Encyclopedia of Needlework Part 66

Coming back, you pa.s.s the needle under the stuff and the st.i.tch on the right side, and bring it out at the bottom of the st.i.tch; then you make a back st.i.tch over two horizontal and two vertical threads, pa.s.s the needle over two straight threads, put it in behind the same, bring it out again near the upper st.i.tch and then insert it near the bottom vertical st.i.tch; after this you carry it to the second st.i.tch lower down and pa.s.s it over the same. Four threads should meet in every hole which the needle makes. The third and fourth row should be worked in a colour that forms a sharp contrast with the one in which the two first rows are worked and const.i.tute with these one complete row of st.i.tches, fig. 856.

Figs. 857, 858 and 859 show how the same st.i.tch can be worked in straight, instead of in diagonal rows.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 855. TRIANGULAR TURKISH St.i.tCH WORKED DIAGONALLY.

FIRST JOURNEY COMPLETED AND SECOND BACK, BEGUN.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 856. TRIANGULAR TURKISH St.i.tCH WORKED DIAGONALLY.

TWO JOURNEYS TO AND FRO FORMING THE COMPLETE ROW.]

The dark shade in fig. 859 shows the first row of st.i.tches, the light, the second, or rather the third and fourth, as four rows of st.i.tches are required to make one complete row of triangular Turkish st.i.tch.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 857. TRIANGULAR TURKISH St.i.tCH WORKED HORIZONTALLY.

FIRST JOURNEY.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 858. TRIANGULAR TURKISH St.i.tCH WORKED HORIZONTALLY.

FIRST JOURNEY BACK.]

PATTERN WORKED IN TRIANGULAR TURKISH St.i.tCH AND GOBELIN St.i.tCH (fig.

860).--The diagonal lines are all worked with Chine gold and blue, and gold and red. The st.i.tch we have just described is most effective in conjunction with other kinds of embroidery, as ill.u.s.trated in fig. 860, where it is combined with Gobelin st.i.tch.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 859. TRIANGULAR TURKISH St.i.tCH WORKED HORIZONTALLY.

SECOND JOURNEY BACK.]

The running foundation is divided into slanting squares; the diagonal lines are all worked in gold and red. The squares number 9 st.i.tches inside, these are followed by a tenth which is covered by the first st.i.tch of the next square. Where two kinds of coloured gold thread are used, one square will be framed on all sides by one kind, say, gold and blue for instance, the next by the other, gold and red.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 860. PATTERN WORKED IN TRIANGULAR TURKISH St.i.tCH.

MATERIALS: Chine d'or D.M.C. COLOURS: Gold and red, gold and dark blue, gold and light blue, gold and green.]

The stalk that divides the two little leaves and has a small lozenge at the top, is begun above the fifth of the 9 st.i.tches; you make 5 st.i.tches, but in such a manner as to end at the top of these 5 with the st.i.tch that runs in a diagonal direction over the threads, turned to the inside of the stalk, so that the last st.i.tch of the first row may form with the first st.i.tch of the second row, a triangle at the top of the stalk, which is surmounted by the aforesaid lozenge.

The lozenges in Chine gold and light blue, of which there are three in each of the half squares, besides those that terminate the stalk, consist of 9 st.i.tches, the first, extending over 3 threads, the second over 5, the third over 7, the fourth over 9 and the fifth over 11; the four next decreasing in a similar manner. The leaves in Chine gold and green, on either side of the stalk, also begin with a st.i.tch over 3 threads of the stuff, followed by 8, each increasing in length by one thread on the side of the stalk, but all equal on the other, the last extending over 12 threads of the stuff. After these 9, the subsequent 8 must decrease in the same manner by one thread on the opposite side; then you make 4 more extending over only 3 threads and set the contrary way to the others.

The zig-zag border and the small squares of 5 st.i.tches within it are worked entirely in Chine gold and red.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 861. TURKISH EMBROIDERY. MATERIALS: Chine d'or D.M.C No. 30 and Coton a broder D.M.C No. 40.[A] COLOURS--For the Chine: Gold and red, gold and dark blue and gold and green. For the Coton a broder: Noir grand-teint 310.[A]]

TURKISH EMBROIDERY (fig. 861).--The powdering of flowers and also the border are worked like the preceding pattern in two-sided Gobelin st.i.tch. Embroidery of this kind looks best on Algerian linen, which is exactly like the Turkish stuff. It is not absolutely necessary to count the threads for the little flowers and stalks, but it is as well to do so for the border, that you may be sure to get the zig-zags perfectly regular.

The petals of the flowers are worked alternately in Chine gold and red, and gold and blue, the centre in Or fin D.M.C pour la broderie and the leaves and stalks in Chine gold and green. The petals are set with stem st.i.tch in fine black Coton a broder and if the embroidery is to be the same on both sides this setting must be repeated at the back.

The distribution of colours in the border is left to the taste of the worker, but we should recommend for the zig-zags Chine gold and red, as being the most effective.

APPLIQUe WORK (fig. 862).--Applique work means the laying on of pieces of one kind of stuff on to a foundation of a different kind, so as to form a pattern--these pieces of stuff of various shapes and sizes, taking the place of solid needlemade embroidery.

Applique work may be done on linen, silk, velvet, plush and leather. The stuff out of which the pattern is cut has, in most cases, to be backed first with very fine tissue paper.

This is done in the following manner with starch paste, which dries quicker than any other. Spread the paste on the paper with a brush, carefully removing all the little lumps; it should only be just liquid enough to make the stuff and the paper adhere perfectly together and above all must never penetrate to the right side of the stuff. When the paper has been evenly spread with the paste, lay your stuff upon it and smooth and press it down with a clean cloth, stroking it out carefully in the line of the thread to prevent its becoming in the least dragged or puckered, or any air remaining between it and the paper.

You next lay several sheets of paper without a mark or a fold in them, on a perfectly smooth flat board, and upon these, your paper-lined stuff, covered in its turn with several loose sheets of paper, all being kept in their place by another board with several stones or heavy weights laid upon it to act as a press. Leave the stuff in the press until it be quite dry. You will find that any kind of fabric, even the slightest, can be rendered available in this manner for applique work, not even plush or velvet being in the least injured by the process.

You then transfer the whole pattern on to the foundation, whatever it happen to be, but only the detached figures on to the paper-lined stuff, carefully cutting out the latter with a very sharp pair of scissors so as to avoid unravelling the threads along the edges.

The foundation, stretched in a frame, as described on page 115, fig.

236, is to be placed on a board or table in such a manner that only the stuff rests upon it, whilst the frame projects on all four sides.

Then cover the cut-out figures with paste on the wrong side and fit them into their proper places upon the foundation. In larger pieces of work especially, this should be done as quickly as possible so that a board with weights upon it, to serve as a press, may be laid over them all at once.

The board must not be removed until the paste be dry; then you can begin the needlework, fastening down the applique figures and finishing them off round the edges by laying down a fine round, cord, or by flat st.i.tches.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 862. APPLIQUe WORK.]

You either sew on the cord with invisible st.i.tches, opening it a little at each st.i.tch so as to slip the needle and thread in between the twist, or else with ordinary overcasting st.i.tches.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 863. MOROCCO EMBROIDERY. MATERIALS--According to the stuff: Fil a pointer D.M.C, Cordonnet 6 fils D.M.C, Coton a broder D.M.C or Coton a repriser D.M.C[A]. COLOUR: Rouge-Cardinal 346[A].]

In either case it must be so laid on as completely to hide the cut edges and keep them from fraying.

Should you wish to frame the applique figures with flat embroidery, you must bring your needle out close to the cut edge and enter it, 1 or 2 m/m. within the edge from above.

Both, cord and flat st.i.tch setting, should be of a subdued shade and if possible, of a colour to match the foundation.

MOROCCO EMBROIDERY (figs. 863, 864, 865, 866).--This work named after the country where it was originated, belongs both to the cla.s.s of darned and damask embroidery.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 864. MOROCCO EMBROIDERY. QUARTER OF THE SUBJECTS OF FIG. 863.]

In fig. 864, the st.i.tches are formed by pa.s.sing over 5 threads and taking up the sixth. Coming back you take up the third of the 5 threads first missed and proceed in the same manner over the whole surface of the work, unless the lines of the pattern require you to depart from this rule; as, for instance, in certain parts of fig. 864, where you will notice st.i.tches, carried over 7 or 8 threads; also in the borders, fig. 865 and 866, where the st.i.tches are arranged in a rather arbitrary manner, in order to bring out the pattern more clearly.

Fig. 864 represents the fourth part of one of the subjects that make up the design fig. 863; that is, four such, joined together, form one of the squares of fig. 863.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 865. MOROCCO EMBROIDERY. SMALL OUTER BORDER OF FIG.

863.]

Figs. 865 and 866 are patterns of two little borders and an insertion, suitable as a finish to fig. 863, which can be enlarged to any size by the addition of other squares to those that are represented here.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 866. MOROCCO EMBROIDERY. BORDER AND INSERTION SUITABLE FOR FIG. 863.]

Most of the stuffs, already so frequently alluded to in this work, can be used as a foundation for this kind of embroidery, provided the right working materials to go with it are chosen; Coton a tricoter or Fil a pointer should only be used for the coa.r.s.er stuffs, such as Rhodes linen No. 1, or Russian linen and the different kinds of tammy cloth, whereas the other kinds of D.M.C threads and cottons and especially the finer numbers, are best adapted for embroidery on fine stuffs, such as Rhodes linen No. 2, and Spanish or Algerian linen.

SPANISH EMBROIDERY (figs. 867 and 868).--Spanish embroidery consists almost exclusively of b.u.t.tonhole st.i.tch, fig. 171, and flat st.i.tch, fig.

221.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 867. SQUARE OF SPANISH EMBROIDERY. MATERIALS: Or fin D.M.C pour la broderie No. 40, Coton a broder D.M.C Nos. 50 and 100, or Fil a dentelle D.M.C No. 80.[A] COLOURS: Bleu-Indigo 312, 322, 334 and Bleu pale 668.[A]]

The b.u.t.tonhole st.i.tches, for which the more subdued shade of the colours indicated should always be taken, or else yellow, dark or pale, to match the gold thread, are made over two threads of gold and follow the outlines of the pattern, which should be more or less appropriate to this style of embroidery. One of the gold threads always keeps the inside of the line and follows it throughout in an unbroken course, whilst with the second, the outside one, you form picots, folding the gold thread over from right to left and catching down the loop by a b.u.t.tonhole st.i.tch, which is introduced into the loop itself and carried over the combined gold threads, as shown in the left corner of fig. 868, representing one quarter of the whole design, where the position of the needle and the way in which the picot is secured are plainly indicated.

For the scallops, a round material with rather a strong twist should be used, such as Soie de coton D.M.C No. 100[A] or Fil a dentelle D.M.C Nos. 70 to 100[A], wound on reels.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 868. QUARTER OF THE PATTERN FOR FIG. 867, IN THE NATURAL SIZE.]