To work it .Trace two parallel
lines upon the material about one-eighth of an inch apart, and bring the
thread through at the right-hand end of the lower line. Throw the thread
across to the left and hold it slackly under the thumb. Place the needle
pointing towards the worker under this held thread, then twist it round
towards the left and over the held thread until it points in the opposite
direction. It will now have the thread twisted loosely over it. Next, insert
the needle on the upper line one-eighth of an inch from the starting-point,
and bring it through on the lower line exactly underneath. Place the thumb
over the stitch in process of making and draw the thread through as the
diagram shows. It can be worked openly or more closely as preferred.
Cable
Chain Stitch How To
Cable chain is descriptively
named, for, when worked with a stoutly twisted thread, it has very much the
appearance of a chain laid upon the material, rather too much so perhaps to
be a pretty embroidery stitch. To work it .Bring the needle through at the
top of the traced line, throw the thread round to the left and hold it down
with the thumb near where it has come through the material. Pass the needle
under the held down thread from left to right and draw it through until there
is only a small loop left. Insert the needle in the center of this loop, on
the traced line about one-sixteenth of an inch below the starting-point.
Bring it out a quarter of an inch below and outside the loop. Take the thread
in the right hand and tighten the loop that has now been formed, and then
pass the thread under the point of the needle towards the left (see diagram).
Place the left thumb over the stitch in process of making and draw the thread
through; this will complete the first two links of the chain; to continue,
repeat from the beginning.
Knotted
Chain Stitch How To
Knotted chain is a pretty stitch;
to look well it must be worked with a stout thread. To carry it out .Trace
two parallel lines upon the material, about one-eighth of an inch apart.
Bring the thread through at the right hand end in the center between the two
lines, then insert the needle on the upper line one-sixteenth of an inch
further along, and bring it through on the lower line immediately below. Draw
the thread through and there will be a short slanting line left upon the
material. Throw the thread round to the left and hold it under the thumb,
then pass the needle and thread through the slanting line from above
downwards, leaving the thread a little slack. Place the thread again under
the thumb, then in the same way as before, from above downwards, pass the
needle and thread through this slack loop. This makes the first two links of
the chain; the last one will not be properly fixed in place until the next
stitch is taken. The dotted vertical line on the diagram shows the piece of
material taken up by the needle upon commencing the next stitch.
Split
Stitch How To
Split stitch is a most useful one
for many purposes. It is difficult to distinguish from a fine chain when
done, but in the working it much more resembles stem stitch. It can be
carried out in the hand or in a frame. This stitch, frequently seen upon
ancient work, was much used for both draperies and features; the lines of the
stitching usually, by their direction, expressing moulding of form or folds
of drapery. To work it .Bring the thread through at the lower end of the
traced line, then insert the needle about one-eighth of an inch further
along, and bring it through on the line two or three threads nearer the
starting-point; whilst bringing it through take it also through the centre of
the working thread, which thus splits each stitch.
Satin
Stitch How To
Satin stitch is perhaps the most
commonly used of all stitches. It is more quickly worked by hand, but for
complicated work the help of a frame is required. Floss silk thread is seen
to greatest advantage in a stitch of this kind, for it shows off the
glossiness of silk particularly well. It is straightforward in the working
and needs no further description than is given by the diagram. The stitches
may vary in length, they must neither be impracticably long nor, on the other
hand, too much cut up, lest the silky effect be partly lost. These stitches
lie close together and in parallel lines; the chief difference between satin
and several other closely allied stitches being that these others may radiate
or vary in direction according to the space to be filled. The stitch is
usually worked in oblique lines; stems, leaves, and petals would be treated
in this way; sometimes it is worked regularly having regard to the warp and
woof of the material; it would be treated thus when used in conjunction with
cross or stroke stitch.
It will be seen that there is as
much silk at the back as on the front of the work. There is a method of
carrying out the stitch by which this waste of material at the back is
avoided; the thread is returned to the front close to where it went through
instead of crossing over and coming up on the other side. The effect on the right
side, however, is not so good, so this method cannot be recommended.
One of the technical difficulties
with satin stitch is to get a neat firm line at the edges of the filled
space; this is excellently attained by the Chinese and Japanese, who use this
satin stitch a great deal. They frequently work each petal of a complicated
flower separately, leaving as a division, between each one and the next, a
fine line of material firmly and clearly drawn.
The stitch is much used for raised
work, and also lends itself well to gradation of color. Above is an example
of shading in satin stitch. In this case each new row of stitches fits in
just between those of the last row; this is a bold but very effective method
of expressing gradation. Apart from gradation of color, the surface to be
covered by satin stitch has often to be partitioned up in some way in order
to make the satin stitches of a practical length
Long
and Short Stitch How To
Long and short stitch is a very
slight variation, if any, from satin stitch. The name describes the method of
working, for it is carried out by working alternately a long and a short
stitch, the stitches being picked up just as in satin stitch. It is useful
for close fillings and shaded work, and also as a solid outline for any kind
of open filling. The working of the stitch can be seen in above, where the
band of lightest color on the upper part of the leaf is worked in long and
short stitch. The advantage of this way of working can be seen at once, it
makes a firm outline on the one edge and a nicely broken up one on the other,
just ready for another shade to be worked in. In order to carry out the rest
of the shading on the leaf in the same way the stitches can be all of the
same length; this will always ensure a broken line at the edge, which is a
necessity for this method of gradation. Long and short stitch used as an
outline for a leaf . The opus plumarium or feather stitch that we read of in
the descriptions of the old embroideries was a similar stitch to this, and so
called, some say, because it resembled the plumage of a bird.
Stem
Stitch How To
Stem stitch, well known and
frequently in use for various purposes, such as for lines, outlines, gradated
and flat fillings, and so on, is usually done in the hand, and is quite
simple. If a broad line is required the needle is put in more obliquely, and
a raised effect can be obtained by working over a laid thread. The thread
must be kept to the same side of the needle, either to the left or to the
right as better suits the purpose in hand; the effect is more line-like when
it is kept to the right. Occasionally, when just a double line is to be
worked, it is deliberately done in the two ways, and then the line resembles
a narrow plait.
Overcast
Stitch How To
Overcast stitch in embroidery is
practically a very short raised satin stitch. It requires neat workmanship,
and then makes a bold clear line or outline. To work it .Run or couch down a
thread on the traced line, then with fine thread cover this over with close
upright stitches, picking up as little material as possible each time in
order to make the line clear and round. The stitch is worked most perfectly
in a frame.
Backstitch
How To
Back stitch sometimes makes a good
line or outline. To work it —Bring the needle through one-sixteenth of an
inch from the end of the traced line, insert it at the commencement and bring
it through again one-sixteenth of an inch beyond where it first came out.
Each stitch, it will be seen, commences at the point where the last one
finished.
Buttonhole
Stitch How To
Buttonhole stitch, which is well
known in plain needlework, is very useful also in embroidery, besides being
an important stitch in needlepoint lace. Owing to its construction it is well
suited for the covering of raw edges, but it is also adaptable to a variety
of other purposes, such as are open or close fillings of leaves and flowers,
cut work, and the outlining of applied work.
To work the ordinary buttonhole
stitch . Bring the needle through at the left-hand end of the traced line,
hold the thread down to the left with the thumb and insert the needle as
shown in the diagram, draw it through over the held thread to complete the
stitch. It is worked openly in the diagram, but it may, as required, be
either more or less open or quite closed.
French
Knots Stitch How To
French knots can be worked in the
hand or in a frame. They are easier to manage in the latter, and to look well
they must be neatly and firmly made. Completed they should resemble beads
lying end upwards on the material. To work the French knot .Bring the thread
through the material at the required point, take hold of it with the left
finger and thumb near the starting-point (A on plan), then let the point of
the needle encircle the held thread twice, twist the needle round and insert
it at point B on plan, draw the thread through to the back, not letting go
the held thread until necessary.
Feather
Stitch How To
The feather stitch, often used to
decorate plain needlework, The stitch is so simple and so much in use as
hardly to need description;. There can be many slight variations of the
stitch, the worker perhaps devising them needle in hand.
