embroideries

A slightly differently woven striped linen as used for the needle-weaving band of cushion A served as the basic material for a pillow with a wide needle-weaving band in the middle.

It is a 17-unit (!) band with a mirrored pattern

and a pattern segment of 18 bundles.

The centers stand out due to their very special spider constructions with two spider bodies.

In contrast to the needle-weaving band of cushion A, the needle-weaving on this cushion only runs across the front of the pillow.

The end was secured with Blanket stitches and decorated with half-eyelet scallops. At the level of every second unit, the needle-weaving was tied to the remaining fabric.

Information on the individual categories and detailed descriptions of the working methods can be found in Lesson #4 – Needle-Weaving Band Sampler.

In my documentation Schwalm Needle-Weaving Bands are shown 193 (!) different patterns .

Colette Bonnet from France visited my exhibition in Eschwege about 1 1/2 years ago and got a lot of inspiration. At that time still a beginner in Schwalm whitework, she quickly approached the many facets of the combination of techniques with the help of her friend and teacher Jacqueline Blanot and made unmistakable progress.

A spring-like teacloth was created on linen with pre-transferred design purchased here in record time.

Especially trying out different filling patterns gives her pleasure.

And a small rabbit with a big egg greets (subsequently) for Easter.

Further impressive testimonies of her embroidery activity will be presented in the course of the year.

Combined needle-weaving bands are to be worked on striped linen #926 in the middle between two stripes of fabric. The needle-weaving bands should run continuously across the front and back of the pillowcase.

The pillowcase should have a finished size of 38 cm x 38 cm (seam allowance 1 cm, hem allowance 2 cm).
Measurement calculation:
Width: 1cm + 38cm + 1cm + 4cm (shrinkage about 8-10%) = 44cm
Length: 2cm + 38cm + 38cm + 2cm + 2.5cm (shrinkage about 3%) = 82.5cm
The fabric is cut to a size of 44 cm x 82.5 cm. The stripes should be the same distance from the center.
The edges of the fabric are secured against fraying.

The needle-weaving hem should be composed of 3 bands. The center should be formed from a two-piece block pattern over 5 units reduced to 0.3 cm. The sides are to receive an A-pattern over 4 units increased to 0.5 cm.

Thread-withdrawing is accordingly. From the center of the length, measure 0.75 cm on each side, withdraw 1 thread, leave 4 threads, withdraw 1 thread, measure 2 cm, withdraw 1 thread, leave 4 threads and withdraw a last thread.

Starting 2 cm from the bottom edge, Four-Sided stitches are worked from the back over the 4 groups of four threads. It is important to ensure that the same four horizontal (vertical in the picture) fabric threads are always bundled.

The fabric threads remaining in the center are cut 3.5 cm from the edge. The short thread ends are withdrawn 1.5 cm, laid straight back and held in place with short Back stitches.

The long thread ends are cut about 4 cm from the opposite edge and withdrawn. Using coton à broder No. 16, blocks are first woven into the middle withdrawn-thread line over 10 bundles at a distance of 2 free bundles.

Then the spider blocks are worked over the two remaining thread bundles.

The threads for the side parts are withdrawn in the same way. The desired A-pattern is woven.

Shortly before reaching the opposite side, stop weaving, pull back the fabric thread ends to 2 cm from the edge and hold them in place on the back with short Back stitches.

The needle-waeving pattern is continued over the remaining bundles of threads, tied at the edge at each unit.

From the front it looks like this:

Then the needle-weaving hem is tied to the remaining fabric on the opposite side as well.

A pretty, expressive, wide needle-weaving hem is the result.

The embroidered linen is washed, starched and ironed and sewn together at the sides.

After turning, the fabric can be ironed on again if necessary. The pillow is pushed in. The bottom edges of the fabric are folded in at the 2cm line. The opening is closed with overcast hand stitches.

With not too much effort, a simple, clearly structured pattern was created that harmonises very well with the fabric stripes.

The combination of striped linen with needle-weaving has produced a classy-looking cushion cover.

At the end of the 1980s and the beginning of the 1990s there was a phase in which Schwalm embroidery was colourful. Not in pastel tones, but in strong, sometimes even bright colours. At the time, Aenne Burda Verlag also made some suggestions for colorful Schwalm embroidery in several issues of its magazine Anna. The embroiderers were happy to take up these ideas. Own designs were also implemented in colour. The rustic style matched the furnishing style of the time.

Two shades of red as well as brown, green and golden yellow were chosen for the wall hanging seen here – embroidered by Irmgard Mengel.

The tightly, hand-woven linen made it possible to set the stitches precisely, as can be seen impressively not only with the leaves.

The high thread count of the linen allowed the effective embroidery of filling patterns,

which in this example were all worked with white thread.

The filling pattern embroidered into the tulip caught my attention. I will describe this pattern in the next blog post.

The edge was decorated with Four-Sided stitches and “Trachtenstich”-Costume stitch, and at the bottom with additional double Herringbone stitches.

With the changing taste of the time, these colourful embroidery mostly disappeared in cupboards and chests or were even completely disposed of. People found their way back to the nobler-looking, timeless and original whitework. Today, however, I’m noticing a slight trend towards a desire for subtle colourfulness.