Shading.

Labels: embroidery lessons, embroidery tips and tricks, long and short stitch, needlepainting, needlework pictures, pictures, stitchalong lessons

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Thursday, August 27, 2009
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Here's Lesson Four in this series of long and short stitch shading lessons. If you're just joining in, you'll find an index of the long and short stitch shading lessons available here on Needle 'n Thread, where you'll find all the links necessarily to easily access these embroidery lessons.

In Lesson Four, we are looking at how to embroider a circle in long and short stitch, in such a way that it looks shaded. Now, there are a couple different ways to go about this, depending on the type of shaded circle you are trying to achieve.

For me, personally, when I'm looking at needle painting, I'm looking at achieving a realistic effect with the long and short stitch. But for others, the two-dimensional flat effect is what they want.

So, in this particular lesson, I'm going to address two methods of long and short stitch: the "textbook" method (comprised of rigorously uniform long and short stitches) and the method we've been following here in these lessons so far, which, over all, is a much freer and more relaxed approach to the technique.

Instead of writing out the exact same lesson that you will find in the PDF at the end of this article, I'll stick to the bare bones for those of you who just want the gist of it. Then, if you want more detail, you can take a look at the PDF.

Colors The colors used in the circles are 347, 349, 351, 353, and 745.

Begin with the top circle, with one strand of 351 threaded in your needle. Split stitch the outer edge of the first circle in 351. Then draw directional lines in pencil inside the circle, like so:



Once you have split stitched around the circle, begin with your needle coming up in the fabric about one third way down the diameter of the circle, on the middle vertical line, as shown by the green dot in the diagram below:



Emerge from the fabric at this point, then take your needle down on the other side of the split stitch line, following the stitch direction marked by the vertical lines. For the next stitch, bring your needle back up into the fabric to the right of your first stitch, right next to it but not crowding it, and just slightly higher in the fabric, and then take it over the split stitched line. Now you have one long stitch and one short stitch. Continue in this manner all the way to the right side of the circle, beginning your long stitches along the same long and your short stitches along the same line.

To help you determine where to begin your stitches, you might draw two horizontal lines inside your circle, like the blue lines in the diagram below:



Once you reach the right side of the circle, go back to the middle and work to the left side of the circle. You'll end up with a row that looks something like this:



To begin your next row, using color 351, bring your needle up, splitting the centermost long stitch in the first row. You'll want to split this stitch only slight up into it - a good gauge would be to split the stitch next to where your short stitches in the first row end.



Your second row will look somewhat like this.



For your third row, use 353, and work the row in the same manner as the two above.



Finally, for the last row, use 745 and stitch the last row over the split stitch edge.

That's the first circle, worked in the "textbook" method of long and short stitch.

Second Circle

The second circle is the next one down, slightly to the right.



Begin by drawing an elongated dot at the top left side of the circle, leaving a little space between the dot and the edge of the circle. If you look at the circle as the face of a clock, the elongated dot will be at approximately 11:00 o'clock.



Next, draw directional lines radiating from the dot, as shown in the photo above.



Using 353, split stitch the edge of the circle. Then, begin your long and short stitching on the edge of the elongated dot. You don't want to go into the center of that dot - just consider the edge of it the place where you begin your stitches. As you stitch, fan the stitches out to follow the directional lines, and vary the length of the stitches. On the sides, stretch the stitches over to the edge. Don't hesitate to take a few over the split stitch line.



Fill in all around the elongated dot, so that the stitches fan out into the circle, and then begin the second row in 351. You'll want to fill in any gaps left by the first row, and build up a thickness of stitches here. You don't want them to overlap each other, but you do need them to cover the ground fabric, so make sure that you tuck in stitches where necessary to fill the area and cover the ground fabric.



I wasn't really satisfied with the lighter stitches on the left side of the elongated dot, so I went back in with 353 and tucked in a stitch to balance the top of the sphere out a bit. Yet another testimony to the forgiving nature of the L & S stitch, when stitched in this manner!



Your second row will look approximately like this.



Your next row is also worked in 351, filling in the center a bit more and building up a full foundation of stitches.

Then switch to 349, and fill in the rest of the sphere, following your stitch direction lines, and taking the thread over the split stitch line when necessary. You will probably stitch at least two rows of 349.



When you finish filling the sphere, which looks a bit like a berry, you'll have something close to this.



Using 347, stitch a few satin stitches across the elongated dot.

Third Circle

The third circle is going to be stitched much like the second, but the "berry" is turned to the other side.



Place a fat dot on the right side of the circle, about halfway down the length of it, and near the edge, but not touching it. Draw lines that radiate from the circle, as shown in the photo above. You can also draw in "layering" lines, which will help you know where to layer your colors.

When you have drawn your directional lines, you can split stitch around the circle in 349.



Beginning with 353 again, stitch in your directional lines radiating from the edge of the circle on the right.



Once you have the directional lines in, go back and fill in between them, varying the length of your stitches.



Begin the second row in 351, fanning your stitches out to follow your directional lines. Keep varying the length of your stitches, as seen in the photo above.



When you need help setting in a directional stitch, remember that you can pull your working thread in the direction you want your stitch to lie, then put your needle into the fabric underneath your working thread, so the stitch ends up in the right spot.



When you finish your second row, it should look something like the one in the photo above.



The next row is worked in 349. Remember to take your thread over the split stitch line as it becomes necessary to do so.



The final row is stitched in 347, over the split stitch line.



When you finish filling in the circle, using 347 again, add a few satin stitches to the inner circle.

Congratulations! You have now finished the first three elements of the Long and Short stitch shading lessons.

You can see all the other available lessons in this series in the Index of Long and Short Stitch Shading Lessons.

You can print or save this lesson (PDF) from the following link:

Lesson Four: Circles, Flat and Round (PDF)

You will probably notice that, of the three circles in this lesson, the last two are far more realistic looking than the first. The techniques used in the last two circles would be the same technique you would use to work such things as fruit (cherries, grapes, berries, larger round fruit, etc.) or vegetables (peas?!) or any spherical item that you want to look more dimensional.

Have fun with it!

Labels: embroidery lessons, embroidery tips and tricks, long and short stitch, needlepainting, needlework pictures, pictures, stitchalong lessons

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Monday, August 17, 2009
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Lesson Three of the Long and Short Stitch Shading series focuses on stitching to a point. I have to admit right off the bat, my stitching on these elements is not as good as I would have liked them to be! I suppose I could chalk that up to some kind of panic to get the lessons done, but really - it's a such a cop-out to offer excuses! I suppose you'll just have to take it as it is! The technique is there, anyway, and I'm sure that some of my "students" here will outstitch me on the finish - which is actually what a teacher always wants, isn't it?

If you're just popping in on this series of embroidery lessons on long and short stitch shading, you can visit the Index of Long & Short Stitch Lessons to find all the back issues of the lessons listed in one place.

Don't forget that I've also set up a Needle 'n Thread Flickr group, where you can post pictures and get feedback.

Our objectives in this lesson are to practice stitching long & short stitch to a converging point, keeping the correct stitch direction, and to understand how to reduce the number of stitches in smaller spaces (without bunching up the stitches) in a way that looks (more or less!) natural...

Materials:

1. Project in hoop or frame, with element two: triangles centered (lower left corner of the design.

2. #9 or #10 crewel (embroidery) needles

3. Small, sharp embroidery scissors

4. DMC stranded cotton (or equivalent) in the following colors: 158 (dark blue), 159 (light blue), 160 (medium-light blue), 161 (medium blue)

NOTE: The technique of the stitch is the same learned in lesson two. This particular lesson presents two challenges: keeping the stitch direction and reducing the number of stitches as the space gets smaller.

Procedure

Begin with the top triangle. Anchor your thread according to your favorite method, or use the method demonstrated in the video tutorial of lesson two, part one.

Work a split stitch line across the top line of the first triangle (the broadest part) in dark blue (158).

Beginning in the center of the top line, draw a vertical line to the tip of the triangle, then split the remaining distance on each side of the top line several times, drawing a straight line from any point on the top line to the tip of the triange, like so:



Triangle 1 - Top left triangle

First Row:

Bring your needle up through the fabric, about 3/8" below the split stitch line, in the top center of the box. Take your first stitch over the split stitch line and back into the fabric. Now, working down the row to the right, stitch in about four directional stitches more or less the same length, dividing up the row. (This is illustrated in the videos in lesson two). The difference here is that your stitches are not vertical - they point towards the tip of the triangle. After placing in your directional lines (which are "long" stitches), go back to the center and work to the right, filling in short stitches of varying lengths, moving down the row.



You want your stitches to lie next to each other, as they would in satin stitch, so make sure that you space them correctly - not too close that they bunch up, but not too far apart that you can see any fabric between them.

Continue working across the fabric to the right side of the triangle, altering the size of your stitches between long and short. Vary their lengths, for a more natural-looking shading. You want the bottom edge of your row of stitches to be jagged, but you still want to keep an overally consistent length across the longest points of your stitches.

When you reach the right edge of the triangle, end with a long stitch on the pencil line. This is approximately what your progress should look like so far:



Now move back to the middle and address the left side of the triangle, finishing the first row:



Second & Third Rows

The second and third rows are worked in 161 (medium blue) and 160 (medium light blue).

Bring your needle up from the back of your fabric into the first row of stitches, in the center. Then take your stitch down into the fabric, following your directional lines.



To help keep the direction of your stitches correct, pull your working thread to the tip of the triangle, so you can always see in what direction your stitches should be pointing.

You may add directional stitches if it is easier for you, or you may simply stitch from the center over to the right side of the triangle.



Go deep into the first row of stitches and vary the entry point of your stitches, following basically the same long and short stitch pattern from the row above. Remember, though, that the second row is not as wide as the first, so you can't fit in as many stitches. You won't be bringing your needle up into every stitch on the first row, so don't try! Try to gauge this as you go. Directional stitches may help you with this!



Continue working to the right side of the triangle...



... then go back to the center and work to the left side.

Follow the same procedure for the next row, working in the medium-light blue (160) and keeping in mind the following:

---- Keep your stitches directed towards the point.
---- Don't crowd them - there will be even fewer stitches in this row!

Work from the center to the right:



And when you finish the third row, it should look more or less like this:



Last Row

The last row is the trickiest. You should be close enough to the tip of the triangle that your first stitch reaches the tip. If you aren't, don't worry about it. Make the stitch shorter. The point is that you want this last row to feed into the tip, but in order to do that without building up a big bunch of stitches at the tip, you're going to have to "tuck in" some stitches.



All the stitches it will take to fill the top part of this row cannot fit into the tip of the triangle. So, you're going to work long and short stitches, but pretty much what's going to happen is that your long stitches will "overlap" the ends of the shorter stitches, which won't be "finished" down to the tip. And, you may find that you have to go back to fill in a gap at the top - to sneak a stitch in. At that point, you'll angle your needle underneath the stitches already there. (This is when you'll really find out how handy good lighting is!)



In the picture above, my needle is angled underneath the stitch on its left. I'm tucking the new stitch in, so that I don't have a bulky build-up at the tip.

Continue filling in this manner to the right side of the triangle, taking long stitches down to the tip when necessary, eyeing it to make sure your long stitches fit:



Then go back to the center and work in the same manner to the left side of the triangle:



Second Triangle

The second triangle is worked in the same manner as the first, but it is worked from the bottom (the broad base) to the tip, going upwards. Instead of writing out each direction, I've provided some pictures at various stages. You'll see it's the same exact concept as the first triangle, only your stitching direction is going upwards.



So, you have the split stitch line at the base, then you stitch from the center over the split stitch line.



Put in directional stitches if you want. I find they help, but some instructors say not to use them (although others say to use them!).



Fill in the first row in the same method as detailed above. I'm not super pleased with the edge on this first row - a bit too bumpy! You'll do better!!



Fill in all the subsequent rows up to the tip, and there's the finished triangle.



Move on to the triangle with the curved top - split stitch the top curved line in the lightest blue, and draw your directional lines with a pencil.



Fill in the first row in the same manner detailed above... notice that the first row is shaped like an arch. As you fill in the subsequent rows, you want to keep this arch shape by fanning your stitches around in that semi-circle.



Fill in your subsequent rows, fanning the stitches out in an arch as you stitch.



As you fill in the last row in the darkest blue, you may find you have to sneak some stitches in, but "tucking" them in.



The finished little element.

Congratulations! If you're with me to this point, you've finished element two and are ready to go on to element three, the circles, which are... a challenge! But a fun one!



And there's the sampler so far.

Here's a PDF version of Lesson 3: Triangles

Long & Short Stitch Shading, Lesson Three: Triangles

For all the other lessons in this series, check out the Long & Short Stitch Shading Lesson Index!

Labels: embroidery lessons, long and short stitch, needlepainting, needlework pictures, needlework tutorials, pictures, stitchalong lessons

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Tuesday, August 11, 2009
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Today's article is the continuation of yesterday's Long and Short Stitch Shading, Lesson 2. We'll be looking at the larger box in Element 1 on the Long & Short Stitch Sampler. This box is stitched on the diagonal, so it's a little more difficult than yesterday's vertical stitching.

If you're just joining in on the Long and Short Stitch lessons, you can visit the Long & Short Stitch Lesson Index to see a list of already published lessons and articles in this series.

Once you've worked through the first box in Element One on the sampler, it's time to move to the second box, which is the larger of the two boxes. This second box is set behind the first. Often, in needlepainting (long and short stitch shading), the elements farther back in the design are embroidered first, but we'll make an exception with these boxes! The first box was easier to stitch, so that's why we started with it.

Materials:

1. Project in hoop or frame

2. #9 or #10 crewel (embroidery) needles (I'm using #10)

3. DMC Colors: 814, 347, 349, 351, 353, 745, Ecru - note that 3855 (darker yellow) isn't used on this box

4. Small, sharp embroidery scissors

Procedure:

Begin by stitching a split stitch line around the box. Start on the left side and stitch up the left side and across the top of the box in the salmony-red 351. Stitch down the right side of the box and across the base line in yellow 745.



When you've finished split stitching the lines, go ahead and draw in your diagonal stitch direction with a pencil. Take a look at the diagram below:



The pink lines in the boxes above indicate the direction of stitching. Notice that on the second box, the direction is diagonal instead of vertical.

The first row will be stitched in the top left corner of the box, just underneath the smaller box. The first row is worked in dark burgundy (814). In the diagram below, you can see the basic shape of the first area to be filled:





Following the same directions from yesterday's post - the first part of lesson 2 on basic long and short stitch - work from the center point (just under the corner of the top box) towards the top line. Mark in your directional stitches before you begin - this will help keep you on the diagonal.



Then stitch from the center point to the left side of the box, following the direction of your diagonal lines and filling in between your directional stitches.



The second row is worked in dark red (347). Bring your needle up in the center of your first row, splitting the stitches as you learned in yesterday's lesson. Work from the center to the top line of the box, marking in directional stitches and filling in between them.



Move back to the center and work to the left side of the box, filling in the second row.



The next row is worked in bright red (349). Begin in the center and work to the top line and then back to the center to the left side of the box. Here, I began in the center and worked first to the left side of the box. (You can work in either direction first...)

When you get to the point that your long stitches would cross over the split stitch line at the base of the box, cross over the split stitch line and fill in the rest of the corner with satin stitch.



You can see that the last few stitches in the corner here are worked in satin stitch. You may not arrive at this point working the third row - you might not get here until the fourth row of stitching - and this is fine. It depends, you see, on how deep you stitch each row of stitches. But whenever you arrive at the point where your long stitches are going to cross over the corner, go ahead and cross the split stitch line, then finish the corner off with satin stitch.



This is the completed third row.



The fourth row is worked in the salmony-red (351). Again, as you come to the point where your long stitches want to cross the corner, go ahead and cross the corner and fill the rest of the area by working over the split stitch line toward the corner.



The fifth row is worked in the lighter salmon (353), and, as you work, notice that you will be filling quite a bit over the split stitch line on the right side of the box and on the base line of the box.



Work the sixth row in light yellow (745) in the same method.



And, finally, work into the corner of the box in Ecru.

Voila! You have finished stitching inside the boxes!



Next lesson - filling in an angled area that begins broad and works to a tip (triangles).

Long & Short Stitch Shading Lessons - Related Posts

Supplies

Lesson One: Setting Up

Lesson Two, Part 1: Inside the Box - Basic Long and Short Stitch (with three-part video tutorials)

INDEX of Long & Short Stitch Lessons

Labels: embroidery lessons, long and short stitch, needlepainting, needlework pictures, needlework tutorials, pictures, stitchalong lessons

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Friday, August 07, 2009
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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Thursday, August 06, 2009
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Continuing with the series of long and short stitch shading lessons, here's Lesson 2: Inside the Box. In this lesson, we'll be stitching element one on the sampler, the two boxes in the top left corner.

If you're just joining us for the long and short stitch shading lessons, be sure to check out the previous posts in this series: Supplies and Lesson One: Setting up.

At the end of this post, you'll see a series of three videos on the basic long and short stitch. (I couldn't quite cram it all into one 10-minute video!)

Materials:

1. Project in hoop or frame, with Element One: Boxes centered in hoop (top left corner of the whole sampler)

2. #9 or #10 crewel (embroidery) needles (I use a #10)

3. Small, sharp embroidery scissors

4. DMC stranded cotton in the following colors: 814, 347, 349, 351, 353, 3855, 745, Ecru

NOTE: There is a difference between the step-by-step photos and the video tutorial for this lesson. In the step-by-step photos, I began the top of the box with bright red (349). In the video tutorial, I began the top row in dark red, (347) and worked six rows of color. The directions, however, are written with the bright red (349) as the first color, with five rows working to the lightest yellow (745). You can work the box either way, with five or six rows. If you work five rows, start with bright red (349). If you work six, start with dark red (347).

All stitching is worked with one strand of floss.

To Begin

1. Begin with the smallest box.

2. Anchor your thread according to your favorite method, or use the method demonstrated in the video tutorial, part 1.

3. Work a split stitch line across the top of the small box in bright red (349).

Draw vertical lines, from the center to each side of the box, to mark your stitch direction. Use a regular pencil for this. The vertical lines will help keep your stitches straight up and down. (This is demonstrated in the video, part 1).

First Row

1. Bring your needle up through the fabric, about 3/8" below the split stitch line, in the top center of the box. Take your first stitch over the split stitch line and back into the fabric. Now, working down the row to the right, space about six directional stitches more or less the same length all the way to the right edge of the box. This is illustrated in the video, part 1. after placing your directional lines (which are "long" stitches), go back to the center and work to the right, filling in "short" stitches of varying lengths, moving down the row.

2. You want your stitches to lie right next to each other, as they would in satin stitch, so make sure that you space them correctly - not too close that they bunch up, but not too far apart that you can see any fabric between them.

3. Continue working across the fabric to the right side of the box, alternating the size of your stitches between long and short. Vary their lengths. For a natural-looking long and short stitch (less formal and rigid-looking), stagger the length of your stitches between several lengths - some long, some a little shorter, then a bit longer, then shorter again, then shorter yet, then a little longer, then long, then short, then slightly longer, etc......! You want the bottom edge of your stitched row to be jagged, but you want ot keep an overall consistent length across the longest points of the stitches.

4. When you reach the right edge of the box, end with a long stitch on the pencil line. This is approximately what your progress should look like so far:



5. Now, move back to the middle of the box and work from the center to the left side of the box, doing the same thing.



6. If you're like me, one side will look better than the other. I don't know why this is! For me, the second half that I stitch always looks better than the first, even if I switch directions and stitch from the center to the left first.

Refer to the Long and Short Stitch Video, part 1, below, to see this technique worked out.

Subsequent Rows - up to, but not including, the last row

1. After the first row, each row is worked in the following sequence of colors:
---- Row 2: 351
---- Row 3: 353
---- Row 4: 3855

2. For subsequent rows, after the first row, bring your needle up from the back of your fabric into the first row of stitches, in the center:



3. Stitch some longer directional stitches from the center towards the right edge, dividing up the stitching area as you did with the first row (demonstrated in the video, part 2).

4. Stagger the entry point at the top of the stitches, so that some begin higher and some lower than the others. Work into the long stitches of the first row, about one-third the length up into the long stitches.

5. Work the short stitches of the second row high up into the first row of stitches, bringing the needle back down into the fabric to make a "short" stitch in the second row. Again, stagger your stitches, varying their length by varying where the stitches emerge in the previous row and where they go down into the fabric.



6. Continue from the center to the right edge, and then work from the center to the left edge of the box. You can find this technique demonstrated in the Long & Short Stitch Video, part 2, below.



You'll work each row in this manner, filling in the square, until you get to the last row.



Make sure that you're taking your stitches deep into the previous row, so that the colors blend well. Again, the video will help with this!



The Last Row

1. Split stitch the base line of the square in light yellow, 745.



2. Finish the last row in the same manner of the previous rows, but working the base of the stitches over the split stitch line, as you did with the beginning of the first row.

To help reduce "information overload" in one post, tomorrow I'll post the rest of Lesson Two, which is the second box, worked on the diagonal!

You may print, if you wish, a PDF of the entire lesson (including the second box):

Long and Short Stitch Shading, Lesson Two: Inside the Box (PDF)

Long & Short Stitch Shading Video Tutorial - Part 1



Long & Short Stitch Shading Video Tutorial - Part 2



Long & Short Stitch Shading Video Tutorial - Part 3



If you have any questions or comments, need clarification on anything, or have any suggestions that I'm able to implement concerning the lessons, don't hesitate to leave a comment below. Additionally, you can subscribe to the e-mail newsletter (right hand column) or my RSS feed to ensure you don't miss the next lesson! Advantages of the newsletter include that it's in a better format for printing (compared to the webpage) and you can reply directly to it to send me an e-mail (and attach pictures, if you wish).

Long and Short Stitch Shading Lessons - Related Posts

Supplies for Long and Short Stitch Shading Project

Lesson One - Setting Up

Long and Short Stitch Shading Lesson INDEX

Labels: embroidery lessons, long and short stitch, needlepainting, needlework pictures, needlework tutorials, pictures, stitchalong lessons, video tutorials

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Thursday, August 06, 2009
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To keep things organized for the upcoming series of long and short stitch shading (needlepainting) tutorials, here's an index of all related links.

List of Long & Short Stitch Lessons and Links



Flickr Group for Sharing Photos and Receiving Feedback

Supplies

Lesson One: Setting Up the Project - includes design, materials list, instructions on transferring the design, etc.

Lesson Two: Element One - Inside the Box - basic long and short stitch technique - Includes Video Tutorials!

Lesson Two, Part 2: Element One - The Large Box (stitched on the diagonal)

Lesson Three: Element Two - Triangles - Shading at an Angle

Lesson Four: Circles - from flat to three dimensional on round elements like berries

Lesson Five: Ribbon - Shading around curves and to a point

Lesson Six: A Simple Leaf

Lesson Seven: Another Leaf - slightly more complex

Lesson Eight: Small Simple Flower

Lesson Nine: Leaf with a Turnover

There is a direct link to this Index under "Editor's Floss" in the right hand column.

Labels: embroidery lessons, long and short stitch, needlepainting, needlework pictures, pictures, stitchalong lessons

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Sunday, August 02, 2009
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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Saturday, August 01, 2009
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Here beginneth the promised long and short stitch shading lessons. These will appear as regular posts on Needle 'n Thread over the next several weeks. Even if you aren't inclined to learn long and short stitch, I still hope you find these little tutorials interesting, informative, and helpful for whatever hand embroidery technique you prefer. Of course, I'll still be adding regular content to Needle 'n Thread between the lessons. The lessons will be spaced out, with at least one a week, and not more than two. Here we go, then, with Lesson 1.

You already know that, before you launch into most embroidery projects, you have to do some preliminary work. Today's lesson covers the preliminaries.

Lesson 1: Getting Started

Objectives

1. to gather & organize materials
2. to transfer the design
3. to frame (or hoop) up the fabric for stitching.

Materials

1. Fabric: high count cotton (muslin, calico) in solid color (white, natural): 12" x 12" square.

2. Transfer tool (your choice): #2 pencil, water-soluble fabric marker, micron art pen (.005), iron-on pencil, or dressmaker's carbon, whichever method of transfer you prefer. I'm using a #2 mechanical pencil. I use mechanical pencils because they're consistently sharp.

3. Scotch tape

4. Pair of 10" stretcher bars OR a decent embroidery hoop (4" or 6" will work well)

5. Iron and ironing board

6. Pattern (below)

7. #9 or #10 crewel needles (I will use size 10)

8. Small, sharp scissors

9. Embroidery threads: DMC stranded cotton in the following colors, arranged numerically below for easy shopping. You'll find them grouped by design element further along in the lesson.

158, 159, 160, 161, 223, 225, 347, 349, 351, 353, 469, 471, 472, 613, 745, 814, 3011, 3012, 3013, 3052, 3855, Ecru

10. Pencil for marking stitch direction as you progress (if you don't use a regular pencil for transferring your design)

11. Good lighting! If you don't have a light specifically for your needlework or crafts, I suggest a very sunny window or porch, or as bright a light inside as you can manage.

Procedure



1. Print this PDF of the Long and Short Stitch Lessons Pattern. It should print as approximately a 7" square. The pattern is designed so that you can work the whole piece or you can work each individual element separately on scrap fabric. If you are stitching each element individually on scrap fabric, you can skip the next step.

2. Cut a 12" square of fabric and stitch the edges with a zig-zag stitch on your sewing machine to keep the edges from fraying. Alternately, you can hand stitch around the edges with a whip stitch. (This is a normal step in setting up a project, but on this project, I admit that I skipped stitching the edges!)

3. Iron your fabric well. You can use starch if you wish. It doesn't make any difference in the stitching (as long as there's no flaking on the fabric), and it will rinse out at the end. You want your fabric smooth and wrinkle-free.

4. Choose your favorite method for transferring a design onto fabric. You will find several methods discussed under Tips and Tricks for Hand Embroidery here on Needle 'n Thread. For this type of embroidery, I'm using a light box and a pencil.



First, tape your pattern to your light box. A sunny window will give you the same results as a light box, if you don't have one.



Center your fabric over the pattern and align the lines (as much as possible) with the grain of the fabric. You don't want to be stitching on the bias! Tape your fabric to the light box, too. I eye-balled the center of the fabric, but if you want to be more precise, you can finger-fold the fabric in half lightly, horizontally and vertically, so you can see where the center of the fabric is.



Using a #2 pencil, trace the design. Use a straight-edge (ruler or what-have-you) for the lines. Don't "stroke" as you trace. Try to trace with one smooth, constant line.



Notice that the lines aren't hairy or sketchy.

5. Now you're ready to frame up your fabric, if you're using stretcher bars. If you're using a hoop, you don't need to hoop the fabric up until you're ready to start stitching.



A 4" hoop will fit individual design elements. You can use anywhere from a 4" - 6" hoop. If you can't find a Really Good Hoop, that's ok. Use a plastic Susan Bates-type hoop - it will work fine for this project. Just be sure to tighten the hoop and your fabric often.



I'll be using stretcher bar frames - specifically, Evertite stretcher bars. If you're using stretcher bars, a 10" square will work. But, if you're not familiar with all these tools and gadgets, just use a simple hoop - you'll be fine!

6. Gather your threads and organize them according to your favorite method. You can separate them for each element, so that you only have to have the necessary threads out at one time.

Element 1 (Boxes) and Element 3 (Circles): 814, 347, 349, 351, 353, 3855, 745, & Ecru

Element 2 (Triangles) and Element 4 (Ribbon Swirly): 158, 159, 160, 161

Leaves: 469, 471, 472, 613, 3011, 3012, 3013, 3052

Little Flower: Ecru, 223, 225



If you want to use thread cards for organization, you can print the threads cards, already numbered. The directions for using the cards have already been discussed here on Needle 'n Thread, and the link is provided below, too.

Long and Short Stitch Thread Cards (PDF)
Directions for Organizing Threads using Thread Cards

7. Take a look at the colored design, below. I colored it with prismacolors. The color isn't 100% accurate - I've made some adjustments while stitching - but at least it gave me a sense of what colors I wanted to use, and the general direction of the shading. To get a sense of shading, try coloring your pattern yourself, if you have colored pencils on hand. You don't have to do this, of course, but it will help familiarize you with the direction we're going in. I think it's always a good idea to at least try to color a shaded design yourself, if possible, to get the feel for the shading.



Order of Stitching the Project

The elements of the project will be stitched in a specific sequence, as indicated in the picture below.



Summary of Print Materials

Here's a summary of all the printed material for Lesson One. They're all PDF documents. The lesson itself is available as well. There are no pictures included in it - just straight text - but if you want to print it and read through it at your convenience, you may.

L&S Project Pattern
L&S Colored Pattern
Thread Cards
L&S Lesson One: Getting Started (including materials list) (a luxury - this may not always happen, but I'll definitely try!)

Conclusion

I'm not covering any stitching in Lesson One, in order to give those of you following these tutorials the weekend to gather supplies and set up your project.

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to leave a comment below. Any questions directly related to the lessons can be left in the comment section on Needle 'n Thread, below this article, so that others will learn from any ensuing discussion or clarifications, too.

If you're on board for these lessons and want to make sure you don't miss any, feel free to sign up for my daily newsletter. You'll find the sign-up box near the top of the page, in the right-hand column. You'll receive each day's post in your inbox, on the day that it's posted. Also, it'll give you a more printer-friendly version, if you intend to print out the tutorials.

Don't hesitate to let me know if you have any questions, suggestions, difficulties, etc.!

Move On To Lesson Two: Basic Long and Short Stitch with Video Tutorials

Labels: embroidery lessons, embroidery tips and tricks, long and short stitch, needlepainting, pictures, stitchalong lessons

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Friday, July 31, 2009
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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Tuesday, July 28, 2009
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If you want to join me in working through a small long and short stitch shading sampler, here's a little bit about the project and the list of supplies that I'm using....

The long and short stitch shading lessons series that I'll be posting here on Needle 'n Thread over the next several weeks will consist of a small sampler of eight elements, each focusing on a different shape.



The whole piece is a total of 7" square, which keeps the individual elements rather small. The colors above are only approximate - I doodled them in while considering color schemes and shading.

The middle section is left empty. If you decide to do the whole piece in a square as the pattern is drawn (like above), then you can use the middle to stitch your own little something, shaded. Or you can add some personal information, to document when you stitched it, etc.

You can skip the whole "square" layout, and just do each element separately, on a bit of scrap fabric. It's all up to you.

I'm working the square, as designed above.

When I'm ready to publish the lessons, you'll receive a downloadable pattern in a plain line drawing, plus a downloadable color guide like the one above, just to give you the idea of the shading, and also a downloadable stitch-direction guide.



Here's the supply list:

1. Fabric - a 12" square of cotton - high thread count muslin (calico) is suitable - in white or natural. I used a piece of good cotton from a new pillow case that I was going to stitch, but that I messed up on when transferring the design onto it. So you can use a "scrap" if you want to conserve a bit on fabric or expense.

2. Hoop or frame - you'll want a hoop (either a 4" or 6" hoop will work). Alternately, you can use stretcher bar frames - 10" work fine, if you're working on a 12" square.

3. Needles - #10 crewel

4. Sharp Scissors

5. Pencil - I use a mechanical pencil

6. Thread: I'm using DMC stranded cotton in the following colors. You are welcome to use the same colors or change them to suit you. I've arranged the DMC color numbers in numerical order for shopping convenience, if you're going to buy threads. If you have suitable threads in your stash, though, feel free just to use those!

DMC Colors:
158, 159, 160, 161, 223, 225, 347, 349, 351, 353, 469, 471, 472, 613, 745, 814, 3011, 3012, 3013, 3052, 3855 and ECRU

I'll be presenting the lessons in a sequential order, progressing from least difficult to more difficult. The first lesson will cover setting up the project. After that, each lesson will deal with an individual element (the group within a square).

There will be at least two videos accompanying the series of lessons. Unfortunately, my software did something weird when I tried to complete the first video, so I'll be looking into that. The first video was 57 minutes long originally, edited down to 27, for the basic long and short stitch. I'll try to edit it further! Aaack!

So that's the plan! If you're interested, you can join me in the venture! If you just want to watch from the sidelines, that's fine, too! And if you aren't interested, never fear - I'll still keep up with some other content for those of you not inclined to shade!

I'm looking forward to this series - I hope you find it fun, too.

Labels: embroidery lessons, embroidery tips and tricks, long and short stitch, needlepainting, pictures, stitchalong lessons

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Monday, July 27, 2009
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Coming up on Needle 'n Thread: a series of lessons on long and short stitch shading! May I tell you a bit about it?

Long and short stitch shading goes by many names in the embroidery arena, and the long and short stitch is a vital part of many embroidery techniques. Needle painting, thread painting, shading, silk shading.... crewel work, art silk embroidery... and on and on...



Despite what it's called, long and short stitch shading is a beautiful embroidery technique and it's worth learning. There's no better way in embroidery to fill a realistic-looking shape. And even if you're working a stylized design and you want to fill an area with shades of color, long and short stitch is the stitch to use for a smooth, gradual shaded fill.



It seems lots of stitchers are intimidated by long and short stitch. In a sense, there's good reason for that - it's usually considered a more "advanced" form of embroidery, and it's often seen in combination with "advanced" forms of embroidery (like goldwork).

Like any new skill, long and short stitch takes practice to get it, but once you start working with the technique, you'll find out a very important thing about it: it's a "forgiving" stitch, more so than many other embroidery stitches! It allows you to make corrections as you go.

The concept behind these lessons is to take you through the basics of long and short stitch. While the lessons are in stitch-a-long form, they are not focused on one finished design. (We'll save that for another time!)



Instead, I will be working through a series of 8 design elements, each fitting within a space of about 2" (and the elements themselves are smaller than that!). Each element will be stitched in sequence, from basic long and short stitch filling in a box, to angled long and short stitch shading, to filling in a circle, then filling in a ribbon, then working on natural elements - from the stylized leaf, to the more realistic, to the small flower shape, to a "real" leaf, with a folded edge.

By stitching these eight elements, you will learn the anatomy of the stitching technique and its applications in basic forms. The lessons will help you get the hang of shading and will prepare you for further adventures with long and short stitch.



The lessons include materials list, design, picture tutorials, a couple videos, and, of course, text instructions (because you know I couldn't do this without incessant babbling!) The finished product, should you stitch the whole thing as I drew it, will be a small sampler of 8 elements, with a space to personalize it, leaving you with a good reference point for later work.

I've been working like a fiend on the lessons, and I'm planning to launch them soon. Look for them!

Labels: embroidery lessons, long and short stitch, needlepainting

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Thursday, July 23, 2009
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