Needle'nThread.com: October 2006

Is Lacemaking a Lost Art?

Is lacemaking by hand a lost art? This weekend, a friend of mine gave me a book titled A Manual of Lace, published in 1947 by Cassell & Company. As I was turning the pages in awe, I realized that they just don't make it like they used to! But is this the case? So I looked up some lacemaking resources...

It seems that "real" lacemaking (as found in this book) is pretty rare, although a few types of lace still enjoy popularity, and some, it seems, are making a come-back.

My first venture into lace-making was a short bout with bobbin lace. Visiting one of the Smithsonians in DC one summer, I was lucky to arrive at the textile section of the museum as a demonstration of bobbin-lace was going on. The smooth and easy motion of the bobbins being twisted and carried from one side of the pillow stand to another, back and forth, twisted, lifted, moved.... oh, yes. It was mesmerizing, and I was hooked! I bought the supplies and settled in to learn the art. Um... well. What can I say? It's about the only handwork that I am certain cannot be learned from a book - for me, anyway!

Needle-run lace, such as Carrickmacross and Limerick lace, caught my attention about two years ago. This led me to tambour lace, so I invested in a tambour needle and some tulle to give that a try. It was a bit more difficult than I expected, but once I got the hang of the needle, it worked up quickly. A tambour needle is basically like a tiny latch-hook needle, without the latch. The technique works almost the same way that a sewing machine works, it seems, as the needle goes down into the tulle and catches the thread below, pulling it to the front of the fabric to create a chain-stitched line.

The author of my new old book, Jeanette E. Pethebridge, insists that "lace-making is a handicraft that can be practised by anyone who possesses aptitude with the needle." Considering that many forms of lace are embroidery on a ground fabric (such as tulle), I agree. With needle-run lace, I found something I could relate to, though I felt like a fink for dropping the bobbins so quickly!

If you "possess aptitude with a needle" and want to see what lace-making is all about, try the following links. You'll at least enjoy browsing through them, and you never know - they just might inspire you to jump into lace-making, where you may find your embroidery niche!

Antique Needle Lace is a collection of some gorgeous pieces of lace. You can see close-ups of the photos to get an idea of structure.

Lace, Lacemaking Supplies, and Antique Lace is a somewhat difficult website to love, only because of the busy structure of the site, but on it, you'll find supplies for different types of lace, including princess lace, battenburg, and bobbin. They also produce or are connected somehow to Lace Magazine.

At Lacis, you'll find all kinds of lace-making supplies, including tambour frames and needles. In fact, at Lacis you'll find just about anything you could want for any handwork project. They have a great selection of books, too.

At Iva Rose productions, you'll find refurbished vintage books and patterns for all kinds of handwork, but for lace techniques in particular, check out the Carmela Testa books and the Mary Fitch books. Most of the techniques have to do with filet lace in particular - either crocheted or needle run.

Bobbinmaker focuses mostly on bobbin lace, as the name suggests. They make bobbins.

Catchpin Lacemaking Supplies has a variety of books on bobbin lace, tatting, etc. as well as supplies.

Snowgoose has a new online catalog, where you will find kits for different types of lace, as well as supplies for all kinds of techniques.

The Lacemaker has supplies for lace making as well as videos and books.

So, given the list above, which is only a mere fraction of what you would come up with on a Google search, it seems that lace-making may not be completely extinct. If you're looking for "the" source for supplies, I'd start with Lacis!

Have fun with it!

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Split Stitch Video Tutorial for Hand Embroidery

The split stitch is another easy hand embroidery stitch, perfect for beginners and used often by advanced embroiderers. Here's a tutorial that will teach you two methods of using the split stitch.

The first method covered in the video is the "sewing method" of embroidery, where your hands work on the front of the fabric and do not pass to the back. The second method is the "stab" method, where your working hand passes from the front to the back of the fabric to move the needle.

Each method is correct, depending on how you like to embroider. Personally, I think the "stab" method produces a consistently better-looking stitch, but there isn't that much difference between the two. Once you get the hang of the stitch, it's a very quick stitch to work.

Applications: it's great for outlining, lines, and curves, as well as for filling, when worked in rows right next to each other.

Please excuse the shaky video! It can be somewhat difficult to embroider while hugging a camera! New tripod coming soon!

Here's the video:

For more tutorials on hand embroidery stitches, visit the Video Library of Stitches.

Labels: beginner embroidery, Hand embroidery stitches, video tutorials

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Couching Video Tutorial

Couching is another easy embroidery stitch in hand embroidery, and a great way to create decorative line stitches that scroll and twirl about. It's also widely used for filling areas, and historically was used to great effect during the Middle Ages and Renaissance in a technique called Or Nue. Here's a video that demonstrates couching a single thread for an outline.

There are two threads used in couching - the laid thread (that's the one you're sewing down) and the couching thread (the one you're using to attach the laid thread to the fabric).

As mentioned in the video, the key to good couching technique for outlining (couching single threads) is to make sure your stitches are evenly spaced and always perpendicular to the laid thread.

Here's the video:

Labels: beginner embroidery, Hand embroidery stitches, video tutorials

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Embroidery Stitch Video Tutorial: Chain Stitch

Another basic hand embroidery stitch, the chain stitch is used to outline and to fill spaces. It's a fun stitch to work, and always looks great!

The chain stitch is probably one of the most common embroidery stitches, and adapted to all different techniques, even lace making. The chain stitch works very easily around curves, in lines, or in large spaces for filling. There are many variations on the stitch - heavy chain stitch, whipped chain stitch, twisted chain stitch, checkered chain stitch - you get the idea! Once the basic stitch is mastered, the rest is easy!

Here's the video:

For more video tutorials, please visit the video library of stitches.

Labels: beginner embroidery, Hand embroidery stitches, video tutorials

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Online Embroidery Classes - Time's A-Tickin'!

Only a week left before Sharon Boggan (of Inaminuteago) begins her online embroidery class titled Personal Library of Stitches. If you want a detailed description of what's in the class, you'll find one here, where you can also register for the class. You can also find further details with a week-by-week breakdown of topics here. If you can't get out to a "real life" embroidery class, and if you want to work at your own pace building not only a personal library of stitches, but also knowledge of design and execution, this would be a great way to do it! Check it out!

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Goldwork On Blue

I'm a great fan of goldwork, especially the older stuff found on clothing, church vestments, and other museum pieces. I'm always looking for images - photos, paintings, etc. - of such work. I came across this one on wikipedia, of all places, and since their copyright agreement allows the reproduction of it, I thought I would share it with everyone, if you haven't seen it.

The piece is stunning. I'm not sure what I like best about it - the arrangement of the design, the fact that it's on blue, the lattice work in that central motif, with the little jewels - or the contrast formed by the white lace hanging in the upper right. I suspect that this is a robe on a statue of Mary in some church somewhere. On wikipedia it says something about St. Laurentius, and in the name of the photo included "mantle" and "olv." The Latin at the base of the central motif translates to "as a lily among thorns."

Whatever the case may be, the piece is gorgeous. I've left the full-sized image, so you can click on the photo and see it much larger. Enjoy!!

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Embroidery Stitch Video Tutorial: Whipped Running Stitch

Another hand embroidery stitch that's great for beginning embroidery - the whipped running stitch. It's a simple, quick stitch to work. This stitch is one of many line stitches that can be used for bold or delicate outlines, depending on your choice of thread.

The whipped running stitch looks great when using two colors of thread, as I did in this video tutorial. However, if you want a solid line out of one color, you can use it for that, too! You can change the look of the stitch by varying the spacing of your running stitches. To learn how to work the running stitch, you can check out the video tutorial or read the illustrated instructions.

If you want to see some examples of whipped running stitches in bold colors, you can explore the article on embroidery for children. This is a simple stitch, and kids especially love it - but it isn't limited to kid use! So have fun with it!

For more video tutorials, visit the Video Library of Stitches Index.

Labels: beginner embroidery, video tutorials

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Embroidery Stitch Video Tutorial: Backstitch

Another simple hand-embroidery stitch, the backstitch is useful in many applications. It's commonly seen in counted-thread embroidery, like counted cross stitch, but it's also used often in free-style surface embroidery. Below, you'll find a video tutorial for this stitch.

You can use backstitch to make bold lines or delicate lines, depending on the fabric, thread, and needle you decide to use. There are several variations of backstitch, including the whipped backstitch and Holbein stitch (or running backstitch). You can find more detailed written instructions on this stitch here.

Here's the video:

For more video tutorials on simple embroidery stitches, please visit the Video Library of Stitches.

Labels: beginner embroidery, video tutorials

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Embroidery Stitch Video Tutorial: Stem Stitch

The Video Library of Stitches continues to expand with the stem stitch. If you want to learn how to do this basic embroidery stitch, check out the video clip below.

The stem stitch is a versatile embroidery stitch. It can be used to outline or to fill an area. When you fill an area, you work rows of stem stitches right next to each other. You can vary the length of your stitches for a slightly different look. If you want to read about the stem stitch in addition to watching the video tutorial, please check out the Basic Embroidery Stitch Index, where you will find stem stitch under the Line Stitches.

Here's the video:

For more video tutorials, please visit the Video Library of Stitches Index.

Labels: beginner embroidery, video tutorials

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Video Library of Hand-Embroidery Stitches - Index

Hand embroidery is easier if you have someone around to show you how to do it. You can certainly find just about any embroidery stitch illustrated in a book, but it's not quite the same as sitting down next to a friend who can walk you through the stitches. There are quite a few videos available on embroidery stitches, but what I've noticed about them is that they go into techniques that are either specialized or beyond what the beginning embroiderer wants to know. So I thought I'd see if I could manage a video stitch library...

...and if I could put it online! I've arranged the stitches according to type, and have begun with the most basic stitches, useful for embroidery for all levels of needleworkers.

If people like this concept, I'll continue to expand the library. So let me know what you think, if this helps you learn to stitch, or if you have any suggestions about what kinds of stitches you would like to see!

And, in case you're interested, here's an article about how I make the embroidery stitch video tutorials.

If you have problems playing the videos, please check out the Google Video Help Center on Solving Playback Issues. I find that the few people I hear from who have a problem viewing the videos solve the problems by looking through the list of FAQs on that page.

Here's the Video Library of Stitches Index:

Line Stitches & Bands

Chain, Fly, and Buttonhole Stitches

Detached Stitches & Knots

Filling Stitches

Miscellaneous Embroidery Techniques

Bullion Rose Bud Tutorial
A little over 13 minutes, this tutorial demonstrates how to make rose buds using the bullion knot. It also covers beginning and ending your threads when working small embroidery motifs.

Check back often! As the stitches are posted, the links will be added.

Labels: beginner embroidery, Hand embroidery stitches, video tutorials

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Embroidery Stitch Video Tutorial: The Running Stitch & Finishing Threads

Basic hand-embroidery stitches are relatively easy to learn. To help you learn, I'm putting together a video library of stitches. The first tutorial is the most basic line stitch, the running stitch, followed by how to end your threads in hand embroidery.

To see a written explanation of the running stitch for hand-embroidery, you can look in the Basic Embroidery Stitches index, under Line Stitches.

You can use the running stitch many ways. You can also vary the look of the stitch by varying the length of the stitches vs. the length of the spaces between the stitches.

Here's the video:

More video tutorials will be added along the way, so check the Video Stitch Library index often.

Labels: beginner embroidery, Hand embroidery stitches, video tutorials

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Embroidered Christmas Stocking: A Work in Progress

Blackwork is a versatile hand-embroidery technique that involves relatively simple stitches for a nice effect. I got it into my head recently that a blackwork Christmas stocking would be a pretty thing. At the same time, I was playing with the concept of embroidering on velvet using water-soluble stabilizer to transfer the pattern. So I decided to combine the two ideas - blackwork, velvet, water-soluble stabilizer, and see what would happen.

Now, this project is not a "traditional" blackwork project, although the cuff of the stocking will be in white linen with "real" blackwork on it. I like the filling designs in blackwork, so I wanted to play with one of them on the velvet stocking.

This particular design comes from The Blackwork Embroidery Archives, with designs by Paula Katherine Marmor, who generously gave me permission to show it here.

I took the design into photoshop and duplicated it in layers, so I could build a large enough pattern for the stocking. Then I dropped the stocking shape in as a layer, selected it, removed the excess pattern, and here is the result, which I had to touch up a bit. You can click on it to get a larger version.

I printed the design, and cut my velvet and solvy to fit a hoop. I traced the stocking design onto the solvy with a permanent marker (I suggest using a very fine tipped macro art pen). I mounted the velvet and solvy in the hoop and basted around the outside shape of the stocking.

Then, using two strands of gold soie d'alger (any gold embroidery floss would do, but since I had this on hand, that's what I used), I backstitched over the pattern. Normally, the Holbein stitch is used in blackwork, and on the linen cuff, I will be sure to use it. But I figured, since this will be lined, no one will see the inside! Lazy, I know...

I stitched the whole stocking over the solvy. By the way, contrary to my previous post on experimenting with this stuff, I do find that, with heavier fabrics, using the Ultra Solvy is a lot easier than using regular Solvy! I also find it's easier to trace the designs on, since regular Solvy is a lot like working with thin plastic wrap.

I soaked the fabric and removed the Solvy, and, again, found I had to scrub lightly to get rid of the Sharpie pen. I mentioned this in the second part of my earlier experiment - and I reiterate: don't use a Sharpie!!! I think it's just too much ink.

Here's a close-up of the design. The stitching is not super-duper accurate - part of that was a bit of carelessness, and the other part was that I was looking for an "effect" rather than mechanical accuracy.

The next step is to finish the cuff, which will probably take me all week. Once that's done, I'll sew the cuff to the stocking front, and cut out some lining and a backing, and put the whole thing together. I'm thinking about embroidering an identical back.... but I haven't gone beyond thinking about it yet.

This was a fun, easy, no-thought sort of project, and, since it's backstitch, it works up pretty quickly.

If you want to try working with some pretty blackwork designs, do visit the Blackwork Embroidery Archives.

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Embroidery on Paper: Perforated Paper Makes a Come-Back

Embroidery on paper is not an innovative or new thing - it's been around since the Victorian age, when it enjoyed great popularity. Recently, there's been a resurgance in popularity for this "forgotten" art, and it's no wonder. Quick and relatively simple, embroidering on paper is a great way to relax, to embellish the home, to decorate for Christmas, and to make personalized gifts.

During the Victorian era, embroidering on paper ("card work") was a popular occupation for ladies, regardless of class. Since paper was less expensive than linen and even the newly popular cotton, this form of needleart was easily accessible. It was so simple that children often learned to embroider first on paper.

Today, paper embroidery has several "looks." You can find kits for vintage embroidered mottoes that mimic the rustic, homey look of days gone by. Sage Stitchworks, a company founded by two sisters who collected antique embroidered paper mottoes and finally decided to make the art available again, offers a large variety of kits for embroidered mottoes. The kits work up quickly, making nice items for home decor as well as for gift-giving. Do you have a wedding coming up? How about making a Christmas present for your mother or grandmother? A beginner will have no problems with these kits, and advanced embroiderers will find in them a great way to spend a relaxing evening. Take a look at this pretty welcome sign. What a great gift for a new home! Vintage Needleworks also offers kits, including a variety of pretty Christmas designs.

If you want to make unique Christmas ornaments from punched paper, Tokens and Trifles offers several designs of small, fancy punched cards that could easily be made into ornaments, bookmarks, name or place cards, or even labels.

For a free pattern and instructions to make a simple card, you can check out Creative Life with Cheryl Fall, where she goes beyond cross stitch on a little embroidered flower card.

Speaking of cards, check out the embroidered paper cards by Linda Carlson on Terryfic Times. Linda incorporates metallic threads and beads to make incredible little pieces of art. Some of them may be slightly reminiscent of "string art" that we used to do on wood pounded with small nails, back in the '70's! But Linda takes the concept to a whole new dimension!

You can find a bunch of free patterns for easily stitchable cards at Stitching Cards. You'll find a Christmas pattern or two there, as well, in case you're thinking about really personalizing your cards this year. Card Inspirations also carries a few free patterns.

If you want to really get into stitching on paper and are looking for the tools to get you started, try Nordic Needle, where you can find a piercing pad, piercing needles in different sizes, and some great books on the subject of paper embroidery.

And don't get stuck thinking embroidery on paper is just for counted work! You can work all kinds of line stitches on pierced paper, from stem to chain to whathaveyou. The only thing I haven't had the best luck with is French knots, but lazy daisies look great! As do buttonhole wheels... and the list could go on.

Have fun with it!

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Embroidery Floss - Thread Conversion Charts

If you're looking for conversion charts for your current embroidery project - say, you have a kit that calls for DMC, but you have Anchor floss - there are a few good resources on the internet that can help you.

Probably my favorite conversion chart is from DMC to Soie d'Alger. I love soie d'alger, and I have a little stash (relative to the number of colors available!), but I have a huge stash of DMC. If I find a color I like in DMC, but want the silk thread, then this conversion chart at The Sophisticated Stitcher comes in handy.

You'll also find an Anchor to DMC conversion chart at Sophisticated Stitcher as well, and a DMC to Anchor.

In fact, here's the whole list of conversion and color charts at The Sophisticated Stitcher. You'll love having this handy tool!

Needlepointers also has several pages of links to color and conversion charts around the web. Some of the links are outdated, but most are still good.

Just remember when you're looking at colors online - your monitor may not reflect accurately the color you are considering! It's always better to see the product in person, or, if you're considering purchasing fabric, to request a swatch.

Have fun!

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Free Embroidery Patterns around the Web

Free needlework patterns abound on the Internet - from counted cross stitch to general surface embroidery, stumpwork, and whatnot. Designers, stitch magazines, and embroidery enthusiasts are generous to give the rest of us a sample of their work or designs they've come by. Remember that usually there are copyrights involved - most designs are meant for personal use, not for reproduction for profit. Here's a list of some sites that I came across in my favorites as I was "cleaning house" on my computer this morning.

I've included descriptions of what you'll find on the site, but haven't organized the links in any particular fashion.

Be sure to sign up for either e-mail or RSS feedreader notification, if you want to be notified when these pages are updated! You'll find the sign-up box in the left column!

14th Century German Counted Thread Designs:
Similar to the designs above - mostly medieval counted thread designs - heraldry and more. They're pretty much the same as the above, but not as clear.

Heritage Shoppe:
An embroidery primer, with patterns. PDF files. You'll find lots of educational resources on this site.

Netting Designs:
Granted, this isn't exactly embroidery. But if you like netting, doilies, and whatnot, this is a great site. Embroidered netting, like filet guipure, depends upon notted net ground.

Caron Collection:
charts and such for work on even weave, using the threads from Caron Collection. Of course, they can be adapted to suit whatever threads you have, but they are really pretty in the overdyed stuff from Caron Collection.

Windflower Embroidery:
Here, you'll find some exquisite designs for small but beautiful stumpwork projects. If you're interested in trying stumpwork, but don't want to take on anything too big, these projects are great! The instructions are detailed and clear.

Classic Stitches:
The online version of the magazine Classic Stitches offers a heap of nice patterns for "club members" - club membership is free. Most of the patterns are for counted thread techniques.

Coloring Books from Edupics:
Admittedly, these aren't embroidery designs. However, there are heaps of ideas here - fruits, vegetables, whatever - and most can easily be adapted to surface embroidery. An extensive index of coloring book pages.

Redwork Designs from Ladies in Red:
A great source for redwork designs in all kinds of categories. Redwork designs can be adapted to practically any surface embroidery. This link takes you to the flowers page, but you'll find an index for more designs at the bottom of the page.

Textile Pattern Coloring Book Pages from 40to40:
Here you'll find some great patterns for backgrounds and for general design inspiration. Click around on this site. Lots of stuff, some pretty intricate, and entirely suitable to embroidery (especially in the textile part).

Blackwork Designs from Blackwork Archives:
Some really nice blackwork designs here, and also a lot of interesting reading.

Redwork Plus:
Here's a cute snowman pattern for redwork or practically any kind of surface embroidery or crafty purpose.

Interweave Press Needlework Projects:
The publishers of Piecework Magazine offer some free projects on their website.

Fill Patterns for Blackwork:
Some very nice background patterns for blackwork techniques.

Blackwork Sampler:
A few more samples of blackwork patterns. These are really pretty!

Stitch Magazine
Magazine produced by the Embroiderers' Guild of the UK. The site includes stitch instructions and lots of projects, many of which have great patterns.

2BusyStitching
Free charts for hardanger and counted cross stitch

Colouring Book Pages
Great selection of children's motifs, including popular characters from Disney, Beatrix Potter, etc. Also flowers, holidays, whatnot.

Embroidery and Sewing section at knitting-and.com
Sarah Bradbury has quite a collection of vintage and original patterns for free on her site, from flowers and animals to butterflies and dragonflies.

Vintage Embroidery Transfer Patterns
Here's a great website for patterns from Vogue vintage embroidery transfers. You'll find all kinds of great patters for embroidering household goods, clothes, quilts, totes, etc.

Alita Designs
free cross stitch and tapestry patterns in a variety of motifs: animals, floral, religious, children's, etc. The patterns print in sections from your basic computer printer.

Embroidery and Embroider:
an excellent source for Assisi work patterns and instructions. Jos Hendriks has over 200 free Assisi work patterns on the site, offering the patterns in various sizes with various themes. You can also find photos of completed projects on this site, as well as blackwork designs.

DragonBear:
A great resource for historical counted thread techniques. Browse the site, and don't miss the "Designs, Period" section, which contains over 250 medieval motifs for counted thread and other techniques!

Plaid Online Floral Monogram Pattern
A pretty monogram pattern that can be used on household goods. You'll find the floral embellishment and stitch guide, plus a free monogram alphabet.

Antique Pattern Library
A great resource for needlework books from days of old. You'll find PDF files of books full of techniques and patterns.

Digital Archives of Weaving and Related Topics
Here's another great resource for "old" books full of techniques and patterns. This site takes a little browsing to get to what you want, but it's well worth the time!

Smocking Pattern: a Symphony of Roses
A gorgeous smocking plate from Country Bumpkin.

Stumpwork Mushrooms
Another design from Country Bumpkin - beautiful little mushroom design in stumpwork, suitable for the beginner, with clear step-by-step instructions

Christmas Embroidery Designs
Five great designs worked in bullion knots, including Christmas trees, holly, and jolly old St. Nick. Really darling and perfect for little accents or for ornaments. From Country Bumpkin.

Simple Christmas Embroidery patterns
These are actually coloring book pages, some of which are cute, while others could be dressy, depending on how you interpret them. You'll find angels, snowflakes, snowmen, ornaments, bells, holly, and even a fish.

Homeberries
Here, you'll find some cute free patterns in the "primitive" style, useful for all kinds of embellishment. I think a lot of them would look good on baby things (quilts, bibs, etc.). I'm also thinking some would do well for hand embroidery on paper.

TipNut - a whole bunch of vintage-ish hand embroidery patterns for things like kitchen towels and so forth. You'll also find tips on making needlecases and organizing your work space.

Labels: beginner embroidery, embroidery resources, free embroidery patterns

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Blackwork Embroidery - the Grid Bug Strikes Again!

In the 80's, when I first learned to embroider, I learned counted cross-stitch. My mom, aunts, sisters, and cousins were all into counted cross stitch, so I jumped on the bandwagon. I never did anything too exciting with it - some Christmas ornaments, a few self-designed little gifts, and stuff like that. I grew weary of it quickly - and then chucked it. I became, I must admit with shame, an "embroidery snob." If it wasn't surface embroidery - free-style, hand embroidery - I wasn't interested. I swore off all even-weave, counted techniques, and anything that smacked of "aida" cloth and DMC stranded cotton.

I didn't know much when I took the oath, and I have no idea why I reacted so violently against counted cross-stitch. It wasn't until my sister on the East Coast showed me a sampler she did on even-weave linen, using some counted cross stitch embellished with a bunch of other stitches, that I realized that one doesn't have to pursue "exclusive" interests.

Certainly, now, we have a greater variety in available goods for counted techniques - or so it seems to me. In the 80's, I wasn't in control of my own pocket-book, so I only saw what a kid would see at a local shop. And we didn't have the internet to special order just the right fabric!

While I don't spend a lot of time on counted cross stitch myself, I do have friends who create beautiful pieces and who love it. They find it relaxing and theraputic. I've spend a bit of time on Hardanger, which is "griddy," but other than that, I was pretty sure I'd never commit myself to grids again.... Then, in the last few years especially, a "new" old technique resurfaced, and I find that I have the grid bug - it's all because of blackwork.

Blackwork is really stunning stuff! It's relatively simple to execute, as it relies on few stitches - though the finished product generally looks pretty complex. Despite it's name, blackwork isn't necessarily always done in black - today, you can find kits and patterns for blackwork in all kinds of colors, depicting rural scenes, animals, people - you name it. In the more traditional styles, it employs not only the Holbein stitch (double running stitch), but plenty of other stitches as well to add a "curvilinear" element to the design.

Squizzing around the internet, I've found some links for blackwork that are helpful.

At The Blackwork Embroidery Archives, you can find a heap of really nice patterns by Paula Kate Marmor. She also has a neat gallery.

A Blackwork Embroidery Primer by Rissa Peace Root gives a nice, readable history of blackwork. She also includes information on how to get started with blackwork, and a good links directory.

An Introduction to Blackworkby the American Needlework Guild is a great page for pictures, if you want to get an idea of what blackwork can look like and how it can be used.

Tanja Berlin has several blackwork kits available, and, as usual, her stuff is exquisite. Check out her blackwork etui box - what a great Christmas present that would make!

Moonshadow Stitchery has a free Christmas blackwork design in PDF. It's kind of cute - a cat with a mouse on its head, and the mouse has a Christmas hat on. Click on Sample Charts in the left column to get to the right page.

Stitch On Line from the Skinner Sisters has a really thorough article on blackwork, including the history and lots of pictures.

I have to admit, I'm considering branching away from the "traditional" approach to blackwork... with the availability of waste canvas (if I can find a small enough weave), I think the technique would look neat on velvet, to outline cuffs or a neckline for a child's Christmas dress. That's on my list of things to try before Christmas. Maybe it won't work - but there's no harm experimenting!

Hey, the grid bug's not such a bad thing! I'll have some samples of Holbein stitch up soon...

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Embroidery Stitch Instructions: Portuguese Knotted Stem Stitch

If you're just beginning to embroider or even if you've been at it for a while, the Portuguese knotted stem stitch is a nice outline stitch to master. A little more complicated than basic stem stitch, this knotted version produces a thicker, rope-like line. Here are some illustrated instructions.

The Portuguese knotted stem stitch is worked from left to right or bottom to top (opposite for left-handed embroiderers). Begin as you do for a stem stitch.

Bring your needle through the fabric, then take it down the length of your stitch, pointing it back towards the place you emerged. In the illustration, you'll see that this is done using a "sewing" method - you work on top of the fabric, without having to go to the back. This stitch can be worked with or without a hoop - personally, I usually use a hoop, but when I'm using the "sewing" method (as opposed to the "stab" method, where your working hand goes to the back of the fabric to get the needle and put it back through), I don't necessarily keep the fabric drum tight. A little give in the fabric helps with the "sewing" method of embroidery.

You want to keep the thread to the right of your needle when you draw it through, so that the working thread ends up to the left side of the stitch. Take the needle underneath the stitch you just made, without picking up any of the fabric. Do this twice, both times in the same direction, so that you are wrapping the thread twice around your stitch.

After you've wrapped the thread twice around your first stitch, you'll take another stitch, just as you did the first, progressing up the fabric the length of the new stitch, and emerging where the last stitch went down into the fabric.

Now that you have more than one stitch, you are going to wrap your thread twice around the both stitches - the base of the former stitch (after the "knot" that you made on top of the first stitch) and the middle of the new stitch. Take your needle under both stitches twice so that the working thread winds around the stitches twice. See the photo above and below for illustration.

Notice how the needle passes under both stitches and does not pick up any fabric. This is done twice. In the photo above, one pass has already been made, and this is the second pass under the two stitches.

Continue along your line in the same manner, going forward the length of the stitch, pointing the needle back to where your last stitch went down into the fabric, keeping the needle on the left side of the stitch. Pull the needle through, then, going from the right side, pass it under the two stitches twice, and then proceed to your next stitch.

On the back of your fabric, you'll see a line that looks like backstitches.

Have fun with it!

You can find more stitch directions here.

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Embroidery Techniques from the Royal School of Needlework

The Royal School of Needlework is probably the quintessential school for aspiring professional needleworkers. For the average beginner or advanced embroiderer who isn't seeking a career in needle art, the Royal School of Needlework is still a great source for personal education.

Sally Saunders's book, Royal School of Needlework Embroidery Techniques, is a great addition to any needleworker's library. It's another one of those perfect "coffee table books" that will fascinate anyone, whether they embroider or not.

The book begins, as all good neelework books do, with the essential information about setting up an embroidery project: tools, fabrics, threads, frames - everything is covered in the first two chapters.

The book is then divided into four sections: silk shading, crewel work, blackwork, and goldwork. Instructions for each of the above techniques are covered clearly and are illustrated by gorgeous examples of finished work. The author supplies designs for practice or for major projects, beginning with basics and advancing to complex work.

In each section, the reader receives practical tips on each of the projects presented, with all the techniques for finish work included.

An illustrated stitch glossary occupies the last section of the book, so that even the beginner can see clearly how to accomplish even the most complex projects in the book. Certainly, some of the projects are not for beginners! But don't let that deter you - the various grades of complexity make the whole book a real treasure.

My favorite section of the book is the part on goldwork. As this great art enjoys a revival these days, it's wonderful to have a source of inspiration and instruction as detailed as this chapter.

If you're looking for the perfect Christmas gift for the aspiring needle artist in your life, I don't think you could go wrong with this book!

Labels: book review, embroidery books

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Painting with a Needle - Young Yang Chung

How-to embroidery books are essential for a good embroidery library. Just as essential, in my opinion, are the books that inspire us to try new things or to perfect a technique. Painting with a Needle by Young Yang Chung is just such a book. It's inspirational, instructive, and just downright gorgeous!

The book focuses on the art of silk embroidery, especially in Asian culture, but also in Western culture. Filled with beautiful photographs of silk embroidery from around the world, the book can't help but inspire. The technical information the author supplies is useful and precise, though perhaps not for the beginner. However, she does take you step by step through the process of creating several needlepainting projects, giving clear diagrams with stitch directions. She also provides a section on tools, accessories, floss, fabric, etc.

Want to know how inspirational it is? The cover features an embroidery of some magnificent fish that look absolutely real, they are so precise. The photo is a close-up of a screen created by the author, and the whole thing is featured inside the book. My 12-year old niece, after thumbing through the book and contemplating the fish for a long time, suddenly took it into her head that she had to learn to embroider - and she had to start with fish under water! This is her beginning attempt:

Admittedly, it isn't quite the same, but I thought it wasn't bad for a first attempt! Here's a close up on a bit of coral:

Young Yang Chung's book is really gorgeous! On top of it, it's inspiring! And it's not just for needleworkers - if you like to have "coffee table books" in your house, anyone would be entranced while thumbing through this one.

What books inspire you? Do you have any good recommendations for ornamental and useful embroidery books? Don't hesitate to share them with the rest of us!

Labels: book review, embroidery books

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Basic Embroidery Stitches: Scroll Stitch

Here's another good basic embroidery outline stitch to add to your repertoire of basic stitches. This one is very similar to yesterday's coral stitch.

Like coral stitch, scroll stitch can be used as an outline or as a filler. If you decide to use it as a filler, alternate the placement of the knots. Both the coral stitch and the scroll stitch are used in general surface embroidery, in crazy quilting, and to embellish clothing or accessories, etc. If you're into that Linea stuff that DMC is putting out, you can certainly add a little twiste and texture to their basic lines by using a coral stitch or scroll stitch.

Scroll Stitch
The red arrow indicates the direction of the needle.

Scroll stitch is worked from left to right (left-handers: right to left!). Bring your needle and working thread to the front of the fabric. Determine the length of your stitch, and take the needle down and back up in a "sewing" fashion, picking up a small bit of the fabric. See the photo.

Notice that the working thread is looped behind the needle above where you've picked up the fabric, and below where you've picked up the fabric.

Pull your needle and thread through. You can put a little tension on the stitch area by applying your thumb gently to the top of the stitch - just to hold the length of the stitch in place, to keep it from being too loose.

Notice that the stitch forms a kind of upwards scallop or wave. This makes a really cute edging on a collar of a child's dress, done in a bright colored perle cotton.

The stitch easily takes curves. The look of the stitch will change slightly, depending on how you angle your needle as you enter the fabric.

And this is what the back should look like.

Have fun with it!

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Basic Embroidery Stitches: More Outline Stitches - Coral Stitch

Even if you're a beginner, you can never know toooo many outline stitches. They come in handy for all kinds of embroidery projects, whether you're embellishing clothes, kitchen towels, paper cards, quilts, or wall-hangings. It's always great to have an expanding repertoire of stitches. To help you along the way, here's a photo "tutorial" of one of three more outline stitches, the coral stitch. Coming soon: scroll stitch and Portuguese knotted stem stitch.

The three outline stitches that I'll cover this week are similar: they create a kind of "knotted" outline - a little "ropey" looking and rather solid. They're nice when you're looking for something a little more distinctive than simple lines. They can all be worked around curves easily. Here's the first one:

The Coral Stitch
This stitch has lots of alternate names (including "scroll stitch," but we're going to look at a slightly different one of those later). Whatever the name, it's basically a line stitch with a tiny "one loop" knot that's formed at the end of each stitch.

The coral stitch can be used for outlines, and it can also be used (as most line stitches) as a filler. If you're going to fill with it, I think the best thing would be to alternate the position of the knots in each row, in a kind of bricking pattern.

The direction of the red arrow indicates the direction of the needle's tip. Although I pretty much work everything in a frame or hoop, this stitch doesn't necessarily need a hoop. If you're fabric's in a hoop, it doesn't have to be super tight.

The Stitch: Coral stitch is worked from right to left. (Left-handed stitchers: from left to right.) Begin by coming up through your fabric where you want to start your line. Take your needle down at the point where you want your stitch to end (indicating the length of the stitch), picking up just a bit of the fabric, as shown, and coming right back up (in a "sewing" method). Your needle will be pointing down towards you, or, for a different look, you can angle it to the left or to the right - whichever way you angle your needle will alter the look of the knot slightly, so experiment to see what you like.

Loop your working thread over the needle in the direction of the line, then back around in the opposite direction under the needle. Pull the needle through. It may help to hold the working thread loosely with your thumb while working the stitch.

Here it is again, on the second stitch. Take your needle along the line, the desired length of the stitch, pick up a little bit of fabric, loop the working thread over then under, then pull your needle through.

Three knots in a row. You can vary the look of it by relaxing your tension a bit and allowing the line part of the stitch to "scallop" loosely.

And this is what the back should look like - three short, parallel stitches.

It's really a simple stitch!! How do you use coral stitch? Do you have any good ideas to share with the rest of us? Let us know!

Have fun with it!

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Dictionary of Embroidery Stitches

Whether you're serious about embroidery or a beginner just beginning to explore the art, every stitcher needs a stitch dictionary! There are all kinds of stitch dictionaries available, but if you're going to invest in one, invest in a good one.

I've got several in my own library, and one that I like and that I refer to often is Mary Thomas's Dictionary of Embroidery Stitches.

This particular stitch dictionary is a full color book with over 400 illustrated embroidery stitches. The book begins with essential information about embroidery supplies.

There are several particular features that I like about the book:

While the stitches are "diagrammed" (rather than photos of the actual stitch in process), there are clear, colorful photos of the completed stitch in regular application as well as in major works of embroidered art. The photos of the major works provide inspiration.

The book is divided into stitch types, as opposed to an alphabetical directory. This is useful if you know what kind of stitch you want. Do you want to stitch an outline? Do want some ideas for filling stitches? You can look them up easily this way. It's more helpful than wanting a line stitch and looking through an index at names like "Palestrina" or "coral" and not knowing what type of stitch it is.

Step-by-step directions of thread direction, etc., are given on the more complex stitches. On simple stitches, generally only a one-step diagram is supplied, and this generally suffices.

While there are plenty of other stitch distionaries on the market, this one seems to be a standard. I know I like it for quick and easy reference. It suits both beginner and advanced embroiderer, and it's relatively inexpensive.

Do you have a stitch dictionary you prefer? Let the rest of us know what it is and why!

Labels: beginner embroidery, book review, embroidery books

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Embroidery & the Eyes: Good lighting is important!

Hand embroidery requires good lighting! In the days of old, embroiderers only worked during the daytime, sitting near windows or even outdoors to take advantage of the excellent light provided by the sun. But today most of us don't have the leisure to sit at home during the day. How many of us who embroider for pleasure do so in the evening hours? Well, even if you don't, if you're indoors, you need good lighting.

I'll give you an example: I was working on a very fine piece of high-count white linen using one tiny strand of silk thread to embroider an intricate design. I was working against the clock to get it done, as it was a commissioned project. At the time, I lived in an apartment that was shaded by a very large porch, so my sitting room had little natural light. I worked by the regular lighting in my room, until I started to notice extreme eye fatigue after short spells of work, and then - low 'n behold - swollen eyes, redness, etc. It was definitely the lack of good lighting. To remedy the situation, since it was my summer vacation, I took my work outside. This poses problems in itself! Birds flying over... insects.... dust from nearby fields... But - it was a great experience! Doing needlework outdoors in the sun is nice! And on a bright sunny day, I don't know if you could get better light!

A friend of mine suggested that, in the spring and early summer, our embroidery group meet outside. I know she had visions of Emma in Mirimax's Jane Austen film! Unfortunately, while it would be fun now and then - variety is good - again, there are certain problems with the proposition: logistics (supplies, tables, chairs, mosquitoes) and potentially dangerous situations with birds, bugs, and dirt.

So what do you do?! Invest in good lighting! Do not compromise your eyesight by settling for poor light. If you are serious about stitching - whether you do it for pleasure or for profit - you must take care of your eyes. If you don't, you won't be able to enjoy what you love to do!

The best lights for stitching, in my opinion, are made by OTT-Lite. They feature "true color" bulbs that are bright without glaring. You will be amazed at the difference in your work under an OTT light - everything is clearer!

OTT lights come in several varieties - floor lamps, table lamps, clamp lamps, portable lamps - it just depends on what you want. I've had mine for a while - it's the Flex Arm Plus, with the base and the clamp. For traveling or if you belong to an embroidery group, consider a portable version such as the one at the left. The lamp doesn't extend as far, but it's better than working in poor lighting!

While OTT lights can seem expensive, it is truly worth the investment. If you invest in nothing else as far as tools and accessories go, at least invest in a good light!

You can find OTT-Lite products at Joann's online. I just squizzed their site - they have a great variety of them, and this week, they're on sale. I may have to invest in a floor lamp....

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Transferring Embroidery Patterns: Solvy, Part II

Whether you're a beginner or an experienced stitcher, you will, at some point, muse over just how to get that "perfect pattern" transferred onto the "perfect fabric" to embroider it. Transferring embroidery patterns is probably my least favorite part of the embroidery process, but a water-soluble stabilizer like Solvy can make the process a lot easier.

I'm not quite convinced that Solvy is the absolute answer for embroidery transfer, but it definitely has its uses. To experiment a bit, I decided to try it with cotton velveteen and see how the process worked.

You can find the first steps in the process of using Solvy here.

After I finished stitching the piece, I took it out of the hoop and cut away the excess Solvy. This happens to be "Ultra-Solvy," which is extra-thick - in retrospect, I should have used regular Solvy. Here's the trim job:

After trimming it, I plunged the whole thing into a bowl of lukewarm water and let it sit for just a few minutes:

As it soaked, I got a little nervous, since the black from the Sharpie permanent marker seemed to be clinging to the threads. The next time I do this, I won't use such a heavy line! That's what I get for rushing! The thread was darkened a bit by the ink, I think. It's not super-noticeable to anyone but me, but still....

Once the work soaked for a while, I decided to use a mild soap, very lightly working it around the surface, even of the stitches. Normally, I wouldn't do this, and I don't recommend it, as the movement tends to separate the fibers of the thread. By the way, I stitched this using one strand of soie d'alger silk by Au Ver a Soie. After very lightly working the soap over the darkened areas (they were pretty noticeable before I did this), I rinsed the whole work in running water:

And, lastly, I laid out the piece on a towel to dry:

You can see the "fuzziness" of the stitches - normally, it should NOT be this way, but this was due to lightly "scrubbing" over them with mild soap, using my fingers. Usually, I get a very smooth result with the soie d'alger, which I find perfect for satin stitching (see here for an example).

Overall, I was pleased with the experiment, and I learned a lot about using a water soluble stabilizer for transferring an embroidery pattern. Some definite do nots:

Don't use ultra solvy - use regular.

Don't use a heavy line permanent marker, like a regular Sharpie. Use a fine-lined pen, like the macro pens found in the art section of a hobby store.

Don't scrub over your stitches, even gently, with your fingers and soap - in fact, this is more or less a hard & fast rule when cleaning anything you've embroidered. Only in the most extreme cases of necessity (say, you spilled something directly on the threads and it's a toss-up between light scrubbing and scrapping the who

Tuesday, October 31, 2006

Is Lacemaking a Lost Art?

Monday, October 30, 2006

Split Stitch Video Tutorial for Hand Embroidery

Sunday, October 29, 2006

Couching Video Tutorial

Thursday, October 26, 2006

Embroidery Stitch Video Tutorial: Chain Stitch

Online Embroidery Classes - Time's A-Tickin'!

Wednesday, October 25, 2006

Goldwork On Blue

Embroidery Stitch Video Tutorial: Whipped Running Stitch

Tuesday, October 24, 2006

Embroidery Stitch Video Tutorial: Backstitch

Monday, October 23, 2006

Embroidery Stitch Video Tutorial: Stem Stitch

Sunday, October 22, 2006

Video Library of Hand-Embroidery Stitches - Index

Embroidery Stitch Video Tutorial: The Running Stitch & Finishing Threads

Embroidered Christmas Stocking: A Work in Progress

Wednesday, October 18, 2006

Embroidery on Paper: Perforated Paper Makes a Come-Back

Tuesday, October 17, 2006

Embroidery Floss - Thread Conversion Charts

Sunday, October 15, 2006

Free Embroidery Patterns around the Web

Thursday, October 12, 2006

Blackwork Embroidery - the Grid Bug Strikes Again!

Wednesday, October 11, 2006

Embroidery Stitch Instructions: Portuguese Knotted Stem Stitch

Tuesday, October 10, 2006

Embroidery Techniques from the Royal School of Needlework

Painting with a Needle - Young Yang Chung

Basic Embroidery Stitches: Scroll Stitch

Monday, October 09, 2006

Basic Embroidery Stitches: More Outline Stitches - Coral Stitch

Dictionary of Embroidery Stitches

Sunday, October 08, 2006

Embroidery & the Eyes: Good lighting is important!

Saturday, October 07, 2006

Transferring Embroidery Patterns: Solvy, Part II