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| Vintage crewel on white linen (Annake's collection) |
In our Back to the Crewel World article, I gave you several examples of straight stitches and showed you how to embellish them with techniques like whipping and lacing. Now I am going to show you how to use those stitches to outline a simple shape. All of them can be used to follow curves as well as straight lines. They work best for this procedure if you keep the stitches as close to the same length as possible. The leaf shape was outlined with backstitching in moss green. The other stitches — in order from the outline inward — are: running stitch (gold); double running stitch (gold/pale green); whipped running stitch (dark brown whipped with orange); double laced running stitch (orange laced with green); and red Pekinese stitch, not couched, on a base of (orange/ gold) double running stitch. The little stem is done in satin stitch.
This little leaf design was inspired by a ceramic pin tray made for me by our roving photographer, J.J., who has done some delightful ceramic pieces. Inspiration can be found everywhere!
As you can see, some of these stitches, like the laced ones and Pekinese, are wider than others, and you need to keep this in mind as you decide which ones and how many of them you want to use to outline the shape you have in mind. It is a good idea to keep these stitches close to one another inside a shape, but not necessarily touching each other. We gave you a link to an article about the very versatile chain stitch, showing it with some of the same techniques. In case you missed it, here is a close-up of the basic chain stitch:
followed by some of the chain stitch variations.
The rows are as follows:
1) plain chain stitch in medium blue:
2) chain back-stitched with a smaller white yarn from link to link;
3) chain with double-running stitch, alternating white and navy yarns link to link;
4) entire chain whipped (overcast) with the white yarn;
5) each side of the chain whipped with thin navy yarn, stitched one side at a time from center out;
6) Pekinese stitch done in white through the entire chain;
7) entire chain laced (threaded) with white yarn, with the loops then stitched down at the tops with white sewing thread;
8) entire chain laced with white yarn, first from one end, then from the other (double-laced) and then couched (stitched down) with a contrasting yarn.
You can mix the chain stitches with your straight stitches wherever you like.
You can work an entire shape with stitches like these, or you can use one or more to outline the shape and complete it by using a filling stitch on the center of the shape. One of the most versatile filling stitches is the cross-stitch. I tend to think of related stitches as belonging to stitch "families". Let's take a look at some members of the cross-stitch family.
The stitches are, by row:
a) Standard, evenly-spaced cross-stitch.
b) Bi-color cross-stitch (left-to-right stitches in one color, right-to-left stitches in a second).
c) Cross-stitch with a vertical Holbein stitch across the center.
d) Cross-stitch with a horizontal running stitch across the center.
e) Whipped (overcast) cross-stitch; don't pull the whipping stitch so tightly that you spoil the X-shape of the cross-stitch. The whipping thread is on the surface except at the ends of the row.
f) Cross-stitch with both horizontal and vertical stitches (sometimes called double cross or George and Saint Andrew), which can be done in 1, 2, 3, or 4 colors.
g) Bi-color cross-stitch laced with a third color. If you like, you can couch the centers of the arches down with a tiny stitch of sewing thread in the color of the background fabric.
h) Standard continuous cross-stitch. The ends of the right-to-left stitches will share the same spaces as those of the left-to-right ones.
Look again at the last sample — the continuous cross-stitch. Notice how your eyes tend to focus on the diamond shapes between the cross-stitches, rather than on the X-shapes? At the end of this article you will find a chart of continuous cross-stitches that have been embellished in various ways. See if you can determine what has been done to each row of continuous cross-stitches. In at least one sample, two different variations have been combined.
Incidentally, for those of you who crochet, you can crochet lines of chain stitch and use it instead of embroidered chain for many decorative stitches. Pin it to your fabric, leaving a long enough piece of yarn at each end to thread and take to the back of your work to secure it. Use stitch patterns stitch over the spaces between links in the chain and couch it to the background fabric. We will show some examples of this in a later post.
Here is something you can do to with what we have done so far.
1) Draw a leaf (or some other simple shape) — real or imaginary — on a piece of light-colored fabric.
2) Collect several colors of yarn or floss, at least one crewel needle, a pair of scissors and an embroidery hoop.*
3) Place the fabric in the hoop and pull it down tightly.
4) Starting at the outline of your leaf, stitch completely around it with one of the stitches you have learned so far. Use as many colors as were used in the sample of the stitch pattern.
5) Repeat step 3 with at least 2 more (different) stitches inside the first outline. Stitch closely to the first outline, but not necessarily actually touching it.
6) Choose one of the cross-stitch variations and use it — either singly or attached — to fill the remaining space. Again, use as many colors for each stitch as are shown on the samples.
* If you don't have an embroidery hoop, you can use an empty picture frame, overcasting the fabric snugly around the frame as seen in the picture on the left above.
Some of you may have less trouble following curves than you do following straight lines. If straight lines are a problem for you, try to find a firm but loosely woven fabric, like some polyester blends and decorator burlap, which have single threads that are easy to pull out of the cloth. Using the empty rows as guides, practice your stitch patterns until you feel confident that you have mastered them. I know that you will not like all of the patterns, but please try each one at least once.
Detached stitches can be used in rows or simply scattered randomly over the area you wish to fill (much like the diaper patterns used in blackwork). Lazy Daisy is detached chain stitch, often used to depict small flowers. If you want your flower to be symmetrical, it is a good idea to make a circle of dots on your background fabric and begin each loop by bringing your needle up through one of the dots. The loops should be as uniform as possible.
Wheat ear, which has other names, including tete de boeuf, meaning "cow's head", can be a single detached stitch. It consists of a two-stitch V and a couched-down chain stitch. Make the V with two stitches that are wide-apart at the top and close together — but not quite touching — at the bottom.Bring your needle up at the junction of the two stitches and make a single chain stitch downward. Couch the free end of the chain with a small stitch.
This can also be a continuous line stitch. Instead of a two-stitch V, make a slightly loose vertical stitch and pull it into a V with your chain stitch.
The four-sided stitches can be shown as a detached stitch figures, making sure that adjacent stitches end in the same hole in the fabric. These can also be used diagonally, in which case they appear as diamonds. You can place these in rows or scatter them. You may want to put a French knot in the center of each detached design. A slightly different construction overlaps the sides rather than ending them in the same place.
Even using only the few stitches you have learned, you can create an interesting design — and one that looks considerably more complex than it actually is, Just try one and see! Now here, as promised, are the samples of continuous cross-stitch for you to "decipher" and practice.
Create something!
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| Leaf done in straight stitch variants |
This little leaf design was inspired by a ceramic pin tray made for me by our roving photographer, J.J., who has done some delightful ceramic pieces. Inspiration can be found everywhere!
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| Ceramic leaf pin tray |
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| Chain stitch sample |
followed by some of the chain stitch variations.
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| Chain stitch variations |
1) plain chain stitch in medium blue:
2) chain back-stitched with a smaller white yarn from link to link;
3) chain with double-running stitch, alternating white and navy yarns link to link;
4) entire chain whipped (overcast) with the white yarn;
5) each side of the chain whipped with thin navy yarn, stitched one side at a time from center out;
6) Pekinese stitch done in white through the entire chain;
7) entire chain laced (threaded) with white yarn, with the loops then stitched down at the tops with white sewing thread;
8) entire chain laced with white yarn, first from one end, then from the other (double-laced) and then couched (stitched down) with a contrasting yarn.
You can mix the chain stitches with your straight stitches wherever you like.
You can work an entire shape with stitches like these, or you can use one or more to outline the shape and complete it by using a filling stitch on the center of the shape. One of the most versatile filling stitches is the cross-stitch. I tend to think of related stitches as belonging to stitch "families". Let's take a look at some members of the cross-stitch family.
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| Deatatched cross-stitch variations |
The stitches are, by row:
a) Standard, evenly-spaced cross-stitch.
b) Bi-color cross-stitch (left-to-right stitches in one color, right-to-left stitches in a second).
c) Cross-stitch with a vertical Holbein stitch across the center.
d) Cross-stitch with a horizontal running stitch across the center.
e) Whipped (overcast) cross-stitch; don't pull the whipping stitch so tightly that you spoil the X-shape of the cross-stitch. The whipping thread is on the surface except at the ends of the row.
f) Cross-stitch with both horizontal and vertical stitches (sometimes called double cross or George and Saint Andrew), which can be done in 1, 2, 3, or 4 colors.
g) Bi-color cross-stitch laced with a third color. If you like, you can couch the centers of the arches down with a tiny stitch of sewing thread in the color of the background fabric.
h) Standard continuous cross-stitch. The ends of the right-to-left stitches will share the same spaces as those of the left-to-right ones.
Look again at the last sample — the continuous cross-stitch. Notice how your eyes tend to focus on the diamond shapes between the cross-stitches, rather than on the X-shapes? At the end of this article you will find a chart of continuous cross-stitches that have been embellished in various ways. See if you can determine what has been done to each row of continuous cross-stitches. In at least one sample, two different variations have been combined.
Incidentally, for those of you who crochet, you can crochet lines of chain stitch and use it instead of embroidered chain for many decorative stitches. Pin it to your fabric, leaving a long enough piece of yarn at each end to thread and take to the back of your work to secure it. Use stitch patterns stitch over the spaces between links in the chain and couch it to the background fabric. We will show some examples of this in a later post.
1) Draw a leaf (or some other simple shape) — real or imaginary — on a piece of light-colored fabric.
2) Collect several colors of yarn or floss, at least one crewel needle, a pair of scissors and an embroidery hoop.*
3) Place the fabric in the hoop and pull it down tightly.
4) Starting at the outline of your leaf, stitch completely around it with one of the stitches you have learned so far. Use as many colors as were used in the sample of the stitch pattern.
5) Repeat step 3 with at least 2 more (different) stitches inside the first outline. Stitch closely to the first outline, but not necessarily actually touching it.
6) Choose one of the cross-stitch variations and use it — either singly or attached — to fill the remaining space. Again, use as many colors for each stitch as are shown on the samples.
* If you don't have an embroidery hoop, you can use an empty picture frame, overcasting the fabric snugly around the frame as seen in the picture on the left above.
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| Pulling thread from burlap |
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| Lazy Daisy stitch |
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| Wheat ear stitch |
This can also be a continuous line stitch. Instead of a two-stitch V, make a slightly loose vertical stitch and pull it into a V with your chain stitch.
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| Connected wheat ear stitches |
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| Four-sided stitches |
Even using only the few stitches you have learned, you can create an interesting design — and one that looks considerably more complex than it actually is, Just try one and see! Now here, as promised, are the samples of continuous cross-stitch for you to "decipher" and practice.
Create something!
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| Connected cross-stitch variations |
This post by Annake's Garden is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
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