Design for Practice Exercises

The artist Gudrun Hartwig designed one more beautiful small design for practicing Coral Knot stitches, tendrils, forks, and Blanket stitch eyelets.

The design is transferred to the linen (here: 20/cm thread count). Using coton à broder No. 20 Coral Knot stitches are worked. It is best to start with the tendril.

Start working a branch anywhere on the design. Do not secure the beginning tail of the thread, but let 10 cm of thread remain on the front of the fabric. (Keeping the beginning tail of the thread on the front instead of the back of the fabric ensures that it will not be caught in the stitches.)

Work the first section of the branch. Work a somewhat wider Coral Knot stitch directly after passing the fork.

Continue working in the established way until reaching the next fork. Again work a somewhat wider stitch and continue in the established way.

Reaching the end of the line, on the back secure the working thread in the stitches just worked to arrive back at the fork.

From there work the offshoot.

Now thread the beginning tail of the thread, bring it to the back of the fabric, and slide it through the stitches to the fork.

From there work the offshoot and secure the thread.

Working this way, all forks turned out well.

Using coton à broder No. 25 work the Blanket stitch eyelets.

Since the back side is relatively tidy,

I used this piece to make a two-sided ornament per Cindy Russell’s instructions. My circle cutter has at last leaped into action!