Needle-Weaving Cushion E

No striped linen was used for this cushion, because two wide needle-weaving with peahole hems and a curved line pattern leave no room for it.

A beautiful hem combination was created by the elaborate composition: A 12-unit, divided needle-weaving hem was bordered on both sides with a double Peahole hem, bordered by two rows of Four-sided stitches.

The needle-weaving hem has a segment of 20 bundles.

The combination of a double Peahole hem with two rows of Four-sided stitches on both sides is a perfect match for this needle-weaving band.

A curved line pattern takes up the space between the hemstitches. Curved lines were very popular in the Schwalm. The stitches running in wavy lines are intended to symbolize the Schwalm river, which meanders through the region, giving it its name. The wave also symbolizes the inevitable ups and downs of life in its constant state of flux. So, it is not surprising that these symbols of the wave are a common characteristic of rural Schwalm whitework. Such wave lines came in a wide variety of designs. Surrounded mostly with Satin stitch patterns, but sometimes also with drawn-thread work areas, they formed narrow borders for apron waist bands and cuffs or they framed wider motif borders with openwork patterns.

The pattern seen here is kept very calm.
Small circles of Coral Knot stitches filled with Satin stitches give rise to rounded petals, connected by Daisy stitches.

Small, pointed leaves, connected with stem stitches, fill in the gaps.

In this example, the wavy line is formed from Coral Knot and Stem stitches, with the lines crossing after each wavy.

The curved line pattern is bordered at the top and bottom by a narrow hemstitch with a simple wrapping stitch pattern.

The coloured ticking supports the magnificent effect of the needle-weaving hem.

Needle-Weaving Cushion D
Needle-Weaving Cushion C
Needle-Weaving Cushion B
Needle-Weaving Cushion A

In my documentation Schwalm Needle-Weaving Bands I have already shown 193 (!) different patterns .

Information on the individual categories and detailed descriptions of the working methods can be found in Lesson #4 – Needle-Weaving Band Sampler.

Embroidery is Ute’s medicine

Ute Hogen from Germany is a frequent embroiderer. She masters almost all embroidery techniques, but Schwalm whitework has become her favorite variant. I’m always amazed at the speed at which she realizes even large projects.
Ute Hogen doesn’t just embroider to enjoy her work – for her, embroidering is therapy. Seriously ill with rheumatism, she had to put up with a number of operations. To keep their fingers flexible, they have to be trained for hours every day – and embroidery helps with that. The doctors are always amazed at how she manages to regain her flexibility after having to fix her hands and fingers, and they admire her delicate stitches.

In the meantime I have a folder filled with pictures of Ute Hogen’s embroideries. From time to time I will show one of her projects. It starts with a long, narrow table band.

Always looking for new ideas and more patterns, she support my blog posts. With creativity and good judgment, she develops her own projects. She took suggestions from the Heart Band article and skilfully combined them with suggestions from the article A small band for Practicing Exercises.

She enlarged the hearts to fit the width of the band to be able to place the outlines of the patterns well.

Then Ute did the Forks – Practice Exercises, the Small Pointed Leaves and Blanket Stitch Eyelets – Practice Exercises, the Blanket Stitch Eyelets – Practice Exercises,

the Small Pointed Leaves – Practice Exercises and the Small Pointed Leaves and Tendrils – Practice Exercises and embroidered each center circle with a different filling pattern.

She filled the last circle with the year and her initials.
Washed, starched and then precisely cut out, the pretty band now adorns her table.

Needle-Weaving Cushion D

Similar to the needle-weaving cushion C, the woven stripe runs in the middle between the needle-weving bands.

This time, however, three needle-weving bands of different widths were worked mirrored on both sides of the stripe. The distance between the single needle-weaving bands is approx. 2 centimetres.

They are 2-unit, 3-unit and 5-unit patterns.

The 2-unit is a needle-weaving hem with wrapped bundles and has a segment of five bundles.

This is followed by two-piece block patterns with spiders, once worked over 3 and once over 5 units.
The 3-unit pattern has a segment of 8 bundles, the 5-unit one of 14 bundles.

Similar to the needle-waeving band of pillow B, the needle-weaving bands on this pillow only run across the front. The ends were secured with Blanket stitches and decorated with half-eyelet scallops. The needle-waeving was tied to the remaining fabric at the level of every one and a half unit.

In my documentation Schwalm Needle-Weaving Bands I have already shown 193 (!) different patterns .

Information on the individual categories and detailed descriptions of the working methods can be found in Lesson #4 – Needle-Weaving Band Sampler.

Judith’s First Schwalm Whitework

Almost exactly a year ago, Judith Ebsworth from Australia contacted me with the words:
„I have hot iron pencil transferred my design from your book ‘Basic Principles of Schwalm Whitework’. The problem is that two areas haven’t transferred very clearly“.

She asked me for advice, which I was happy to give.

She let me know: „I have had the book for about 3 years and have just started as I have been gathering courage!„

Then she set out all by herself on the long journey, embroidered countless Coral Knots, the many Blanket stitch half-eyelet scallops

all the leaves and the Chain stitches.

Every few months she sent a picture to confirm the accuracy of her stitches.

When one looks at the embroidery, one don’t get the idea that it could be done by a beginner.
All her stitches are very well done – the Coral Knots, the Chain stitches, the half-eyelet scallops. Also the Satin stitches turned out well, even it is not easy to work them on a not soo densly woven linen. (Densly woven linen is better for all outline stitches, more loosely woven linen is better for thread withdrawing. So to start with Schwalm embroidery I recommend to use more loosely woven linen.)

Amazed at the speed of her progress, I asked if this wasn’t too big a project for a beginner. She answered: „The repetition of the stitches on four sides of the cloth is such a good way to practice and consolidate the learning. Sometimes I did feel as though I would never finish!

I will do more Schwalm as I love the finished effect and enjoy the stitching – but then smaller projects first.“

The peahole hem is also excellently worked.

In mid-February – only about 10 months after the start – the finished cloth lay washed and perfectly ironed on her table.

Doesn’t it look gorgeous?

Needle-Weaving Cushion C

In this pillow, the woven-in stripe runs down the middle between two needle-weaving bands.

These are 9-unit bands with mirrored patterns

and a pattern segment of 18 bundles.

The centers of the segments are formed by two wrapped bundles joined in the middle.

The two needle-weaving bands were bordered on both sides by peahole hemstitches, which makes them appear more airy. Also, the “X’s” of the Peaholes match very well with the x-shaped wrapped bundles in the centers of the segments.

Similar to the needle-waeving band of pillow B, the needle-weaving bands on this pillow only run across the front. The ends were secured with Blanket stitches and decorated with half-eyelet scallops. The needle-waeving was tied to the remaining fabric at the level of every one and a half unit.

In my documentation Schwalm Needle-Weaving Bands I have already shown 193 (!) different patterns .

Information on the individual categories and detailed descriptions of the working methods can be found in Lesson #4 – Needle-Weaving Band Sampler.