embroideries Archive - Luzine Happel

Embroidery for a Bag (1)

By Luzine Happel on 6. December 2024 / blog, ideas workshop, embroideries / Leave a comment

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The bird’s belly is given a simple 3:1 withdrawn thread pattern with Honeycomb Darning stitches.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.

Schwalm Heart (1)

By Luzine Happel on 15. November 2024 / blog, small projects, embroideries / 3 Comments

Many years ago, during an exhibition, I was able to purchase a few leftover pieces of linen along with the corresponding outline patterns for little money.
I have now acquired the rights to these patterns.
The pretty individual motifs are quickly embroidered. They are also ideal for processing leftover fabric.
Little things like pictures, bags or pillows were created in a short time. They are therefore suitable as souvenirs and perhaps also for sale as souvenirs for exhibitions.

I ironed such a motif onto 16 tpcm linen. In order to clearly transfer the iron pattern colour to the fabric, I ironed very hot. The slight scorching marks that were created can be clearly seen. They will disappear later in the wash.

The Coral Knot stitches were embroidered with coton á broder No. 16, Blanket stitch eyelets and Chain stitches withcoton á broder No. 30. The rounded leaves were decorated with Satin stitches. Here 2 strands of the 6-ply stranded cotton were used.

The Limet grid – thread withdrawing 3:1 – has a withdrawn theard line in the middle longitudinal axis.

Starting there, a pattern similar to the filling pattern 578, but without the rows of Four-Sided stitches in between, is embroidered with coton à broder No. 20 .

After the embroidery is finished, the piece is soaked in soapy water for a few hours and then boiled. The colour has completely dissolved after two repetitions of the short cooking process.

The scorching marks have also completely disappeared.

I like the relatively unobtrusive pattern in contrast to the striking edge with the many leaves

and Blanket stitch eyelets.

Depending on which angle you look at it from, the pattern looks different.

If you also want to embroider this small motif, you can download the hand-drawn outline pattern for free.

Schwalm Band (18)

By Luzine Happel on 1. November 2024 / blog, embroideries / 8 Comments

The long band is finished. It looks nice hanging on the wall, but I also like it lying on my large table. Unfortunately, it is very difficult to photograph the full length.

Therefore, all sections follow here again from top to bottom.

Threads and linen have shrunk in the laundry. Only then did the filling patterns get their final appearance and their special effect.

Ironing from the left side of the fabric and placing it on a thick, soft base allowed stems, tendrils, leaves, etc. to press into the base. The entire surface embroidery now stands out vividly from the linen.

This creates the contrast between openwork embroidery and surface embroidery that is so typical and characteristic of Schwalm whitework.

The small raised elements contrast with the rather flat-looking surfaces of the large motifs.

Many components of Schwalm whitework were used in this project:
stems with forks
tendrils
rounded and pointed, divided ans undivided leaves
Blanket stitch eyelets
small flowers and other vegetal elements as well as small hearts
Eyelash stitchese
Blanket stitch half-eyelets scallops and Blanket stitch scallops
2short-2long
knife points and Blanket stitches
simple withdrawn thread patterns
Limet withdrawn thread patterns
openwork
some fillings without thread withdrawing from the area of early Schwalm whitework and
one needle lace filling.

Of course, the embroidery can be designed completely differently, especially in the area of filling patterns. However, my aim was to use as many different patterns as possible.

Schwalm Band (17)

By Luzine Happel on 18. October 2024 / blog, embroideries / Leave a comment

Completion

After finishing the whitework, I print a crown that is not too high and is as wide as my border.

It is embroidered with 2 strands of the 6-ply stranded cotton from Anchor in color 888.
However, I will design the basket differently.

So far I have implemented all the main components of Schwalm whitework with my embroidery. These include on surface embroidery stems with forks and tendrils, rounded and pointed, divided and undivided leaves, Blanket stitch eyelets, small flowers and other vegetal elements as well as small hearts, on border stitches Eyelash stitches, Blanket stitch half-eyelets scallops, Blanket stitch scallops, 2short-2long, knife points and Blanket stitches as well as all three different withdrawn thread patterns (simple, Limet and openwork), some fillings without thread withdrawing from the area of early Schwalm whitework and a needle lace filling. All that’s missing is a needle-weaving hemstitch and a needle lace border to immortalize the complete range of possibilities on one workpiece.

Unfortunately, the basket area of the crown is too small for a nice needle-weaving hem. That’s why I use the Peahole hemstitch (coton à broder No. 30).

Year and name abbreviation added,

then the piece can be hemmed. Since I also want to use the band hanging on the wall, I decide on tunnel hems at the top and bottom. The hem should be 2.5 cm wide and have a 1 cm fold. The long sides are attached first. It is important to make sure that you make the fold on the narrow sides before placing the hem on the long sides.

This is the only way the tunnel entrance can look neat and tidy.

Sewing the hem corners through the many layers of fabric is a bit tedious, but with a little patience you can do it.

I quickly look for a free area for noting down the needed hours and then I view the entire embroidery again.

I decide to fill the basket handles after all, withdraw a Limet grid 3:1 and embroider the areas with Diagonal Cross stitches (coton à broder No. 20). Make sure to work the stitches from bottom to top on one side of the basket and from top to bottom on the opposite side in order to get a mirror image of the pattern.

I also don’t like the area with the 3 flowers.

Therefore, I decide to fill the petals of another flower with Satin stitches (2 strands of 6-ply stranded cotton ). The third flower should not be processed further so that the different design options can be kept in mind for the future.

And then into the cooking pot – with enough water and a little washing powder.

Soon all the dirt is pulled out of the old linen and a dark broth forms.

After a long soaking time and a short boil, I leave the piece in the cooling water for a while, then rinse it thoroughly and lay it between terry towels to dry.
While still slightly damp, first carefully iron the hem from the right and then the entire area from the left.

The result will be shown in a final blog post on this topic.