Horizontal Bird Border (2)

By on 21. February 2025   /   blog, embroideries   /   Leave a comment

Here are a few details of the embroidery of the horizontal bird border, this time starting with the center motif – the big heart. Satin stitch bars (coton à broder No. 20) and parts of the warped suare eyelet (Limetrosen I, page 44; coton à broder No. 25) are embroidered into a Limet grid (thread withdrawing 3:1).

Actually the order of the patterns doesn’t matter. However, if you embroider the square eyelet parts first, you can embroider all sections of the Satin stitch bars in one row.

Even unwashed, this pattern has a special effect,

washed and ironed, the square eyelet parts stand out strikingly.

The side tulips also receive a Limet grid (thread withdarwing 3:1) and Diagonal Cross stitches (coton à broder No. 20) as a filling pattern.

Now bird and tulip motifs alternate, although the motifs can also be placed in a different order, as a shorter section of border or as an individual element. The same border with a different motif as the center can be seen in picture 13 of my blog readers’ embroidery from 2020.

The roosters have an openwork grid of threads in their belly area (thread withdawing 2:2)

and in the wing area a Lime grid (thread withdrawing 3:1). The belly of the left-sided rooster bird receives a row of Cable stitches alternating with a row of Rose stitches,

that of the right-hand side has one row of Cable stitches alternating with two rows of Rose stitches.

The wing of the right rooster is filled with a Satin stitch herringbone pattern (coton à broder No.20).

I originally wanted to embroider the wing of the left rooster with the square eyelet pattern “Plumage” (Limetrosen I, page 15),

but then I chose the more striking “Scales” pattern (Limetrosen I, Seite 68).

The following tulip has a Limet grid in the middle part (thread withdrawing 3:1)

and the filling pattern 579, once vertically with the tips upwards

and the other time embroidered with the tips pointing downwards.

The side parts are embroidered once with a simple withdrawn thread pattern (thread withdrawing 3:1 vertically) with Honeycomb Darning stitches (coton à broder No. 20),

the counterpart receives a 2:1 thread withdrawing and Cable stitches as pattern (coton à broder No. 20).

The next pair of birds receives a Limet grid in the belly area (thread withdrawing 3:1).

The bird looking to the right receives a checkerboard pattern made of Satin stitch bars and Röserich stitches similar to Röserich pattern 467 (The most beautiful Röserich Filling Patterns, page 23)

the bird looking to the right receives filling pattern 473.

Both wings receive a Limet grid (thread withdrawing 3:1).

To match the pattern of the bird’s belly, but adapted to the much smaller area, the Röserich pattern 453 A2 (The most beautiful Röserich Filling Patterns, page 8) is used.

The bird opposite also has a pattern on its wing that matches the bird’s belly –

namely a Rose stitch variant.

Details about the thread withdrawing and the selected filling patterns for the remaining motifs will follow in the next blog post.

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Horizontal Bird Border

By on 14. February 2025   /   blog, embroideries   /   5 Comments

Like many other embroiderers, I have a box of unfinished embroidery. Once started, more interesting or important pieces came along. Therefore, completion was postponed to a later date. As you get older, you feel the need to finish the pieces you start.
This is what happened to me with a border design that I started embroidering 2017 – the “Horizontal Bird Border”.

Now the 19 large and a few small motifs are embroidered with a wide variety of filling patterns. I would like to share the results with my blog readers. However, the finished band, which is 2.44 m long, cannot be photographed in its entirety.
The section provides a first insight.

The detailed photos show the entire band continuously from left to right.

Details about the thread withdrawing and the chosen filling patterns will follow in the next blog post.

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Filling Pattern – No. 580

By on 20. December 2024   /   blog, filling patterns, Limet pattern   /   Leave a comment

Filling Pattern – No. 580

category: Limet-Filling pattern
linen used: 13.5/cm thread count
threads used: coton à broder No. 20
stitches used: Satin stitches and parts of square eyelets
center: intersection of withdrawn thread lines (in other shapes or motifs longitudinal axis = withdrawn thread line)
one pattern segment: 20 fabric threads

This pattern for larger motifs can be used for shapes both on the straight of grain and shapes on the bias.

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 a Limet grid with an intersection of withdrawn thread lines at the center by alternately cutting 1, leaving 3, vertically and horizontally.

Mark around the center point by working Satin stitch bars around an area of 4 X 4 squares (the center point situated directly in center).

Continue working Satin stitch bars over one square (3 threads) in the width and 4 squares (12 stitches) in the length in a stair-step manner

until the entire shape is filled.

Free squares of 4 x 4 small squares have been formed. Square eyelet parts are embroidered into these. Worked is counterclockwise with 56 stitches.
Starting from a corner point, emerge the needle one square(3 X 3 fabric threads) diagonally inwards

and *wrap this corner square

with 7 Satin stitches, each starting from the same point. The working thread is moderately tensioned after each stitch so that it lies smoothly but does not pull any fabric threads together.
After the seventh stitch, bring the needle to the center of the 4 X 4 squares.

From there work 7 stitches between the center and the edge directly next to the previously worked stitches, moving one fabric thread further along the edge with each stitch.

After the seventh stitch, bring the needle straight down one square*

rotate the work 90° clockwise and repeat steps (*)

three times in all.

After the 56th and final stitch, bring the needle to the first emerging point of the next 4 X 4 square by sliding the working thread on the back through existing stitches,

and then work as established until the entire shape is filled

I called this arrangement of quarters of the simple square eyelet and 7 stitches of the double square eyelet “gingerbread” because the formation reminds me of the Christmas pastries popular in Germany.

This pretty pattern can also be embroidered into motifs on the bias, as shown here with the tulip.

To do this, however, you have to prepare the Limet thread grid accordingly. Details can be found in this article

Then continue in the established way.

Now I wish you an enjoyable time. I’m going to take a break now and then get back to you with a newsletter.

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Embroidery for a Bag (2)

By on 13. December 2024   /   blog, ideas workshop   /   4 Comments

The embroidery is finished.

I would like to attach it to the bag in such a way that one can easily remove it again at any time – to wash it or use it for another purpose.

The edges of the fabric are secured with zigzag stitches. The 1 cm seam allowance is folded to the back. The hem is sewn close to the edge of the fabric so that you can thread a safety pin through the tunnel.
Double rubber thread (length about twice all four sides) should hold the embroidery on the bag.

The corners of the hem remain open. This way you can use the safety pin to pull the rubber thread through the hems of all four sides and then distribute it evenly.

It is advisable to pull auxiliary ribbons through the loops of the rubber threads at the corners so that you can easily pull the rubber thread away from the fabric later.

The rubber thread ends are knotted together. The rubber is distributed evenly so that there are no too many wrinkles anywhere.

The embroidery should be fastened at the corners with buttons. I determine the position of the buttons and pull a thick thread through the back of a twine button.

One end of the thread is threaded through the felt at the specified position

and pulled to the inside.

The other end of the thread is threaded and pulled through the felt close to the first inserting point.

Both ends of the thread are pulled further into the inside of the bag,

until the button lies tightly on the felt.

Inside, the thread ends are knotted together well and then trimmed.

The embroidery is attached to the buttons as a test.
To do this, first pull on the auxiliary ribbon to pull the rubber thread out of the linen at the corners,

slip the loop over the button

and then remove the auxiliary ribbon.

If everything fits,

the embroidery is removed again – remember to pull the auxiliary ribbons back in – washed, starched and ironed.

It is then reattached to the bag’s buttons and is ready for use.

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Embroidery for a Bag (1)

By on 6. December 2024   /   blog, ideas workshop, embroideries   /   2 Comments

Large felt bags are popular at the moment. You can buy them in many colours and different sizes.
I find a bag like this very practical for transporting my utensils when I want to take part in the embroidery circle.

To my regret, the bags have a label that I don’t find very nice.

So I thought about how the bag could be redesigned according to use. I came up with the idea of ​​embroidery covering the lettering.

I choose hand-woven linen because I like the structure and colour of it well with my anthracite-coloured felt bag.

My bag is 45 cm wide and 30 cm high. The handles start at a height of 23 cm. The remaining space for embroidery is 45 cm x 23 cm, approximately half as high as it is wide. I don’t want to fill the entire space, but I want the embroidery to match the bag size and cover all of the printed characters.

Therefore, I choose a finished size of 38 cm x 19 cm and add a seam allowance of 1 cm on each side. So I cut the linen to size 40 cm x 21 cm. A pattern that fits this format can be printed quickly.

The embroidery can begin.
(Since I would like to use this project as photo material for a short presentation of Schwalm whitework, I don’t proceed as usual, but only work in partial areas. This way one can follow the necessary steps in a single photo.)

But that shouldn’t bother you and you should of course proceed as established.

The heart receives an openwork thread withdrawing 2:2. The grid is secured from the back with Cable stitches. Filling pattern 442 is worked using needle-weaving stitches.

The tulip receives a Limet thread withdrawing 3:1 and a Röserich filling pattern (The Most Beautiful Röserich Filling Patterns)

The small circle gets a Limet thread withdrawing of 4:1 in width and 3:1 in height in order to be able to set the pattern evenly despite the uneven fabric. A cross made of Satin stitch bars is placed in the center. The remaining areas are each decorated with a Rose stitch

The bird’s belly is given a simple 3:1 withdrawn thread pattern with Honeycomb Darning stitches.
The bird’s wing has a relatively small area. Therefore, thread withdrawing is made 2:1 and the grid is secured from the back with Cable stitches.

The large leaf gets a 3:1 Limet thread withdrawing and Diagonal Cross stitches as a pattern.

The year of embroidering should be hidden in the small tulip. Therefore the thread withdrawing is made 2:1. The thread grid is secured with very thin thread with Cable stitches from the front (Single Faggot stitches on the back). The first part of the year is embroidered with Rose stitches (the second part goes into the tulip on the opposite side).

The second small circle remains. Since I want to show all the techniques used in Schwalm whitework on this sample, I fill the area with needlelace.

ou will find out what happens after the embroidery is finished in the next blog post.

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