filling patterns

category: simple drawn thread filling pattern
linen used: 13.5/cm thread-count
threads used: coton à broder No. 20
stitches used: Wrap stitches
horizontal center axis: quadruple withdrawn thread line

The flower motif with the openwork leaves is found on the Schwalm Parade Cushion Border (B).

As you can see from the detail of the original embroidery, it is a kind of staggered pea holes, which do not have Four-Sided stitches as a basis, but consist exclusively of wrap stitches.

I have tried different ways and recommend embroidering the pattern as described below.

Alternate withdrawing 4 fabric threads in one direction and leaving 2 in between. The pattern builds up from the bottom right to the top left.

To do this, wrap around 6 fabric threads of the lowest wide withdrawn thread line 3-4 times.

*Then slide the needle diagonally to the top left under the horizontal pair of fabric threads to the next withdrawn thread line and bring it up between the third and fourth thread of the bundle.

Repeat the stitch once,

return to the starting point and slide the needle under the wrapped bundle of threads to the opposite side.

From there, the needle is led diagonally to the top right crossing over the horizontal pair of threads, inserted again between the third and fourth thread of the bundle and emerges again at the starting point.

Once again, the needle is led diagonally to the top right crossing over the horizontal pair of threads, inserted again between the third and fourth threads of the bundle. This time bring the needle up 6 fabric threads to the left.

The 6 fabric threads lying on the needle form the next bundle. But before you can wrap it, you have to connect the left 3 threads to the underlying pair of threads.
To do this, the needle is led diagonally over the pair of threads to the bottom right, inserted next to the wrapped bundle and brought up again at the starting point.

This stitch is also repeated once,

to then wrap the two bundles of 3 threads together.*

Repeat the steps of working(*).

Reaching the top edge, turn the work 180° and embroider the next row next to the first.

In the places where the thread pairs are already wrapped, these steps can be omitted.
Some rows – not all – move close to the previous one. You can move the bundles slightly with the needle tip to achieve even distances.

In this way, an airy pattern is created that is suitable for filling not too large areas.

category: simple drawn thread filling pattern
linen used: 13.5/cm thread-count
threads used: coton à broder No. 20 for the Four-Sided and No. 16 for the Peaholes
stitches used: Four-Sided stitches and a variation of wrapped Peaholes
horizontal center axis: double withdrawn thread line

The pomegranate motifs come from the Schwalm parade cushion border (B).

As you can see from the two pictures with the original embroidery, the pattern has been worked slightly differently.

Actually it is a variation of the wrapped Peahole,
which can be seen here from the front

and back.

The main difference is the use of thicker thread and additional wrapping of the ends of adjacent bundles of threads.
From this I derived a variation that does not fully correspond to the original, but comes very close.

The pattern shown below is a practice exercise only.

It makes sense to start thread withdrawing in the middle. Here I first have withdrawn the middle pair of threads and then removed 5 more fabric threads on each side, so a total of 12 threads.

Four threads are now alternately left on both sides of the withdrawn thread line and another is withdrawn.

Four-Sided stitches (coton à broder No. 20) are embroidered from the back over the four remaining threads, each bundling 4 fabric threads.

Using coton à broder No. 16 the resulting bundles of threads are wrapped and joined together into Peaholes.

Start with the right bundle of threads and wrap – from bottom to top – around it 12-14 times. The wrapping thread should lie evenly next to each other and should be the same in number across all thread bundles.

*The thread is slide under the crosses of the Four-Sided stitches to the next bundle of threads.

Now wrap from top to bottom. First, the unprocessed bundle and the one to the right of it are joined together by two wrappings.

Then continue to wrap the left bundle of threads until you reach the bottom edge.

There the two thread bundles are pulled together again by two wrappings

and the thread is slide under the crosses of the Four-Sided stitches to the next bundle of threads.

Again wrap from bottom to top, but this time only up to the middle. There, the partially unprocessed bundle of threads and the bundle of threads to the right of it are tightly pulled together with two wrappings.

Then the left thread bundle is wrapped until reaching the upper edge.*

The steps (*) are repeated, on the way down the bundles of threads are joined together at the edges

and on the way up in the middle.

From the front, it looks like this:

Then the remaining area is filled with Four-Sided stitches.

A pretty pattern – particularly suitable for long, narrow motifs – is established.

I have noticed that the variant of the peaholes, which are also wrapped together at the edges, makes working the folded peahole edging much easier.