Needle-Weaving Cushion G

By on 14. July 2023   /   blog, embroideries   /   1 Comment

This cushion cover by Christa Waldmann is decorated all over with embroidery.

Two wide needle-waeving bands frame an equally wide, openwork pattern border.

The 9-unit needle-weaving hems with mirror patterns have a segment of 20 bundles.

They are bordered at the top and the bottom by a row of peahole hemstitches.
The openwork border shows popular figurative needle-weaving patterns in the Schwalm – star and tree.

The cushion was fitted with a red ticking. The colour contrast makes the patterns stand out particularly well – they “show off”, as the women from Schwalm put it.

The coluor for the Cross stitches of initials and year was chosen to match the ticking. Tulip ornaments separate the characters, bird motifs complete the cross-stitch embroidery on both sides.

On top a grand Schwalm crown was embroidered in white.

Needle-Weaving Cushion F
Needle-Weaving Cushion E
Needle-Weaving Cushion D
Needle-Weaving Cushion C
Needle-Weaving Cushion B
Needle-Weaving Cushion A

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

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

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Shop window in focus

By on 7. July 2023   /   Exhibitions, blog, embroideries, Stickereien der Blogleser   /   1 Comment

The beautiful half-timbered town of Wanfried is home to a very active embroidery group. The ladies have been meeting regularly for years and indulge in their hobby – Schwalm whitework. Some older embroiderers have meanwhile left, but younger ones have followed. Even the breaks during the corona pandemic and the loss of their teacher did not make the group give up. On the contrary: the eleven group members meet regularly every other week for two hours each, exchange information on the progress made in their work at home, help each other with problems, embroider together and motivate each other. They are also happy to pass on their knowledge to interested outsiders.

The group around Heike Wagner, who was born in Schwalm, appreciates the outstanding importance of Schwalm whitework. The ladies act as supporters should the Schwalm whitework be included in the list of intangible cultural heritage.

But regardless of the entry, they are also involved in a variety of ways to raise awareness of embroidery again and to make it known to younger people.

Recently they lovingly decorated a shop window with some of their intricate embroidery. As in all cities, there are vacancies in Wanfried. Some homeowners make their shop windows available for free decoration so that the cityscape doesn’t look too desolate. The embroidery group took advantage of such an opportunity. They show the variety of possible patterns on cushions, tea clothes, doilies, small bags, wall hangings and a christening robe.

With the public exhibition, they address locals and tourists – interested parties are invited to the embroidery meetings for more information.

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Irmgard´s Needle-Weaving Doily

By on 23. June 2023   /   blog, embroideries, Stickereien der Blogleser   /   1 Comment

Irmgard Mengel from Germany has decorated a small doily with precise stitches of an elaborate needle-weaving hem.

The needle-weaving hem, divided twice by a row of Four-Sided stitches, consists of 3-unit bands with two-part or four-part block patterns.

It has a segment of 36 bundles.

Due to the subdivision with Four-Sided stitches, fabric threads remain at the corners, which can be used to design the corner.

In this example, needle-weaving stitches have been embroidered over the threads and then threads have been laod into some of the free squares. The corner parts were decorated with needle-weaving patterns, the spider in the middle was wrapped.

With a needle-weaving hem with such a large segment, one has to work one´s way slowly from one corner to the next, counting the bundles and only then withdrawing the threads for the adjacent side. This gives matching patterns on both sides of the corner.

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Needle-Weaving Cushion F

By on 16. June 2023   /   blog, embroideries   /   Leave a comment

This cushion is decorated with a wide needle-weaving hem at the bottom. A grand Schwalm crown was embroidered above it.

The 9-unit needle-weaving hem with a two-piece block pattern has a segment of 34 bundles.

The needle-weaving hem looks very striking thanks to the alternation of wide, dense and light blocks, lined with coloured ticking.
A Peahole hem softens the severe effect.

The enlarged design of a typically grand Schwalm crown served as pattern for the accompanying whitework.

Finest Satin stitch embroidery alternating with motifs designed in delicate withdrawn thread patterns contrast with the eye-catching needle-weaving hem.

Needle-Weaving Cushion E
Needle-Weaving Cushion D
Needle-Weaving Cushion C
Needle-Weaving Cushion B
Needle-Weaving Cushion A

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

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

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Colette’s Stars are Shining

By on 9. June 2023   /   blog, embroideries, Stickereien der Blogleser   /   Leave a comment

When visiting my exhibition, Colette Bonnet discovered various embroideries that she liked and that she would like to work on herself. This also applies to the “hellebores and star” pattern, which can be seen in the last picture of this article.

However, she thought of embroidering the pattern onto a tapered lampshade. This was advised against after choosing the wire frame for the lampshade and in consultation with the lady who was to cover it with the embroidered linen. Instead of the large pattern, she chose individual stars of different sizes and spread them over the fabric.

The larger stars were given a center circle with different filling patterns from the book Stars.

The smaller stars were each only embroidered as an outline.

The pattern unfolds its full effect and its very special charm, especially in light.

It was also important to have a lampshade assembly specialist. In Claudine MAZUIR – 393 Chemin de la Montagnette – 30500 SAINT AMBROIX cmazuir27@gmail.com Colette has found such a professional.

The unique embroidery and the perfect assembly enchant Colette’s lamp into an exquisite piece of jewellery.

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