Another Easter Egg

By on 27. March 2026   /   blog, ideas workshop, small projects, Easter eggs, embroideries   /   Leave a comment

After completing my tests, I calmly and very carefully allowed another egg to develop.

The necessary materials have been gathered.

The central axes were added to the drawing of the egg outline. The egg outline was first attached to a light panel, followed by the drawing of the chosen motif, aligning with the marked central axes and using removable adhesive tape.

The piece of linen, also marked with center axes, was then attached. (My piece of linen was only about 11 cm x 11 cm. With a slightly larger piece – about 15 cm x 15 cm – the embroidery would have been much easier.)

The motif and the outer egg outline were transferred to the linen using a heat-soluble pen.

You have to press down hard to get enough ink on the fabric for a clear line. The fine tip of the pen tends to get caught in the grooves between the fabric threads.

The design was embroidered. For coral knots and blanket stitches, I used two strands of 6-ply stranded cotton; for chain stitches and

the filling pattern, I used only one strand.

The basket received the “One Pattern”. Since the area to be embroidered is very small, I initially refrained from stitching chain stitches next to the coral knot stitches.

Since the edges looked too messy to me, I added chain stitches afterwards and added a small blanket stitch eyelet to the center of the flower.

The second side was embroidered with the same motif, but the fillings were designed slightly differently.

To keep the crocheted border from being too bulky, I crocheted a loose chain of stitches using a size 2 crochet hook and 3 strands of 6-ply stranded cotton. This required about 7 meters of half a skein of floss. Admittedly, it’s not easy to divide such a long strand, but it’s doable if you occasionally pin the end coming from the skein, hold the yarn up, and let it unwind.

You have to measure to see when the chain is long enough to completely cover the outline.

A row of double crochet stitches was crocheted over the chain stitches.

Once the end of the chain of stitches has been reached, the thread is brought back to the chain with two chain stitches, secured there and brought with two more chain stitches to the level of the second row of double crochet stitches, which is crocheted again along the chain.

This creates a kind of fold in the middle, which makes attaching it to the edge easy. Finally, the thread is brought to the center, pulled through the last loop, and cut approximately 10 cm from the crocheted border.

The embroidered linen pieces are placed on top of each other with the right sides facing outwards, ensuring a precise fit, and pinned in place.

On the back, you can check if the lines have been correctly drawn. If not, you need to make corrections.

The parts are baste together with a small distance from the edge.

and sewn together with small zigzag stitches along the outline, except for an opening on the long side.

The egg is cut out, as described in detail in the previous blog post.

ironed, lightly filled, and closed.

The remaining excess fabric is cut off.

Starting at the top, the crocheted border is first attached with pins,

to ensure that the border is evenly distributed around the edge.

The border crocheted with only 3 strands of the stranded cotton isn’t as sturdy as the one crocheted with all 6 strands of the stranded cotton (the yellow one shown in the previous blog post). Therefore, I thought it would be better to sew it on. This time, I did it with stitches from the back to the front and back again.

This has the advantage that the trim can be attached to both sides with an even width.

Perhaps I chose stitches that were too large, or perhaps I pulled the thread too tight. This makes the edge look less defined than the green and pink borders, which were attached stitch by stitch with overcast stitches.

Hanging on the bush

and when gently swinging in a breeze, it no longer matters.

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Finishing Filled Easter Eggs

By on 20. March 2026   /   blog, Easter eggs, embroideries   /   1 Comment

For some, assembling small, embroidered motifs of the Schwalm whitework on plastic eggs the size of chicken eggs is too challenging.

So I looked for other ways to use these pretty motifs as hanging decorations for the Easter bouquet. At first, I worked with embroidered pieces, but later – to make faster progress – I preferred unembroidered linen for testing.

For my first attempt, I embroidered the front of the fabric and added a center seam with a wide opening to the back. Both pieces were placed right sides together and sewn in an egg shape. The seams were pressed firmly, the excess fabric at the curves was clipped up to the seam, and the excess was trimmed all around. The piece was turned right side out. The seams were pressed firmly again. The egg was stuffed with fiberfill. The opening of the back seam was closed. The edge was finished with a twisted cord.

Disadvantage:
These eggs can only be embroidered from one side:
After turning them over, small irregularities can occur at the edge due to the curvature of the shape.

The cord cannot conceal small irregularities at the edge.

For the second attempt, I proceeded similarly. Only this time I used two embroidered pieces and left an opening along the long side for stuffing.

The edge was covered with a crocheted border.

Disadvantage:
After turning, the curvature of the shape creates small irregularities at the edge.
Closing the edge opening is not entirely easy due to the slight curvature.
Advantage:
You can embroider the egg on both sides.
The crocheted trim conceals any small irregularities along the edge.

In a third attempt, I placed a fleece between the two pieces of linen and sewed the layers together in an egg shape using narrow zigzag stitches (picture: front and back).

After cutting, the edge is also slightly more voluminous due to the fleece. This makes attaching the crocheted trim a little more difficult.

My last attempt is the most promising. The two pieces of fabric are sewn together along a marked line with small zigzag stitches – leaving an opening along the long side. The excess fabric is then trimmed along the outer seam line – except for the area at the opening.

The piece is filled and the opening is closed with the machine. The excess fabric remaining there helps to position the seam correctly. This will also be trimmed later.

What remains is a slightly arched egg with a relatively clean edge, which can easily be covered with a crocheted border.

So, if you want to make such eggs, you need:

  • Linen – 13.5-cm Thread count is well suited. 15 cm X 15 cm per side is good; pieces that are too small are difficult to embroider.
  • small designs
  • egg-shaped outline measuring 7.06 cm X 10 cm – for a border made of single crochet stitches, use the inner outline; for a border made of double crochet stitches, use the outer outline.
  • some sewing thread to mark the center lines
  • strandes cotton – depending on the chosen embroidery pattern, approx. 1.5 m for the embroidery, approx. 6 m for the crochet border made of single stitches and approx. 9 m for the border madeof double stitches
  • Pen for transferring the pattern onto the fabric – here I used a heat-soluble pen, so that the linen doesn’t need to be washed after the embroidery.
  • fiberfill
  • sewing machine
  • spray starch
  • iron
  • crochet hook 2.5

The pattern is transferred and stitched. Since threads cannot be withdrawn due to the small areas, the fabric threads must be counted.
For the outlines, half-eyelets, and leaves, I used two strands of embroidery floss; for the patterns, often only one strand.

The finished embroidered pattern pieces are sewn together with the right sides facing outwards, leaving an opening along a long side of the egg. The excess fabric is then trimmed back as shown in the picture.

Using a little spray starch, iron the piece smooth. Beforehand, trace the outline at the opening with a pencil, as the heat-soluble line may disappear during ironing. Starch not only helps with smoothing but also protects the egg from getting dirty quickly later on.

Then the egg is stuffed with fiberfill. I don’t have much experience with this yet, but I think it’s better to only fill the egg lightly. The opening is sewn closed and the excess fabric is trimmed.

For the edge, you can either crochet a border using single crochet stitches. To do this, I crocheted a chain of 52 stitches and then worked single crochet stitches into it from both sides. The beginning and end threads will later serve as hanging loop.

A border made of double crochet stitches is crocheted similarly – with both rows of double crochet stitches starting from the chain stitches. This creates a kind of fold in the middle, which makes attaching it to the edge easy. The double crochet border covers the edge better. However, since it covers more of the surface, it should be placed around the larger egg shape. For this, you need approximately 55 chain stitches and more than 8 meters of embroidery floss. (I used a whole strand of floss.)

The border made of double crochet stitches fits nicely around the egg and only needs to be secured at the top with a few stitches.

As with all miniature work, a certain amount of dexterity is required, but you will be rewarded with a pretty and individual decoration.

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Rooster and Hen

By on 13. March 2026   /   blog, Konturenmuster, printed designs, embroideries   /   4 Comments

Easter is approaching, so I’ve been looking for a suitable motif. I’ve embroidered eggs and bunnies many times before. But roosters and hens are also a popular Easter theme. So here are these figures – perched on the ground in cozy togetherness.

The rooster with its bushy and fluffy tail feathers

and its powerful comb and wattle

stands in stark contrast to the moderately shaped hen.

To match the striking outline design, all areas were embroidered with patterns from the books Limetrosen I and Limetrosen II. For example, the hen’s wing was decorated with the “Hare Ears” pattern (Limetrosen I, page 50) and her belly with the “Wave” pattern (Limetrosen I, page 17).

The rooster’s comb and wattles are decorated with the “Net” pattern (Limetrosen I, page 12). The neck received the “Plumage” pattern (Limetrosen I, page 15), the breast “Cascade” (Limetrosen II, page 20), the belly “Ribs to the Left” (Limetrosen II, page 9), and the wing “Feathering” (Limetrosen II, page 11).

I have this pattern on a cushion. I can also easily imagine it on a runner or a bag.

You can purchase the outline pattern (22,5 cm X 16 cm) from me as a hand-drawn PDF file for €3.00. If desired, I can also print the pattern on linen.

You can find many more ideas for Easter embroidery on my blog:
Bunnies between Daisies
Easter Greetings from Colette Bonnet
The Hare and the Hedgehog
Easter Eggs Embroidered with Schwalm Whitework Motifs (2)
Spring Greeting
Rabbits
Easter Egg 2019
A Very Special Easter Egg
Easter Decoration 2018
Embroidered Easter Egg Wreath
Hare Circle Dance
Coloured Easter Eggs
An Easter Egg Border
A Easter Egg
A Prize-Winning Easter Egg
Tablecloth for all Seasons – April: Easter Eggsr
Easter Eggs Embroidered with Schwalm Whitework Motifs

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Schwalm Bodice – blue (1)

By on 6. March 2026   /   blog, historische Stücke, embroideries, dress customer   /   Leave a comment

As already mentioned in the blog post Chance Encounter, there is a blue-dyed bodice,

whose sleeve embroidery is based on the sketch that is more than 200 years old.

To illustrate this, I unstitched a sleeve seam. In the backlit photo, you can clearly see the central circle with the eight surrounding hearts and the arrangement of three large hearts around a small circle found on both sides.

The only difference is that the transition from the central circle to this arrangement is not achieved, as in the sketch, by another heart, but by a tulip. The border stitches of both motifs interlock.

The edge borders, which are only sketched in the drawing, are constructed at the top by tulips with hearts in between and at the bottom by hearts with circles in between.
The center and outer borders are separated by a row of chain stitches.

It is noticeable that the motifs are only outlined with chain stitches and decorative stitches. Coral knot stitches are only found in the few stems and tendrils.

All hearts of the central border are surrounded by blanket stitch scallops, those of the outer borders by eyelash stitches.

All tulips are edged at the bottom and sides with decorative diagonal blanket stitches.

Leaves and small flowers are embroidered with blanket stitches.

The embroidery was done with the finest threads on 23/24-thread linen, as can be seen from the 1 cm x 1 cm area of ​​the thread counter.

To illustrate the fineness, I placed a centimeter next to the embroidery.

Only openwork patterns were chosen to fill the areas – I count seven different ones. These are mostly rose stitch patterns – sometimes combined with four-sided stitches, cable stitches or double back stitches. The image above shows squares made of 3 X 3 rose stitches with a free center in the cable stitch grid; in the upper right, checkerboard-like offset squares made of 3 X 3 rose stitches with a free center and interspersed double back stitches were embroidered. (Double Back stitch see Filling Pattern No. 469.)

A similar pattern is formed by checkerboard-like staggered squares of 3 X 3 rose stitches with a free center and 2 X 2 four-sided stitches in between.

The checkerboard-like staggered squares made of 2 X 2 rose stitches with single four-sided stitches in between can be found as pattern 541 also on my blog.

Zigzag-shaped single rows of rose stitches alternate with three rows of interlocking rose stitches.

Stair-like arrangements of rose stitch rows in the cable stitch grid offer space for 2 X 2 rose stitch squares.

Two rows of rose stitches alternating with two rows of cable stitches (similar to Filling Pattern No. 550) complete the variety of patterns.

The entire border is 17.5 cm high, the central section at 11.5 cm only slightly higher than that of the separate bodice sleeve.

The initial s K D L W I and K D L are visible.

The sleeve edge is finished with a 3.5 cm high, very fine bobbin lace.

Like all blue-dyed parts of the Schwalm costume, this bodice was also provided with the so-called “preservation starch”, meaning it was reinforced with starch so much that the fine embroidery could suffer little damage.

However, since the starch also caused the layers to stick together, I wanted to wash them out. The wash water naturally absorbed some of the dye,

so after a short time the liquid looked dark blue-red.

The part of the bodice has become somewhat lighter, as you can see in the pictures. But after five careful washes, the linen still becomes stiff after drying. This suggests that enormous amounts of starch must have been added in the past.

A truly unique feature is the crown integrated into the border embroidery. This will be discussed in another blog post.

See also:
Traditional Schwalm Bodice (D) Embroidery
Bobbin Lace in the Schwalm (2)
Schwalm Bodices (3)

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5. The Satin Stitch

By on 27. February 2026   /   blog, embroideries   /   Leave a comment

The 13 basic stitches of Schwalm whitework

A. The filling stitches

While the decorative stitches did not have to align with the position of the fabric threads, the filling stitches are thread-bound, i.e., they are oriented to the position and number of fabric threads.
To improve the results, threads are removed from the densly woven fabric to be embroidered. For simple withdrawn thread patterns, this is every fourth thread in one direction – either horizontally or vertically. For Limet withdrawn thread patterns, every fourth thread is usually removed both horizontally and vertically. For openwork patterns, threads are withdrawn in pairs between each pair of remaining threads – both horizontally and vertically.

5. The Satin Stitch

The satin stitch is the easiest filling stitch to work. It is similar to the decorative satin stitch, but unlike this satin stitch, it follows the position of the fabric threads.

It is used both as a simple withdrawn thread pattern

as well as a Limet withdrawn thread pattern.

thread weight: depending on the fineness of the linen, coton à broder thread No. 20 or No. 25. To make the satin stitch stand out, one should use the thicker thread.
building the rows: from bottom to top
direction of needle movement: from right to left
way of working: Bring needle up on the left line and and lay the thread in a loop to bottom and right. Cross over one fabric thread to top and three fabric threads to the right and insert needle. Cross under the three fabric threads to the left and bring needle up one fabric thread to top of the previous emerging point.

Pull the needle through and the thread to the left. The working thread should be taut, but the fabric threads should not be pulled together.

In simple withdrawn thread patterns, continuous rows, the so-called “bars”, are embroidered using this method (see image at the very top).

In Limet withdrawn thread patterns, such bar sections can be assembled into blocks,

stair-like

or they can be worked in a stair-like manner and offset from each other, so that squares are formed – the so-called “fields”.

Satin stitches can also be stitched across two squares (6 fabric threads) in width to create further patterns.

Thanks to all these design possibilities, the satin stitch is an extremely versatile stitch that can be used to achieve a wide variety of effects. My book, Wickelstiche, shows 84 different area filling patterns consisting solely of satin stitches.

Die Kombination von Wickelstichen mit anderen Stichen schafft eine riesige Mustervielfalt. Einige davon kann man in meinem Blog finden:
Filling Pattern No. 444
Filling Pattern No. 446
Filling Pattern No. 447
Filling Pattern No. 448
Filling Pattern No. 450
Filling Pattern No. 451
Filling Pattern No. 469
Filling Pattern No. 472
Filling Pattern No. 473
Filling Pattern No. 480
Filling Pattern No. 548
Filling Pattern No. 552
Filling Pattern No. 573
Filling Pattern No. 577
Filling Pattern No. 580

Eine Wickelstichbesonderheit bietet
Filling Pattern No. 570

For further explanation:
Unlike the use of satin stitches in pulled thread embroidery (left in the image below), in withdrawn thread patterns (right in the image below), the working thread is moved diagonally over each fabric thread, as described above. This is because in pulled thread embroidery, the effect is created by pulling together the fabric threads, while in withdrawn thread patterns, the working thread is the focal point of the pattern. Due to its diagonal position, it does not sink into the groove between the fabric threads but stands out in three dimensions.

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