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Mary Corbet

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I learned to embroider when I was a kid, when everyone was really into cross stitch (remember the '80s?). Eventually, I migrated to surface embroidery, teaching myself with whatever I could get my hands on...read more

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Whitework Completed for Linen Pouch

 

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I finished the embroidery on this white-on-white linen pouch I’m making – actually, I finished the embroidery a while ago! This weekend, I have to finish the thing. White on white is always kind of difficult to photograph – if anyone has any hints, I’d be thrilled to hear some photo tips on taking pictures of whitework. But – for what they’re worth – here’s a couple shots, anyway.

As mentioned earlier, the cross is outlined in Palestrina stitch. I decided to fill it with seed stitching. Thanks for all the suggestions, by the way! A couple of them were really appealing, but I had already moved into the seed stitching, and there’s NOTHING worse to pick out, in my opinion! So I stuck with the seeding.

Hand Embroidered Linen Pouch

In this photo above, you can barely see the blue of the outline of a crown that I was going to embroidery there, but I decided against it for a number of reasons. I’ve washed the linen already, but there’s still a faint blue line at the base of that, which is making me rather nervous. I’m going to have to work on getting it out somehow…!

Hand Embroidered Linen Pouch

This photo came out pretty well. My favorite part of the design is the satin stitched sword handles. My least favorite part is the hand guard above the handle, with the seed stitching in it. I wish I had worked that differently – perhaps in a stem stitch filling, following the curves. Too late now!!

Hand Embroidered Linen Pouch

Yep. I like the tiny handles.

The handles are worked in #25 coton a broder. The outline of the cross and the shaft of the swords are worked in #16. The seeding etc., is done in #20.

I need still to arrange a way of closing the pouch. I want to do a tassle and button kind of thing, where the tassle strings are wrapped around “something” to hold it loosely closed. But I can’t figure out the “something.” I made a few Dorset buttons the other night, to try that concept, and I may have to go with that.

I still have to braid the cording for the tassles, make the tassles, and sew up the pouch. I suppose that’s what Friday nights and Saturdays are for!!! Whatever it takes, I’ll be finished with this before Monday!

 
 

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(8) Comments

  1. Your stitching is wonderful and I like your articles too. They are so usefull 🙂 Thank you fot this blog 🙂

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  2. Can you bleach the blue out? I have been warned that all the bleach has to washed out because it can ‘eat’ the fabric. . . But I think if you rinsed thoroughly you ought to be able to do it.
    I LOVE the look of this piece. It looks marvelous! Congrats for going through with it!
    -Christiana

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  3. Hi, all! Thanks for the comments!

    Christiana – I finally got it out, pretty much. I think only I can see it – no one else seems to be able to, so I’m wondering if I’m just seeing where I know it is, if you know what I mean!

    I resorted to soaking it for a while, then taking a tiny bit of BIZ (I know, I know!) on my finger, working it into a paste, and working it into the blue line. I let that sit for about a minute or so, then rinsed it really well, then really well again, and really well again and again. And then one more time.

    It’s gone.

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  4. Hi Mary,
    This is just beautiful! Are the sword handles stitched with satin stitch? It doesn’t look like satin stitching in the picture – maybe I’m looking at a different part of the design than the part that is your favorite?
    I like the seed stitching as the filler!

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  5. Hi, Terry – the sword handle is the longer part of the sword in the bottom picture. Each little twisted section is satin stitched, then I stem-stitched between the satin stitch.

    Yep, Megan – it’s gone.

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  6. So lovely! I was thinking, before I got to what you said was your favorite part, that I just love the handles on the swords. The twisting shape and form of a sword handle was perfectly achieved with your combination of stitches !
    – Jeannine

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