Simple drawn thread patterns

category: simple drawn thread filling pattern
linen used: 13.5/cm thread-count
threads used: coton à broder No. 20
stitches used: Wave stitches
horizontal center axis: withdrawn thread line

First, remove the center fabric thread in the direction in which the pattern will later run.

Starting from the resulting withdrawn thread line, leave always 5 fabric threads and withdrawt one.

Again starting from the center thread line, skip a 5-thread group and withdraw the middle one of the next 5-thread group.

Then skip two 5-thread groups at a time and withdraw the middle one of the next 5-thread group.

This creates an alternation of two 5-thread groups with two 2-thread groups each.

Starting in the middle (here rotated by 90°), now work Wave stitches over 6 fabric threads in width,

both via the 5-thread groups

as well as the 2-thread groups.

By alternating two high and two flat rows of mosquito stitches, an interesting, easy-to-embroider striped pattern is created. This can be used both horizontally

and vertically, depending on the desired effect.

This pattern was embroidered by Yasuko Kobayashi from Japan. She also gave me permission to share it here.
Thank you so much for sharing, dear Yasuko!

See also: See What My Readers Have Embroidered in 2016!

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 In addition to the 4 threads that remain, a pair of threads is withdrawn on each side.

Four threads are now alternately left on both sides of the withdrawn thread line and another pair of threads is withdrawn.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This gives the remaining fabric threads of the withdrawn thread lines a zigzag alignment.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.

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.

category: simple drawn thread filling pattern
linen used: 13.5/cm thread-count
threads used: coton à broder No. 20
stitches used: Wrap stitches
horizontal center axis: quadruple withdrawn thread line

The flower motif with the openwork leaves is found on the Schwalm Parade Cushion Border (B).

As you can see from the detail of the original embroidery, it is a kind of staggered pea holes, which do not have Four-Sided stitches as a basis, but consist exclusively of wrap stitches.

I have tried different ways and recommend embroidering the pattern as described below.

Alternate withdrawing 4 fabric threads in one direction and leaving 2 in between. The pattern builds up from the bottom right to the top left.

To do this, wrap around 6 fabric threads of the lowest wide withdrawn thread line 3-4 times.

*Then slide the needle diagonally to the top left under the horizontal pair of fabric threads to the next withdrawn thread line and bring it up between the third and fourth thread of the bundle.

Repeat the stitch once,

return to the starting point and slide the needle under the wrapped bundle of threads to the opposite side.

From there, the needle is led diagonally to the top right crossing over the horizontal pair of threads, inserted again between the third and fourth thread of the bundle and emerges again at the starting point.

Once again, the needle is led diagonally to the top right crossing over the horizontal pair of threads, inserted again between the third and fourth threads of the bundle. This time bring the needle up 6 fabric threads to the left.

The 6 fabric threads lying on the needle form the next bundle. But before you can wrap it, you have to connect the left 3 threads to the underlying pair of threads.
To do this, the needle is led diagonally over the pair of threads to the bottom right, inserted next to the wrapped bundle and brought up again at the starting point.

This stitch is also repeated once,

to then wrap the two bundles of 3 threads together.*

Repeat the steps of working(*).

Reaching the top edge, turn the work 180° and embroider the next row next to the first.

In the places where the thread pairs are already wrapped, these steps can be omitted.
Some rows – not all – move close to the previous one. You can move the bundles slightly with the needle tip to achieve even distances.

In this way, an airy pattern is created that is suitable for filling not too large areas.

category: simple drawn thread filling pattern
linen used: 13.5/cm thread-count
threads used: coton à broder No. 20 for the Four-Sided and No. 16 for the Peaholes
stitches used: Four-Sided stitches and a variation of wrapped Peaholes
horizontal center axis: double withdrawn thread line

The pomegranate motifs come from the Schwalm parade cushion border (B).

As you can see from the two pictures with the original embroidery, the pattern has been worked slightly differently.

Actually it is a variation of the wrapped Peahole,
which can be seen here from the front

and back.

The main difference is the use of thicker thread and additional wrapping of the ends of adjacent bundles of threads.
From this I derived a variation that does not fully correspond to the original, but comes very close.

The pattern shown below is a practice exercise only.

It makes sense to start thread withdrawing in the middle. Here I first have withdrawn the middle pair of threads and then removed 5 more fabric threads on each side, so a total of 12 threads.

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

Four-Sided stitches (coton à broder No. 20) are embroidered from the back over the four remaining threads, each bundling 4 fabric threads.

Using coton à broder No. 16 the resulting bundles of threads are wrapped and joined together into Peaholes.

Start with the right bundle of threads and wrap – from bottom to top – around it 12-14 times. The wrapping thread should lie evenly next to each other and should be the same in number across all thread bundles.

*The thread is slide under the crosses of the Four-Sided stitches to the next bundle of threads.

Now wrap from top to bottom. First, the unprocessed bundle and the one to the right of it are joined together by two wrappings.

Then continue to wrap the left bundle of threads until you reach the bottom edge.

There the two thread bundles are pulled together again by two wrappings

and the thread is slide under the crosses of the Four-Sided stitches to the next bundle of threads.

Again wrap from bottom to top, but this time only up to the middle. There, the partially unprocessed bundle of threads and the bundle of threads to the right of it are tightly pulled together with two wrappings.

Then the left thread bundle is wrapped until reaching the upper edge.*

The steps (*) are repeated, on the way down the bundles of threads are joined together at the edges

and on the way up in the middle.

From the front, it looks like this:

Then the remaining area is filled with Four-Sided stitches.

A pretty pattern – particularly suitable for long, narrow motifs – is established.

I have noticed that the variant of the peaholes, which are also wrapped together at the edges, makes working the folded peahole edging much easier.