Caterina Mezzapelle
Straight Stitch is shown as single, spaced stitches worked either in a regular or irregular manner.
Sometimes the stitches are of varying size. The stitches should be neither too long nor too loose.
Stem stitch is one of the most popular outlining stitches.
You can use this stitch to utline flowers or to fill an area, unshaded leaves, and arabesque, and all conventional designs.
Work Straight Stitches across the shape as shown. If desired, Chain Stitch or Running Stitch may be worked first to form a padding underneath, to give a raised effect.
A running stitch can be used for straight and curved lines, for outlines, as a quilting stitch, as a gathering stitch for smocking, and as a foundation for other stitches. This is one of the few embroidery stitches where several stitches may be made at once, by running the needle in and out of the fabric.
Pekinese Stitch is also known as Chinese Stitch. It was worked using silk canvas, on a small scale, row upon row in blended shades to fill shapes.
This form of Satin Stitch is so named as all the stitches are of varying lenghts. It is often used to fill a shape which is too large or too irregular to be covered by Satin Stitch.
This Long and Short Stitch is also used to achive a shaded effect, as shown. In the first row the stitches are alternately long and short and closely follow the outline of the shape.
In the following rows long and short stitches are worked to give a smooth texture.
Knotted Stitch or French Knot is used for the centres of such flowers as the daisy or wild rose, and sometimes for the anthers of others. It isn’t very easy to be precise on the number of threads in the needle to work a French Knot. It depends on the effect you require and for that you will need to practise the stitch on a spare piece of canvas. I feel it is better to have a small number of strands in the needle and work more loops, for an airier effect.
Take a small stitch alternately on each side of the shape to be filled, with the point of the needle always emerging on the outside line of the shape.
Two lines may be drawn down the center of the shape as a guide for the center of the shape as a guide for the size of the stitch.
The stitches should be close together and overlap one another.
Fern Stitch consists of three Straight Stitches of equal length radiating from the same central point (A). Bring the thread through at (A) and make a Straight Stitch to (B). Bring the thread through again at (A) and make another Straight Stitch to (C). Repeat this at (D) and bring the thread through at (E) to begin the next three radiating stitches. The center stitch follows the line of the design.
This Stitch is worked from left to right. Bring the thread through on the line of the design.
Insert the needle a little to the right on the line and bring the needle out to the left midway between the length of stitch and with the thread below the needle (A). Work the next stitch in same way but with the thread above the needle (B).
Continue working in this way, alternating the position of the thread. This stitch may also be worked over counted threads of even-weave fabric or canvas.
Backstitch is used for outlining a design or part of a design, to add detail or emphasis, or for lettering. It is usually indicated on a chart by solid lines with the shade code indicated on the chart or key. This stitch is added after the line being broken by the cross stitches.
Back Stitch can be worked by either skimming the needle through the fabric while holding it freely in your hand as shown here, or by stabbing the needle up and down in a hoop or frame. Continue reading…
Assisi Embroidery is a very charming Italian Embroidery, it’is simple to do and you can create decorative works.
Assisi stitching was named after St. Clare of Assisi, sister of St. Francis, Patron Saint of Needleworkers. It is worked mainly in cross-stitch and it reprenset a form of counted-thread embroidery based on an ancient Italian tradition where the background is filled with embroidery stitches and the main motifs are left void i.e unstitched.
The name is derived from the Italian town of Assisi where the modern form of the craft originated. Continue reading…
Embroidery and Needlepoint threads come in a wide range of fibers and colours, each with its own special qualities. Some can be used for lots of different types of embroidery; others are suitable for a particular purpose.
Cross-stitch is very simple to do and it is a very relaxing hobby too, there is no need to know how to embroider or know embroidery stitches, you can do cross stitch by pdeveloping your imagination.
No limits in your creativity… you can embroider in any kind of linen or fabric. You can either work from prestamped items or from graphs, which is the most common.
Welcome to my hand embroidery classes dedicated to all those who want to learn how to stitch and know the different embroidery techniques. In this article there are the instructions to learn counted thread embroidery.
Counted thread embroidery requires counting the threads of the fabric and working each stitch over an exact number of threads. You can use even-weave fabric or canvas. The count of these fabric is the number of threads per sqare inch and this determines the size of the stitches as well as the size of the finished embroidery. Continue reading…
How to do French Knot
September 11, 2009
Knotted Stitch or French Knot is used for the centres of such flowers as the daisy or wild rose, and sometimes for the anthers of others. It isn’t very easy to be precise on the number of threads in the needle to work a French Knot. It depends on the effect you require and for that you will need to practise the stitch on a spare piece of canvas. I feel it is better to have a small number of strands in the needle and work more loops, for an airier effect.
The French Knot is useful for many decorative effects.
It can be worked tightly or loosely, small or large, depending on the number of loops on the needle and how tightly they are pulled through the canvas. It is great fun to work and gives tremedous scope for depicting all types of flowers and dense shrubs.
To do french knot:
- bring the thread up at the desired place,
- wrap the thread twice around the point of the needle and
- re-insert the needle
- hold down the thread firmly with the thumb and pull the needle through smoothly and swiftly.
The knots should be kept neat and precise and look like little round beads. To increase the size of the knots, use a thicker thread or more strands of the same thread.
French Knot is a very ancient stitch, and does not seem confined to any country. The Chinese execute large and elaborate pieces of embroidery in it, introducing beautiful shading. A curious specimen of very fine knotting stitch was exhibited at the Royal School in 1878, probably of French workmanship.
It was a portrait of St. Ignatius Loyola, not more than six inches in length, and was entirely executed in knots of such fineness, that without a magnifying glass it was impossible to discover the stitches. This, however, is a tour de force, and not quoted as worthy of imitation.
There is one variety of this stitch, in which the thread is twisted a great many times round the needle, so as to form a sort of curl instead of a single knot. This is found in many ancient embroideries, where it is used for the hair of saints and angels in ecclesiastical work.
Knotted stitch was also employed largely in all its forms in the curious and ingenious but ugly style in vogue during the reign of James I., when the landscapes were frequently worked in cross, or feather stitch, while the figures were raised over stuffing, and dressed, as it were, in robes made entirely in point lace, or button-hole stitches, executed in silk.
The foliage of the trees and shrubs which we generally find in these embroidered pictures, as well as the hair in the figures, were worked in knotted stitches of varying sizes, while the faces were in tent stitch or painted on white silk, and fastened on to the canvas or linen ground.
