More and more left-handed people want to learn Schwalm whitework. So I have decided to increase my service in this respect. Perhaps you have already noticed the special instructions for left-handed people in my latest blog posts regarding filling patterns. In future articles I will continue to include left-handed instructions using the same format as seen in Filling Pattern 543 and Filling Pattern 544.
During my many years of teaching, I often cooperated with left-handers, and so I was able to gain different perspectives. Some of them told me that when they were young they had to learn to embroider using the right hand. But even with a lot of practice stitching with the right hand, using the right hand will never feel 100 percent natural to the left-hander. Stitching will be a strain and less enjoyable for the left-hander forced to conform to right-handed methods.
Others suggested to turn the instruction books upside down to get the correct view of the images, but this is not true for all stitches. Moreover, the accompanying text is not readable in this position.
For some techniques like Cross stitch, where one only needs to learn one stitch, it is conceivably possible for the left-hander to work without special instructions.
But Schwalm whitework is made special by the multitude of different stitches used in one project. And this makes learning it difficult for all, but left-handers are especially overwhelmed without exact instructions.
Years ago, at the request of and in cooperation with a young lady, I decided to publish a left-hander edition of my basic book. The left-hander edition was totally revised with new text and pictures. The young lady worked step-by-step using my instructions and did not experience any difficulties. Later translations to English and French followed. With the help of Mary Corbet´s website, I found embroiderers to test my English publication. They also did not have difficulties following my instructions, but they found the project much too elaborate for a beginner. It is, and will continue to be, a good reference book for advanced embroiderers.
Next I reworked – for the left-hander – my lesson #1 booklet. I received many thanks and compliments for “such great left-handed instructions” but also requests for more left-hander instructions. Now all my lesson booklets have an edition specifically written for the left-hander. They are available in my shop.
Details of the contents are found in the following blog posts:
New Lessons for Beginners – An Overview
Lesson #1 for lefthander – Happel Hearts
Lesson #2 for left hander – Tulip Wreath
Lesson #3 for left-hander – Openwork Circle Design Ornaments
Lesson #4 for left-hander – Needle-Weaving Band Sampler
Finally left-handers can also learn – without going against their natural inclinations – all the many facets of beautiful, diverse, and immensely interesting Schwalm whitework.
Do you know left-handed embroiderers? Please feel free to forward this good news to them.
Dear Mrs. Luzine I am grateful, to dedicate myself to left-handed women, I am Italian, I took her bases of the hessian embroidery for left-handed people. Although in English, I find it beautiful, and attention to detail. Thank you, maybe and ask too much if also dedicated in Italian own this wonderful album that I keep carefully.