Konturenmuster

Asking my design artist for small patterns for practicing leaves, tendrils, eyelets, and other small shapes used in Schwalm whitework, she came up with a couple of delicate wreath designs. While embroidering some of them, and since I know that many embroiderers share my love of these delicate wreath designs, I got the idea to offer them to you. I have decided to show the designs in a way appropriate to the season – via an Advent calendar!

Advent calendars are a traditional German custom established in the middle of the 19th century, and they are now common in most Christian communities. They help to shorten the long wait for Christmas and to increase the anticipation. Advent calendars were at first simply twenty-four lines drawn on the wall, one for each day from December first to the twenty-fourth, and the children could delete one every day. Later the Advent calendar evolved into many other forms – pictures, small chocolate pieces, candies, little tales, and many others.

I will help to mark your days and to increase your anticipation by showing you my embroidered delicate wreaths – one every day, beginning on 01 December. Please look forward to them!

And if you want to work them yourself, I offer here the twenty-four different designs, some with winter or Christmas motifs, and some with motifs appropriate for anytime of the year.

Not everybody is interested in all the designs. So, I made two downloadable documents – one with a collection of somewhat simpler and easy-to-work examples and one with a collection of more elaborate designs.

All designs come in different sizes. Set 1 shows each design in diameters of approximately 5 cm, 8 cm and 10 cm, and six of the designs additionally in diameter of 12 cm. Set 2 shows each design in diameters of approximately 5 cm, 8 cm, 10 cm and 12 cm, and one design additionally in diameter of 19 cm. The smallest ones are for people who love to do tiny work. They have to be embroidered on very fine and densely woven linen. The examples shown in the December posts have mostly been embroidered using one of the middle sizes. I used 19/21/cm thread count handwoven linen and coton à broder No. 20 and No. 25. Stitching the somewhat larger – but still delicate – sizes is more comfortable. For the larger design size, 16/cm or 40/inch thread count linen should be used.
In the documents one can also find some helpful tips, that offer brief explanations of how to embroider the different shapes. One will also find detailed images of embroidered examples that illustrate the tips.

Of course it is also possible to get this publication as a printed booklet for the same price plus shipping charges. This option is not shown in my online shop, so please email leuchtbergverlag@aol.com me with your request.