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Tablecloth for all Seasons – October: Creepers and Grapes

By Luzine Happel on 19. October 2014 / blog, small projects, Tablecloth for all Seasons / 2 Comments

Creepers and vines climb on walls and shine replete with shades of red in the golden October sun.

So, I chose the creeper leaf and a bunch of grapes for October.

Originally the leaf shape measures 10 cm in the width and 9.5 cm in the height. Narrowed or enlarged shapes are also suitable.
Originally the bunch of grapes shape measures approx. 8 cm in the width and 6 cm in the height.
Small circles, here representing grapes, are perfect and easy to embroider; they can be stitched with Blanket stitch eyelets. Using this stitch facilitates cutting out the shape later, because it does not need to be secured with an additional Blanket stitch edge.

First, the line drawing has to be transferred onto paper using an iron transfer pencil. Please note, that the shape ends up mirrored when ironed to the linen.

On Weddigen linen, 20/cm thread count, Blanket stitch eyelets, using Coton à broder No. 25 were worked into the circles.

All circles were filled. Small areas between “grapes” remain free, but partial “grapes” are embroidered.

The stem is outlined with Blanket stitches.

The leaf shape needs a Blanket stitch edge for securing the fabric from fraying.
So, on Weddigen linen, 20/cm thread count, Coral Knot stitches are worked along the inside line using Coton à broder No. 20.
Using Coton à broder No. 20 for both, Chain stitches are worked a small distance outside the Coral Knot stitches. The Chain stitches are covered with densely worked Blanket stitches.
Using Coton à broder No. 30 Chain stitches are worked directly inside the Coral Knot stitches.

The shape was filled with the Limet filling pattern 469.
Many other filling patterns are also suitable for this motif. I wanted to achieve a delicate appearing pattern, so I chose fine linen.

After finishing, the embroidered piece was washed (boiled), starched and ironed. Then, the leaf and the bunch of grapes were cut. For cutting the small curves of the grapes, a sharp nail or very delicate embroidery scissors can help. If needed, such closely trimmed embroidery can be washed and ironed – quick and easy – at any time, but never spun in a washing machine!

Schwalm Designs (3) – Scallops (2)

By Luzine Happel on 11. October 2014 / blog, Schwalm designs, tips and tricks / 7 Comments

Scallops are not only used to completely outline a shape, as seen here on the small bud,

small bud outlined with half-eyelet scallops

but they are also an effective embellishment, for example, on baskets, buds, birds or making stems more prominent.

basket decorated at both the top and bottom edges with uniform half-eyelet scallops

bud decorated with uniform half-eyelet scallops

bird decorated with uniform half-eyelet scallops

stem decorated with uniform half-eyelet scallops

Scallops in graduated sizes

bud decorated with half-eyelet scallops in graduated sizes

or arranged fan-like

bud decorated with Satin stitch scallops arranged fan-like and in graduated sizes

are often found in different variations along small buds

bud decorated with scallops arranged fan-like and worked with Coral Knot stitches and Chain stitches

or pomegranate motifs.

pomegranate decorated with scallops arranged fan-like and in graduated sizes, worked with Coral Knot stitches and Chain stitches

pomegranate decorated with scallops of differing sizes, worked with Blanket stitches

Scallops in the shape of leaves sometimes decorate hearts

leave-shaped scallops in different sizes outline a heart, worked with Blanket stitches

or birds

uniform leave-shaped scallops as decoration for a bird, worked with Blanket stitches

Schwalm Costume – The Shoe Buckles

By Luzine Happel on 4. October 2014 / blog, Schwalm Costume / Leave a comment

The Schwalm buckle shoes were closed with buckles. There were different buckles for special uses.

For everyday life women wore pearl buckles. On the surface of these buckles, there was a beady decoration which was created at the foundry.

On Sundays, holidays and special festivities the coloured “Eckenschnallen” (corner buckles) were worn. They were the same for men and women, the only difference being in the size. The buckle maker soldered pieces of copper sheet (also as heart or tulip shapes) or added copper rivets. Also the remaining brass areas were decorated with fine chiseling.

In mourning or for grave occasions, oval buckles (also called “mourning buckles”, “round buckles” or “plain buckles”) were worn. These buckles had holes on each side. Women´s oval buckles had 12 round holes, men´s oval buckles had 8, not always round holes.

The outside ear of the shoe was turned as wide as possible so to still be able to slide through the heart of the buckle

and then the ear was folded so that the tip of the ear was lying on the opposite side of the shoe tongue. Thereby the tip of the heart clawed into the ear.

The inside ear was passed through the buckle. The tongue of the buckle bored through the ear and positioned it

so that the ear was draped at the outside of the shoe.
Remember, the Schwalm shoe fits either the left or right foot. This buckle treatment meant that no matter which foot the shoe was worn on, the ear could be draped to the outside of the foot.

In mourning the inside ear was only passed through the first part of the buckle. The ear part was then laid under the other side of the buckle.

Traditional Craftsmanship – The Buckle Maker

By Luzine Happel on 27. September 2014 / blog, Schwalm Traditional Craftmanship / Leave a comment

The Schwalm buckle shoes were closed with …buckles. They could be bought from a buckle maker.
The buckle maker got the brass blanks from yellow metal foundries in Kassel or Berlin.

The buckle maker had two tasks. First, he had to make the blanks usable by giving them a “heart”

and a “tongue” from black plate.

These components were movable, fastened around a pin.

Sometimes the buckle maker added a year or a sign of his workshop.

Second, the buckle maker had to embellish the festive buckles for holidays with additional decoration. He soldered pieces of copper sheet or copper rivets in bored holes.

Often the face of the copper sheets were finely engraved

or the area surrounding the rivets were decorated with chiseled marks.

In the end the buckles were brought to a mirror finish using mineral spirits and chalk.

Tablecloth for all Seasons – September: Mushrooms

By Luzine Happel on 20. September 2014 / blog, small projects, Tablecloth for all Seasons / 3 Comments

Currently, our forests are full of magnificent – edible and inedible – mushrooms. Nature provides a treasure trove of different models for me to draw.

So, for September, I have chosen mushrooms.

First, the line drawing has to be transferred onto paper using an iron transfer pencil and then transferred to the linen. Because the pieces are cut out later and to not waste linen, the motifs can be placed on the linen close together and randomly. Some motifs will be placed on the straight of grain and others placed on the diagonal – depending on the intended filling pattern.

On Weddigen linen, 13.5/cm thread count, Coral Knot stitches are worked along some lines using Coton à broder No. 16. All sections of a motif that will get a filling pattern later, are outlined with Coral Knot stitches.

Using Coton à broder No. 20 Chain stitches are worked a small distance outside the Coral Knot stitches. The Chain stitches are covered with densely worked Blanket stitches. Because the stems of the mushrooms are often very small, they are not filled with patterns; outline the stems with Chain stitches and cover them with Blanket stitches. Around the stems, the legs of the Blanket stitches should be differing lengths.

Using Coton à broder No. 30 Chain stitches are worked directly inside the Coral Knot stitches.
In the mushroom above, the sections of the mushroom were filled with matching patterns – see Limetrosen 1, Basic Principles of Schwalm Whitework, Wickelstiche.

Some parts of the motif, such as the frayed bottom edge, are worked with Satin stitches.

After finishing, the embroidered pieces were washed (boiled), starched and ironed. Then, the mushrooms were cut. If needed, such closely trimmed embroidery can be washed and ironed – quick and easy – at any time, but never spun in a washing machine!

Such mushrooms are nice to arrange – in groups or as a single specimen.