In Times of the Corona Crisis

By on 23. March 2020   /   blog, ideas workshop   /   7 Comments

In these times of the coronavirus crisis, many people around the world have been forced to involuntarily stay at home. Although you are constantly following the situation via news outlets, at some point you surely long for a little more inner calm. Embroidery can be a welcome distraction. And so to help alleviate the boredom embroiders might be experiencing during these times, I have decided to post more.

Many Facebook groups are currently visiting my blog. What if each member of a group were to make a small embroidery to be later joined together into a large cloth? I got this inspiration while viewing photos of exhibitions I visited. One that caught my eye was the fabulously impressive sampler of Rosemarie Landsiedel-Eicken from 34497 Korbach.

I think a theme would definitely be necessary, and depicting “life” could be an idea: animals, flowers and other plants, stars, and many other life-affirming motifs could be considered. A couple of suitable motifs can be found in my blog archive free designs.

What do you think of this idea?

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Testing an Ink Transfer Pen

By on 21. March 2020   /   blog, materials and equipment   /   Leave a comment

Back in December, an embroiderer told me about a pen that she and her group members use for transferring designs. She highly recommended that I use it, too.
It is a rollerball pen with ink that disappears with the application of heat up to 65°C.

I decided to give it a try.

The pen is called FriXion Ball made by the Pilot Pen Company. It comes in different colours and different width. The middle width – 0.7 mm – is available in many local stores offering stationery, so I bought one of these and also some refill cartridges in blue.

For my test I used a small design and Weddigen linen #180.

I used a light pad to be able to see the design more easily through the fabric.

Slowly and carefully I drew lines along the design lines. For me – accustomed to using iron transfer pencils – it was a little slow and a bit arduous. The constant up and down of the pen point crossing the threads made my lines a little bit wobbly. (Perhaps more practice would help to improve this.)

However, the lines turned out fine and clear.

Embroidering along the lines was no problem.

Because it is said that higher temperatures will erase the design lines, I applied heat with the help of a hair dryer. After some seconds my piece was free of pen lines.

And after it was boiled for shrinking, dried, and ironed, I was very satisfied.

Normally the pencil is used for writing. And it may happen that sunshine will delete the written text by accident. The product specifications state that deleted lines will appear again in cooler temperatures: a short time in a freezer (-10°C) will help to restore the lines.

This is good to know in case the piece is taken outside on a warm and sunny day and the design lines disappear.

A finished piece of embroidery is seldom exposed to freezing temperatures. However, I did place my finished test piece into my freezer.

After a short time, blue lines appeared again.

This shows that the ink, although invisible, is still remaining on the linen.
I began to wonder about the damage the ink might cause linen and whether the lines would, in time, reappear in a different color (such as yellow or tan).

The lady who suggested the pen to me reported that her group has used it for more than two years and with no adverse effects. She also told me that the pens with a wider point ease transferring.

After careful consideration, I cannot, in good conscience, recommend this pen for transferring designs for white embroidery.

I will subject the pen to an endurance test in the near future, and I will be sure to share my results with you.

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Ricamo d’Assia – Lezione n. 1

By on 6. March 2020   /   blog, new books   /   Leave a comment

Just for once this blog post is earmarked for my Italian readers.

Ora finalmente c’è un manuale che avvia al ricamo d’Assia anche in lingua italiana.
Vi prego di condividere questa buona notizia con le altre appassionate di ricamo, se vi fa piacere.

Il ricamo d’Assia combina molte tecniche diverse e non tutte possono essere apprese contemporaneamente. Se vi interessate al ricamo d’Assia, potete appassionarvi soltanto eseguendo i lavori accuratamente passo dopo passo. Questo è possibile con l’ausilio dei miei manuali che contengono descrizioni molto dettagliate.

Il ricamo d’Assia è caratterizzato da tre diversi tipi di sfilato:
• semplice: qui ogni quarto filo viene sfilato in una sola direzione
• Limet (rete): qui ogni quarto filo viene sfilato in entrambe le direzioni
• traforo: qui si lasciano e si sfilano coppie di fili in entrambe le direzioni, alternativamente.

Successivamente alla sfilatura, l’interno dei motivi si ricama con una vasta scelta di punti di riempimento, creando effetti sempre diversi.

Nella dispensa della prima lezione, insegno i primi, semplici fondi di riempimento. Tuttavia, come si vede dalle immagini, già soltanto da questi pochi punti si possono comporre moltissime alternative. Nove motivi sono descritti in grande dettaglio; inoltre, propongo molti suggerimenti per modificare e personalizzare i motivi.

Il ricamo d’Assia si compone di solo nove punti base diversi, da cui si sviluppa l’infinita varietà di motivi di riempimento superficiale. La lezione n. 1 affronta tre di questi punti base: punto nido d’ape, punto ondulato e barrette a punto piatto.

La lezione n. 1 spiega in modo molto approfondito gli elementi di base in 9 passaggi:

1. Trasferimento del disegno
2. Preparazione del filo da ricamo
3. Punto annodato
4. Ventaglietti a punto festone
5. Punto catenella
6. Sfilatura per realizzare un fondo a fili contati semplice
7. Punti di riempimento (fondi)
8. Lavaggio
9. Finitura

Il progetto prevede un motivo a cuore che può essere ritagliato o incorniciato come nella figura qui sotto, una volta completato il ricamo.

Si possono inoltre realizzare piccoli cuscini a forma di cuore o quadrati, e nastri ricamati.

Siete mancine? Nessun problema! Questa lezione è disponibile in due formati: per mancini o destrimani.

La lezione offre un altro vantaggio: se ti sei appassionata al ricamo d’Assia e desideri saperne di più, sono disponibili altre lezioni (finora purtroppo solo in tedesco e inglese).

Poiché il successo dipende in gran parte dall’utilizzo dei materiali giusti, consiglio di ordinare il kit materiale n. 1 insieme alla lezione n. 1.


Ricamo d’Assia
Lezione n. 1
Cuori di Happel
53 pagine
più di 140 foto
Testo: italiano
Rilegatura ad anelli
25,00 €
acquista

Materiale del kit n. 1

Per apprendere con successo il ricamo d’Assia, è importante utilizzare i materiali giusti. Il kit n. 1 contiene tutti i materiali necessari per la lezione n. 1 e la lezione n. 3, nonché un campione del lino più fine suggerito per la lezione n. 2 da testare.

Nel pacchetto n. 1 troverai:
Per la lezione n. 1
● Lino – lino Weddigen 13,5 fili / cm circa 20 cm x 90 cm (per lezione n. 1)
● Penna decalcabile DEKA
● Carta trasparente per ricalcare il disegno
● Nastro adesivo rimovibile
● Ago per ricamo con punta n. 24 (chenille)
● Ago per ricamo con punta n. 26 (chenille)
● Ago per ricamo senza punta n. 26 (per punto croce)
● Fili da ricamo a 4 capi ritorti – coton a broder – n. 16, 20 e 25 – una matassina di ciascuna grossezza (per la lezione n. 1)
Per la lezione n. 2
● Lino – lino Weddigen 16 fili / cm circa 20 cm x 20 cm (da provare)
Per la lezione n. 3
● Lino – lino Weddigen 13,5 fili / cm circa 20 cm x 90 cm
● Fili da ricamo a 4 capi ritorti – coton a broder – n. 16, 20 e 30 – una matassina di ciascuna grossezza
● Detersivo in polvere


Materiale del kit n. 1
Lino
Aghi da ricamo
Filo da ricamo a quattro capi ritorti
vari accessori
€ 35,00
al negozio

Nota: Quando effettuerete l’ordine verrete guidati nel sito solo in tedesco o in inglese. Spero non sia un problema. Se lo preferite potrete semplicemente ordinare via e-mail. Fornite il vostro indirizzo completo. Vi informerò quindi delle spese di spedizione e invierò una fattura PayPal direttamente. L’ordine sarà spedito alla ricezione del pagamento.

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A Small Ivy Tendril

By on 28. February 2020   /   blog, embroideries   /   Leave a comment

I used a small design with an ivy tendril to test the 20 threads/cm linen. This linen is available here also in small sizes. I was not absolutely careful when transferring the design with an iron, so the fabric got lightly scorched in the process.

Using coton à broder No. 20 for the Coral Knot, No. 25 for the Satin, and No. 30 for the Blanket and Chain stitches, the prep work was finished.

I decided to use only openwork filling patterns worked in a Cable stitch grid. The smallest motif remains as an openwork Cable stitch grid, the other small leaf was filled with a Rose stitch pattern. And the largest leaf has a needle-weaving filling pattern.

The design shows leaf veins, and so I considered whether or not to work them. I decided to add the veins in the large leaf. The marks of the design transfer were still noticeable, but I decided to touch them up with a #2 pencil.

Using coton à broder No. 16 Chain stitches were worked along the line.

On the way back each stitch was wrapped once to establish the leaf veins.

The piece is hemmed – because of it´s small size – with Antique Hem stitches only.

After boiling the scorch is gone. And after starching and ironing, I have a nice small doily for a special tray.

You will be able to see this design and some more elaborate ivy designs next summer at my new exhibition. It will be great!

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Filling Pattern – No. 551

By on 21. February 2020   /   blog, filling patterns, Limet pattern   /   2 Comments

category: Limet-Filling pattern
linen used: 13.5/cm thread count
threads used: coton à broder No. 16
stitches used: Honeycomb Darning stitches
center: square (in other shapes, longitudinal axis: group of three threads)
one pattern segment: 12 threads

This pattern is a variation of Honeycomb Darning stitches – not worked in rows but around a center square.

Instructions for left-handers can be found at the end of this article.

First, establish a Limet grid with a square in the center by cutting 1, leaving 3 both vertically and horizontally.

Bring the needle up one square below the lower right hole of the center square, and pull the thread through.

*Cross over one square (3 fabric threads) to the right, insert the needle and bring it up in the previous hole again. Tighten the thread.

Cross over one square (3 fabric threads) up, insert the needle and bring it back up 1 square to the left.

Cross over those 3 threads to the right, insert the needle and bring it up in the previous hole again.

From now on always tighten the thread so that the bundled threads are pulled together a little bit.

Cross over one square below, insert the needle and bring it up 1 square (3 fabric threads) to the left.

Cross over those 3 threads to the right, insert the needle and bring it up one square diagonally left and up.*

Turn the piece 90° counterclockwise and repeat working the five steps (*),

three times in all. At this point, one pattern segment covering a section of 3 X 3 squares is finished.

More of these pattern segments are added to establish the entire pattern. To start the next segment, the needle has to emerge from the same point that it was inserted. So, on the back side, slide the working thread under the stitch

and then bring it up again to the front. Turn the piece to start working the next segment in the established way.

Work segment beside segment

until the entire shape is filled. If you get lost while working, simply recall which is the segment´s center square that needs to be surrounded.

This pattern develops its full appearance only after boiling, starching, and ironing.

Instructions for the left-hander:

Bring the needle up one square below the lower left hole of the center square, and pull the thread through.

*Cross over one square (3 fabric threads) to the left, insert the needle and bring it up in the previous hole again. Tighten the thread.

Cross over one square (3 fabric threads) up, insert the needle and bring it back up 1 square to the right.

Cross over those 3 threads to the left, insert the needle and bring it up in the previous hole again.

From now on always tighten the thread so that the bundled threads are pulled together a little bit.

Cross over one square below, insert the needle and bring it up 1 square (3 fabric threads) to the right.

Cross over those 3 threads to the left, insert the needle and bring it up one square diagonally right and up.*

Turn the piece 90° clockwise and repeat working the five steps (*),

three times in all. At this point, one pattern segment covering a section of 3 X 3 squares is finished.

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