blog Archive - Page 17 of 122

Schwalm Whitework and Blue (1)

By Luzine Happel on 7. October 2022 / blog, embroideries / Leave a comment

Beside white linen also linen with different blue stripes used to be woven by hand in the Schwalm. Depending on the fineness, it served as sack or wagon cloth. Remainders of the finer linen are often used for embroidery these days.

These are then worked either with white threads

or with white for the filling patterns and a matching shade of blue for the outline stitches and the surface embroidery.

If the linen is woven finely enough, withdrawn filling patterns are worked into the motifs.

Slightly coarser linen is often embroidered with with stitches lying on top of the fabric – patterns that come from the Early Schwalm Whitework.

This offers another interesting variant of Schwälm Whitework.

Filling Pattern – No. 568

By Luzine Happel on 23. September 2022 / blog, Simple drawn thread patterns, filling patterns / Leave a comment

category: simple drawn thread filling pattern
linen used: 13.5/cm thread-count
threads used: coton à broder No. 20
stitches used: Four-Sided stitches
horizontal center axis: four thread column

While working Filling Pattern – No. 567 I also found the pattern emerging on the back very interesting. So I tested it as a front pattern. The pattern shown below is a practice exercise only. You can see it used in a shape at the end of this article.

Because it’s the same pattern reversed, the prep work is the same. For the sake of simplicity I show it here again.
It makes sense to start in the middle. In addition to the 4 threads that remain, a pair of threads is withdrawn on each side.

Four threads are now alternately left on both sides of the withdrawn thread line and another pair of threads is withdrawn.

Rotate the work 90°, but do not turn it to the back side this time.
Four-Sided stitches are embroidered over the four middle threads from left to right, each bundling 4 fabric threads.

The Four-Sided stitches of the adjacent rows are worked staggered by 2 fabric threads.

This gives the remaining fabric threads of the withdrawn thread lines a zigzag alignment.

Securing the thread ends is done either under the edge stitches or in the back under the Four-Sided stitches.

The pattern is suitable for medium-sized areas.

I embroidered it in a tulip (here 16/cm thread count linen and No. 25 coton à broder).

I find the combination with the Wave stitch appropriate, as can be seen here in the tip of the tulip.

Variations can be achieved by using finer thread or – as here – by withdrawing one or two more threads.

Filling Pattern – No. 567

By Luzine Happel on 9. September 2022 / blog, Simple drawn thread patterns, filling patterns / Leave a comment

category: simple drawn thread filling pattern
linen used: 13.5/cm thread-count
threads used: coton à broder No. 20
stitches used: Four-Sided stitches
vertical center axis: four thread column

The pattern shown below is a practice exercise only. You can see it used in a shape at the end of this article.

It makes sense to start in the middle. In addition to the 4 threads that remain, a pair of threads is withdrawn on each side.

Four threads are now alternately left on both sides of the withdrawn thread line and another pair of threads is withdrawn.

Rotate the work 90° and turn it to the back side.
Four-Sided stitches are embroidered over the four middle threads from the back and from left to right, each bundling 4 fabric threads.

The Four-Sided stitches of the adjacent rows are worked staggered by 2 fabric threads.

This gives the remaining fabric threads of the withdrawn thread lines a zigzag alignment.

From the front, it looks like this:

Securing the thread ends is done either under the edge stitches or under the crosses of the Four-Sided stitches.

The pattern is suitable for medium-sized areas.

I found this pattern in a border of a parade cushion from 1821. Here it fills the basket motif in combination with Satin stitch bars.

I embroidered it in a tulip (here 16/cm thread-count linen and coton à broder No. 25 ).

I find the combination with the pattern that is created when you embroider the Wave stitch from the back appropriate, as can be seen here in the tulip point.

Modifications can be achieved by using finer thread – like here No. 25 on 13.5/cm thread-count linen – or by withdrawing one or two more threads.

Filling Pattern – No. 566

By Luzine Happel on 26. August 2022 / blog, filling patterns, Openwork pattern / Leave a comment

category: openwork filling pattern with Cable stitch grid
linen used: 13.5/cm thread count
threads used: coton à broder No. 30 for the Cable stitches and No. 20 for the Needle-weaving and the Rose stitches
stitches used: Cable and Rose stitches
center: intersection of pairs of fabric threads
one pattern segment: = 28 threads

While embroidering from No. 565, I came up with the idea of modifying the pattern with additional Needle-weaving stitches. This makes the workflow a little more fluid.

The filling pattern shown here is a practice exercise only.

First, establish an openwork grid with an intersection of pairs of threads in the center by cutting 2, leaving 2 both vertically and horizontally.

Stabilize the established grid with Single Faggot stitches worked from the back side of the fabric. Please remember that Single Faggot stitch worked on the back side will look like Cable stitch viewed from the front.

Then the first part of the desired pattern – made up from Rose stitches in squares of 4 x 4 stitches and always 3 Rose stitches in a diagonal row in between – is embroidered into the Cable stitch grid.

Therefore bring the needle up in the second square diagonally from the center

and embroiders a square of 4 x 4 Rose stitches around the center square of 2 x 2 remaining free squares.
From one corner of the resulting square, embroider 3 diagonal Rose stitches.
The fourth Rose stitch on this diagonal row is the corner point of the next square of 4 x 4 Rose stitches.
Slide the working thread on the back through existing stitches to the next emerging point

and gradually build up the pattern.

The second part of the pattern is embroidered in a distance of one remaining free square to the first part. It consists of Needle-weaving stitches over 4 squares in width and one square in in height, worked in a stair-step manner and with single Rose stitches in between.

The constant alternation between the two parts creates a pattern

that is effective through the contrast between smoother-looking Needle-weaving stitches and rougher-looking rose stitches.

Filling Pattern – No. 565

By Luzine Happel on 12. August 2022 / blog, filling patterns, Openwork pattern / Leave a comment

category: openwork filling pattern with Cable stitch grid
linen used: 13.5/cm thread count
threads used: coton à broder No. 30 for the Cable stitches and No. 20 for the Rose stitches
stitches used: Cable and Rose stitches
center: intersection of pairs of fabric threads
one pattern segment: = 28 threads

The filling pattern shown here is a practice exercise only. You can see it used in a shape at the end of this article.

First, establish an openwork grid with an intersection of pairs of threads in the center by cutting 2, leaving 2 both vertically and horizontally.

Then the desired pattern – made up of Rose stitches in squares of 4 x 4 stitches and “five-cubes” – is embroidered into the grid.

Bring needle up in the second square diagonally from the center

and embroiders a square of 4 x 4 Rose stitches around the center square of 2 x 2 remaining free squares.

From one corner of the resulting square, embroider 3 diagonal Rose stitches.

The fourth Rose stitch on this diagonal row is the corner point of the next square of 4 x 4 Rose stitches.
Slide the working thread on the back through existing stitches to the next emerging point