Closures of Pillowcases (5)

By on 3. June 2022   /   blog, tips and tricks   /   Leave a comment

Gertrude Vorwerk presented an attractive and individual variant for a pillow closure. Her unusual version with a decorative ribbon arranged at the top looks very appealing and shows great creativity.

She wrote: “Belatedly on your blog with the special pillow closures, I want to show you my version. It’s from 1997 and I had no idea how to sew pillowcases. I only started embroidering in 1996, that’s what happened!

Since I didn’t know how to close the pillow – I certainly didn’t have enough fabric – I came up with the idea of ​​designing the edge like this. The blue ribbon was lying around in my gift ribbon box, it was perfect for the pillow. I think it’s wonderful that I had a similar idea back then.”

Many thanks for sending the pictures!

More embroideries by Gertrude Vorwerk can be found here and here.

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New Charges for International Mail

By on 3. June 2022   /   blog   /   Leave a comment

Today I would like to point out that Deutsche Post will discontinue the previous WARENPOST INTERNATIONAL (Sale of Goods) on July 1st, 2022.

So far, shipments of up to 500g (which roughly corresponds to one of my books) could be shipped for
€3.42 without tracking number or €5.94 with tracking number to countries inner the EU and for
€3.80 without a tracking number or €6.15 with a tracking number outside the EU.

Shipments of up to 1000g (which corresponds to about two of my books) have cost up to now of
€7.49 without tracking number or €10.00 with tracking number within the EU and
€9.00 without tracking number or €11.35 with tracking number outside the EU.

These options will no longer be available up from July 1st, 2022.

In the future, there will only be shipments from up to 2000g, but their height must not exceed 3 cm, for
€4.89 without tracking number or €7.39 with tracking number within the EU,
for €8.89 without a tracking number or €12.89 with a tracking number to countries outside the EU.

Higher packages or those with more weight are even more expensive.

So if you are considering buying a single book, you should consider placing your order before the end of June 2022 in order to save on postage.

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Closures of Pillowcases (4)

By on 20. May 2022   /   blog, tips and tricks   /   Leave a comment

The hand-woven linen for the sofa cushion cover 2 was only 76 cm wide. I didn’t want to cut the pillow out of the length of the linen though to save on fabric. As a result, only a minimal edge strip was available to close the pillow. A hem would not have been possible.

However, since the cut has firm selvages on both small sides, the fabric was only folded in the width of the selvage after the side seams were closed. The closure was made similar to that shown under closures of pillowcases (3).

In the area of the side seams, buttonhole stitches hold the folded selvage in position, while the punctures of the needlelace Buttonhole stitch scallops do the same for the remaining closure.

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Sofa Cushion Cover 2

By on 6. May 2022   /   blog, embroideries   /   4 Comments

I now have a wide variety of designs on the subject of „pomegranates and birds“. Visitors to my exhibition have already been able to take a close look at some of the embroidered items.

Christa Waldmann designed a second pattern for me to match the pattern of sofa cushion cover 1.

She skillfully arranged the branches with the pomegranate blossom buds so intertwined that the structure forms a nest on which the bird perches. The ripe pomegranates with the tempting fruits are close enough to be pecked at.

This time I used 17/cm count handwoven linen. The many satin stitches can be embroidered particularly well on the very dense fabric. The pattern was transferred using an iron-on pen.

The thicker stems were embroidered with Satin stitches, which first became wide and then simple Stem stitches. The motifs were surrounded with Stem stitches.

Only the motif areas of the bird were traced with wrapped Chain stitches.

The feather dress was modeled with Blanket stitches.

The eye has been outlined with wrapped backstitching

and the pupil filled with Satin stitches. The beak was also represented by Satin stitches.

The slightly larger leaves were designed as divided leaves.

The pomegranate blossom buds were first given a center Blanket stitch eyelet and then – working from the outside in – filled with a Satin stitches using two strands of 6-ply stranded cotton.

The braiding of the branches was then worked out with Coral Knot stitches.

The large leaves were given different filling patterns.

The pomegranate areas were filled with Diagonal Cross stitches. The large pomegranates also received an edge with a curved line pattern.

The bird’s head was decorated with Bullion stitches and Bullion knots, the bird’s back was decorated with the Limetrosen square eyelet pattern Magic Net.

The bird’s belly was filled with Wave stitches and the tail feather was given the square eyelet pattern “Federkleid (- feather dress)”. The remaining feathers were embroidered with Wing stitches.

By alternating between striking and less conspicuous filling patterns, the design could be presented well in terms of embroidery.

However, you can also use completely different filling patterns that slightly change the effect.

You can purchase both pillow patterns from me as pdf files (printout: double page) for €8.00 each.

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Closures of Pillowcases (3)

By on 22. April 2022   /   blog, tips and tricks   /   2 Comments

The embroidery of sofa cushion cover 1 is washed to remove the outlines and to shrink the fabric to its final extension. Then the linen is ironed in order to be able to measure it exactly. It is then cut to the required size. Here you can cut away different amounts of excess fabric on the short sides in order to have the embroidery placed in the middle of the front part.

The next steps for closing this pillow have already been explained in Closures of Pillowcases (1) – pictures 3 to 8.

This time, however, the pillow is not to be sewn close, but provided with needlelace scallops.

To do this, the hem edges are marked at the desired even distances (here 1.4 cm – it shouldn’t be less) and also consistently on the front and back. To do this, start in the middle and end 2 – 3 cm before reaching the side seams.

Using coton à broder thread No. 16, add simple Buttonhole stitch scallops to the edge.

The cover is ironed again and pulled over a pillow.

Finally, a cord or flat band (at least three times the width of the pillow) is slid through the scallops and pulled together. To do this, it is best to fold the band once in the middle and start on one side of the pillow by pulling the two ends through alternately.

Depending on the size in which you work the needlelace scallops,

which band to use

and how much you tighten the braid, different effects arise.

In any case, this type of closure is decorative.

The closure can be opened again at any time simply by pulling the band out. So it is no wonder that this type of closure was used very often in the Schwalm.

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