embroideries Archive - Luzine Happel

1. The Coral Knot Stitch

By Luzine Happel on 10. October 2025 / blog, embroideries, tips and tricks / Leave a comment

The 13 basic stitches of Schwalm whitework

A. The decorative stitches

1. The Coral Knot stitch

This stitch is used to embroider the outlines of the motifs, the stems and the tendrils.

thread weight: depending on the fineness of the linen, coton à broder thread No. 16 or No. 20
building the rows: from bottom to top
direction of needle movement: from right to left
way of working: Place the working thread a bit over the line to be embroidered and then loop it to the left and down.
Insert the needle to the right of the placed thread—just a short distance from the previous knot—then pass under the fabric below the placed thread and emerge to the left, close to it. The looped thread is below the needle tip.
Pull the needle through and the thread vertically into the air.
The distance between the knots should be approximately one needle width.

For beginners it is easier to take the fabric below the line from right to left just above the emerging point,

then to lay the working thread up over the needle tip and down again under the needle tip,

to pull the needle through and the thread vertically into the air.

The shorter the stitch that takes off the fabric below the line, the rounder the knots appear.

If you were to pull the thread in the direction of the free line instead of vertically in the air, as can be seen in the last four stitches in the picture below, the knots would look more like slanting stitches.

But don’t worry: The images above show greatly enlarged details.
Shown at the correct size and in conjunction with the other stitches, most coral knot stitches look quite acceptable, as shown in the photo of an old bodice sleeve border.

If you look at the stitches in magnification, you will notice quite different levels of perfection.

The coral knot stitch is one of the most important stitches in Schwalm whitework. The earliest evidence of this stitch in Schwalm I have found so far is in the crown of a door hanging, dated 1762 and on display in the Schwalm Museum in Ziegenhain.

The Royal School of Needlework describes the stitch as a line stitch interspersed with evenly spaced knots. It is considered a stitch used by ancient Egyptian seamstresses. It was found in an English sampler from 1598 and an English headdress from the late 16th century. In the 17th and 18th centuries, it was a popular stitch in English crewelwork. At the end of the 18th and beginning of the 19th centuries, it became an integral part of Schwalm whitework. It is also used in Sardinian knotwork from Teulada (Sardinia) as Punt ‘e Nù.

In other regions and countries, the stitch was probably largely unknown. There, the whiteworkers of the time used either stem stitches or monastery stitches—including embroideries similar to Schwalm whitework, such as those in what is now the Czech Republic or the early Hedebo embroidery from Denmark.

It’s not surprising, then, that Thérése de Dillmont doesn’t mention this stitch in her groundbreaking work, *Encyclopedia of Needlework* (1893).
However, variations can be found in my old needlework books. For example, Emilie Stiasny, in her 1910 book *Stickerei-Techniken für Schule und Praxis* (K.K. Hof- und Staatsdruckerei, Vienna), shows the “verdrehten Schlingstich – twisted loop stitch” (Fig. 340a). This is similar to the coral knot stitch, except that the working thread is pulled in the direction of the needle move rather than vertically into the air.

Schwalm whitework designs often feature very distinctive tendrils. These can be stitched particularly precisely with coral knot stitch. Lines embroidered with this stitch also appear stronger, more pronounced, and more striking than those embroidered with other stitches. Perhaps this is one reason why coral knot stitch was common in Schwalm.

Double Outlines (6) – Blanket Stitches

By Luzine Happel on 26. September 2025 / blog, embroideries / 2 Comments

Centuries ago, blanket stitches were a popular way of creating an area between two outlines, as shown here on a baby sling from the mid-19th century.

and on parts of a blue-dyed parade handkerchief.
Unfortunately, this type of decoration has been somewhat forgotten. Blanket stitches are easy to work. They can create an effective border. These stitches should be brought back into focus as border stitches.

The stitches sometimes run at right angles to the embroidered surface, as shown above, and other times they are arranged at an angle.

Sometimes the loops run along the inner edge,

sometimes they are placed on the outside.

They are often embroidered very densely, sometimes with spacing.

There are also formations in which two rows of blanket stitches run against each other.

Double Outlines (5) – Bullion Knots

By Luzine Happel on 19. September 2025 / blog, embroideries / Leave a comment

Bullion knots (not to be confused with French knots) are a rarely found design of an area between two outlines.

They effectively frame a motif in a very special way. The raised stitches create a beautiful contrast, especially with flat filling patterns.

Bullion knots (Early Schwalm Whitework, pages 63 and 64) are suitable for edging almost all motifs,

because rows of such bullion knots adapt flexibly,

can also take tight curves – so they are also suitable for small motifs –

and are also easy to continue around corners.

Bullion knots work best when stitched relatively close together.

The size of the knots can be influenced by the thread weight used and the number of wraps.

Double Outlines (4) – French Knots

By Luzine Happel on 12. September 2025 / blog, embroideries / Leave a comment

French knots are well suited for creating an area between two outlines.

They are easy to work and frame a motif effectively without the addition of additional decorative stitches.

Rows of such French knots adapt flexibly to a wide variety of motiv shapes and can also be perfectly continued around corners.

French knots can be stitched relatively close together or with some distance between them. However, the chosen distance should be maintained. It’s a good idea to make markings before stitching.

The size of the knots can be influenced by the thread thickness used and the number of wraps.

Double Outlines (3) – Interlaced Herringbone Stitches

By Luzine Happel on 5. September 2025 / blog, embroideries / Leave a comment

A popular way to create an area between two outlines are interlaced herringbone stitches. They are called “Schlängchen” (curved lines) in Schwalm, just like the interlaced straight stitches “Kerrercher”. The method can be found in my publication Schwalm Curved Lines, Narrow Borders, and Ornamental Stitches on pages 44 and 45.

Interlaced herringbone stitches can also occasionally be found in historical Schwalm whitework, as here on a baby sling from 1866, where they were embroidered to decorate the double outline of a basket.