Encyclopedia of Needlework Part 1

Encyclopedia of Needlework.

by Therese de Dillmont.

Preface.

The absolute want of any comprehensive book on needlework--such an one as contains both verbal and pictorial descriptions of everything included under the name of needlework--has led me to put into the serviceable form of an Encyclopedia, all the knowledge and experience, which years of unceasing study and practice have enabled me to acc.u.mulate on the subject, with the hope that diligent female workers of all ages, may be able, by its means to instruct themselves in every branch of plain and fancy needlework.

All the patterns given, even the most insignificant, were worked afresh for the purpose, and thus, not merely faithful representations, but also lucid and intelligible explanations of the same, are secured.

In order that my readers may have something besides the dull theory, the work is enlivened by a number of useful patterns, some new, some derived from the artistic productions of such countries and epochs as have become famous by special excellence in the domain of needlework.

Though, at first sight, the reproduction of many of these patterns may seem to present insuperable difficulties, they will, after a careful study of the text, and exact attention to the directions given, prove easy to carry out.

Many of these interesting designs are drawn from private collections, whose owners, with great kindness, placed their treasures at my disposal, to copy and borrow from at discretion, for which I desire to take the present opportunity, of tendering them my warmest thanks.

The choice of colours and material--a difficult matter to many--my readers will find rendered comparatively easy to them by the notes affixed to the ill.u.s.trations; and I may point out, that most of the patterns were worked with D.M.C cottons, which enjoy the well-earned reputation of being, the very best of their kind, in the market of the world.

Experience has convinced me that, in many instances, these cottons may with advantage take the place of wool, linen thread, and even silk.

If this work meet with indulgent judges, and prove really useful, I shall find ample reward in that fact for the trouble and difficulties that have unavoidably attended its completion.

[Ill.u.s.tration: STRIPE SHOWING RUNNING, St.i.tCHING, b.u.t.tON-HOLING, AND HERRING-BONING.]

Plain Sewing.

Many, on opening the Encyclopedia of needlework will be disposed to exclaim as they read the heading of this first section: What is the use of describing all the old well-known st.i.tches, when machines have so nearly superseded the slower process of hand-sewing? To this our reply is that, of all kinds of needlework, Plain Sewing needs to be most thoroughly learned, as being the foundation of all. Those who are able to employ others to work for them, should at least know how to distinguish good work from bad, and those who are in less fortunate circ.u.mstances, have to be taught how to work for themselves.

POSITION OF THE BODY AND HANDS.--Before describing different kinds of st.i.tches, a word should be said as to the position of the body and hands when at work. Long experience has convinced me that no kind of needlework necessitates a stooping or cramped att.i.tude. To obviate which, see that your chair and table suit each other in height, and that you so hold your work as hardly to need to bend your head at all. The practice of fastening the work to the knee, besides being ungraceful, is injurious to the health.

NEEDLES.--These should be of the best quality. To test a needle, try to break it; if it resist, and then break clean in two, the steel is good; if it bend without breaking, or break without any resistance, it is bad. Never use a bent needle, it makes ugly and irregular st.i.tches, and see that the eye, whether round or egg-shaped, be well-drilled, that it may not fray or cut the thread. Long or half-long needles are the best for white work, long ones for dress-making, and longer ones still, with long eyes, for darning. A stock of each, from No 5 to 12, is advised. The needle should always be a little thicker than the thread, to make an easy pa.s.sage for it through the stuff.

To keep needles from rusting, strew a little stone alum in the packets, and workers whose hands are apt to get damp, should have a small box of it handy, to powder their fingers with. Blackened needles can be made quite bright again by drawing them through an emery cushion.

SCISSORS.--Scissors are a very important accessory of the work-table, and two varieties are indispensable; a pair of large ones for cutting-out, with one point blunt and the other sharp, the latter to be always held downwards; and a pair of smaller ones with two sharp points.

The handles should be large and round; if at all tight, they tire and disfigure the hand.

THIMBLE.--Steel thimbles are the best; bone are very liable to break, and silver ones are not deeply enough pitted, to hold the needle. A thimble should be light, with a rounded top and flat rim.

THE THREAD.--Except for tacking, your thread should never be more than from 40 to 50 c/m. long.[1] If the thread is in skeins, it does not matter which end you begin with, but if you use reeled cotton, thread your needle with the end that points to the reel, when you cut it; as the other end will split, and unravel, when twisted from left to right, which is generally done, to facilitate the process of threading. The cotton should always be cut, as it is weakened by breaking.

KNOTTING THE THREAD INTO THE NEEDLE (fig. 1).--When the thread becomes inconveniently short, and you do not want take a fresh one, it may be knotted into the needle, thus: bring it round the forefinger close to the needle, cross it on the inside next to the finger, hold the crossed threads fast, with the thumb draw the needle out through the loop thus formed, and tighten the loop round both ends.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 1. KNOTTING THE THREAD INTO THE NEEDLE.]

MATERIALS.--For tacking, use Coton a coudre D.M.C qualite superieure (black and gold stamp) Nos. 2 to 6.[A] For hand-sewing, Fil d'Alsace D.M.C Nos. 30 to 700,[A] and Fil a dentelle D.M.C, b.a.l.l.s or reels, Nos.

25 to 100[A] will be found most useful. For machine-work: Cable 6 fils pour machines D.M.C, Nos. 30 to 300,[A] black and white, or white and blue stamp. These can also be used for hand-work. Both these and the lace-thread (Fil a dentelle) on reels, are superfine in quality. The medium sizes are the most useful; but the only suitable ones for very fine and delicate fabrics are the Fil a dentelle D.M.C, and Fil d'Alsace, and the latter only is manufactured in the higher numbers.

All these threads are to be had, wound in b.a.l.l.s, or on reels, the buyer may make his own choice; b.a.l.l.s are apt to get tangled, but the cotton preserves its roundness better than when it is wound on reels. Linen is generally sewn with linen-thread, but Fil a dentelle and the Fil d'Alsace are very good subst.i.tutes.

POSITION OF THE HANDS (fig. 2).--The stuff, fastened to a cushion, must be held with the left hand, which should neither rest on the table, nor on the cushion, the needle must be held between the thumb and forefinger, of the right hand, and the middle finger, armed with the thimble, pushes the needle far enough through the stuff, for the other fingers to take hold of it and draw it out; the thread then comes to lie between the fourth and fifth fingers in the form of a loop, which must be tightened gradually to avoid its knotting.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 2. POSITION OF THE HANDS.]

POSITION OF THE HANDS WITHOUT CUSHION (fig. 3).--When the work cannot be fastened to a cushion it should be held between the forefinger and the thumb, and left hanging down, over the other fingers. If it need to be more firmly held, draw it between the fourth and fifth fingers, which will prevent it from getting puckered or dragged.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 3. POSITION OF THE HANDS WITHOUT CUSHION.]

St.i.tCHES.--Plain-Sewing comprises 4 varieties of st.i.tches, (1) running, (2) back-st.i.tching, (3) hemming and (4) top or over-sewing.

(1) RUNNING-St.i.tCH (fig. 4).--This is the simplest and easiest of all.

Pa.s.s the needle in and out of the material, at regular intervals, in a horizontal direction, taking up three or four threads at a time. If the stuff allow, several st.i.tches may be taken on the needle at once, before the thread is drawn out. Running-st.i.tch is used for plain seams, for joining light materials, for making gathers and for hems.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 4. RUNNING-St.i.tCH.]

(2) BACK-St.i.tCH (fig. 5).--Insert the needle, and draw it out six threads further on, carry your thread back, from left to right, and insert the needle three threads back from the point at which it was last drawn out, and bring it out six threads beyond. St.i.tching and back-st.i.tching are better and more quickly done by machine than by hand.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 5. BACK-St.i.tCH.]

St.i.tCHING (fig. 6).--The production of a row of back-st.i.tches, that exactly meet one another, const.i.tutes what is called st.i.tching. Only one st.i.tch can be made at a time, and the needle must be put in, exactly at the point where it was drawn out to form the preceding back-st.i.tch, and brought out as many threads further on as were covered by the last back-st.i.tch. The beauty of st.i.tching depends on the uniform length of the st.i.tches, and the straightness of the line formed, to ensure which it is necessary to count the threads for each st.i.tch, and to draw a thread to mark the line. If you have to st.i.tch in a slanting line across the stuff, or the stuff be such as to render the drawing of a thread impossible, a coloured tacking thread should be run in first, to as a guide.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 6. St.i.tCHING.]

St.i.tCHED HEM (fig. 7).--Make a double turning, as for a hem, draw a thread two or three threads above the edge of the first turning, and do your st.i.tching through all three layers of stuff; the right side will be that on which you form your st.i.tches.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 7. St.i.tCHED HEM.]

(3) HEMMING-St.i.tCH (fig. 8).--To make a good hem, your stuff must be cut in the line of the thread. Highly dressed stuffs, such as linen and calico; should be rubbed in the hand, to soften them, before the hem is laid. Your first turning should not be more than 2 m/m. wide; turn down the whole length of your hem, and then make the second turning of the same width, so that the raw edge is enclosed between two layers of stuff.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 8. HEMMING-St.i.tCH.]

Narrow hems do not need to be tacked, but wide ones, where the first turning should only be just wide enough to prevent the edge from fraying, ought always to be. In hemming you insert the needle and thread directed in a slanting position towards you, just below the edge of the hem, and push it out two threads above, and so on to the end, setting the st.i.tches, two or three threads apart, in a continuous straight line. To ensure the hem being straight, a thread may be drawn to mark the line for the second turning, but it is not a good plan, especially in shirt-making, as the edge of the stuff, too apt in any case, to cut and fray, is, thereby, still further weakened. Hems in woollen materials, which will not take a bend, can only be laid and tacked, bit by bit. In making, what are called rolled hems, the needle must be slipped in, so as only to pierce the first turning, in order that the st.i.tches may not be visible on the outside.

FLAT SEAM (fig. 9).--Lay your two edges, whether straight or slanting, exactly even, tack them together with st.i.tches 2 c/m. long, distant 1 to 2 c/m. from the edge, and then back-st.i.tch them by machine or by hand, following the tacking-thread. Cut off half the inner edge, turn the outer one in, as for a hem and sew it down with hemming-st.i.tches.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 9. FLAT SEAM.]

Smooth the seam underneath with the forefinger as you go, to make it lie quite flat. Beginners should flatten down the seam with their thimbles, or with the handle of the scissors, before they begin to hem, as the outer and wider edge is very apt to get pushed up and bulge over, in the sewing, which hides the st.i.tches.

ROUNDED SEAM.--Back-st.i.tch your two edges together, as above directed, then cut off the inner edge to a width of four threads, and roll the outer one in, with the left thumb, till the raw edge is quite hidden, hemming as you roll. This kind of seam, on the wrong side, looks like a fine cord, laid on, and is used in making the finer qualities of underclothing.

FASTENING THREADS OFF, AND ON (fig. 10).--Knots should be avoided in white work. To fasten on, in hemming, turn the needle backwards with the point up, take one st.i.tch, and stroke and work the end of the thread in, underneath the turning. To fasten on, in back-st.i.tching or running, make one st.i.tch with the new thread, then take both ends and lay them down together to the left, and work over them, so that they wind in, and out of the next few st.i.tches.