Back to the Classroom: Hungarian and Parisian Stitches

Needlepoint picture of a Boston terrier

I had prepared a number of visual devices for this class period. First, I had completed the bulldog picture with a background of the Parisian stitch. I used six related light greens in a random order.  I also demonstrated that the Parisian stitch can be used in a single color to suggest a texture as well. It is the stitch that has been used to make the strawberries in the basket and on the tablecloth in this little kitchen still life.

Needlepoint still life of a basket of strawberries

Hungarian stitch sample

The first stitch we made in the next session was the Hungarian stitch, a very old stitch from the Renaissance. It uses the same stitches as the Parisian stitch, but in a different order. If you are working on a sample along with this discussion, start a few squares further down the canvas than you did for the Parisian. You can always go back and fill in the missing full or partial stitches. Start with the short stitch over two threads or bars. Then do the long stitch which starts a thread above the short stitch and ends a thread below it, covering four threads. Follow it with a second short stitch. Skip the next square of mesh and leave it empty. This is vital. Your stitch pattern will not work without it. Repeat the cluster of three stitches plus an empty square of mesh all the way across your sample. In the next row, a short stitch goes below the short stitch in the row above. Skip the long stitch. Put a short stitch under the next short stitch. Start a long stitch in the empty square of mesh and end it a thread below the short stitch..Put another short stitch below the short stitch above. Skip the next square, leaving it empty. I have done this sample in two colors  (rose and light green) so that the pattern is easy to see.

Hungarian stitch variations

Hungarian stitch can also be used in other combinations. This sample shows it used, from the top, in strong contrast (red/white/blue), weak contrast (complementary colors of orange and blue in muted tones), and as a sample in variegated yarn. When you do separate samples of stitches like these, don’t forget to go back and even out your rows at the top and bottom with partial stitches in the appropriate colors. That is how you truly learn a pattern. I did not do that at the tops of these samples because I wanted you to know how many rows to drop down before starting the first stitch.

Close-up of eagle from "Firs and Feathers"

Hungarian stitch is one of my favorite stitches. It is effective when used in a solid color for the background to a picture, as you can see in this close-up from a much larger picture. I chose it for the forest sky because its double diagonals echoed the sloping profiles of the bargello “evergreen” trees, the subtle slant of the tent stitches, and the strong shape made by the eagle’s wings.

Doubled Parisian stitch

Both the Parisian stitch and the Hungarian stitch can be doubled. Just follow the pattern, but make two consecutive stitches each time. The doubled Parisian is shown in the pink and white sample.

This is an attractive pattern on its own for objects like glasses cases, cell phone cases, place mats, etc.

Doubled Hungarian stitch

The doubled Hungarian is shown in orange and yellow. Be sure to double the empty square each time, too. This is a bold pattern that works up quickly. If you are using it as a background, however, be careful that it doesn’t overwhelm the picture in the center. As a background, it is better done in softer, more neutral colors. Also, while the pattern is so regular that you could work all of the first color and then fill in the second color, I don’t recommend this if you are doing a background. I’m afraid you will get into trouble when you have to use short stitches or omit stitches to match up with your central figure.

Hungarian stitch "medallion"

Another thing that can be done with Hungarian stitch is to use it to make medallions like the one shown here, Start in the exact center of your piece of canvas, Make a single Hungarian stitch. Change colors and surround the single stitch with three Hungarian stitches on each side. (Sides will share some stitches.) The next row and color will have five Hungarian stitches; the next, seven. Repeat colors if you like. Proceed until the medallion is the size you want.

Medallion extended to a 4-way bargello

If you want a larger design, continue as far as you like. When you cannot make any more complete diamonds, make as much of each diagonal line as you can, then work the design into each corner of the canvas. Or stop when the medallion is as large as you want it to be and work the remaining canvas in a solid color in one of the tent stitches. In either case, you will have made a simple 4-way bargello pattern like the one at the end of this article. I’ll bet you never thought it would be that easy to make something that looks so complicated!

The last stitch for the session was the Hungarian diamond. Start even farther down your canvas for this one. Begin with the short stitch over two threads or bars. The second stitch is the stitch over four threads in the Hungarian stitch, The third stitch starts one thread above the second stitch and ends one thread below it, covering six threads. The fourth stitch repeats the second stitch and the fifth stitch repeats the first stitch — diamond made. Skip the next square of mesh. Repeat the pattern across your sample. In the second row, the 2-stitch goes under the 4-stitch above it, the 4-stitch goes under the 2-stitch above it, and the 6-stitch begins in the empty square. Complete the diamond and leave the next square empty, Continue as far as you can across the row, ending with a partial diamond.

Here is the pattern in two colors:

Hungarian diamond stitch in green and yellow

Hungarian diamond stitch variations

Once again, this pattern can be used in a variety of ways. This sample shows, from the top, strong contrast (red/black/ white), blended contrast (shades of green), plus a sample in variegated yarn.

Outline traced on a photograph

The students chose the background they wanted to use and filed their other samples. When they had worked for a while and I felt they could easily finish the background at home, we stopped. I showed them how they could make more realistic pictures of family pets or other animals. I used a photograph to show them where to draw the outlines that they would then trace on their canvases. I also showed them:

•  how back-stitching enhanced the picture,
•  how to put the reflections in the animal’s eyes,
•  how to put in the dots on the muzzle where whiskers emerge,
•  how to do the whiskers with thread, and
•  how to put a little shine on the animal’s nose.

Back-stitching need not be done in black. It can be done in either a darker shade or a lighter tint than the area being outlined.

The class looked at a group of pillows with bargello tops. They chose one that could be done in a variety of color combinations to learn during the next session. We adjourned. The Easter ladies stayed behind for a few minutes to discuss how to best use the animal pictures they wore making. I gave them some pointers for making and lining square Easter baskets.

Now, here is that 4-way bargello pattern. The background is done in basket-weave tent stitch.

Finished 4-way bargello, "Diamonds and Gold"

Remember that practice brings you closer to perfection.

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More from the Classroom

Lion in tent and longstitch needlepoint on canvas

I love hearing from my readers! Recently a lady who had learned about this blog from a friend wrote me, saying: “I wish you didn’t live so far away. I would love to take some of your classes. Please tell me you are going to write more about what you do in your classes. I studied the first two posts (1/16/2018 and 2/5/2018). The directions are clear and the pictures are great. I have made the butterfly and the water lily and I really like the way they turned out. I can’t help but think that learning more about the lessons online is the next best thing to being there.” I wish she could be here, too! I appreciate her enthusiasm! For her and for everyone else who is interested, I am going to do some more posts about what we’ve done in the classroom, although they will be spread out among other topics that I have promised. Today we are continuing with the studies of canvas work, focusing on French longstitch.

Finished butterfly in Gobelin stitch

Pattern for bighorn in French longstitch

I wanted to show my students how useful French longstitch is for doing pictures of animals, but I knew that none of them were ready yet to do anything as complex as the bighorn sheep and the pronghorn antelope you saw on the previous post (although one person did ask for a printout of the bighorn pattern to work on in the future, and J. D. printed it.) Nor were they ready for a project like the lion’s head in a combination of French longstitch and conventional tent stitch that you see at the top of this article. Both of these projects are done on needlepoint canvas with tapestry yarn.

Puppets in the classroom

They needed to start with something smaller and simpler. I got my inspiration from a group of puppets hanging in a corner of the classroom. Before I start a new puppet pattern, I do a color rendering of the head in the same size as the pattern for the head. I got out several samples of the animal heads and traced their outlines. When the students arrived, I had laid out the colored renderings, the tracings, and a piece of 5 ½ in. X ¾ in. (14.5 cm. X 17.5 cm.) #10 plastic canvas for each person. That is ¼ of a sheet of the canvas. An assortment of permanent markers and a box of tissues completed our equipment, and the egg cartons of yarn balls were open along one wall within easy reach. I had chosen a small dog for my example and included two rabbits (one lop-eared), a baby chick, a duckling and a lamb among the animals in case someone wanted to do an Easter picture as a present for a child.

Simple drawing for bulldog's head

To start a longstitch project, you need a fairly simple picture that has some large areas that need to be filled. Longstitch is several times longer than the upright Gobelin stitches that were used previously, but there is a limit. If the stitches are too long, they tend to sag away from the canvas or snag on objects, so I don’t recommend either vertical or horizontal stitches more than about 2 inches (5.5 cm.) long. With that in mind, I put in lines on the tracings that broke up spaces that were too long into shorter sections.. The students each chose a color picture and a matching outline and traced the outline onto the plastic canvas. Then they scrubbed both sides of the canvas with tissues to remove any extra ink that might come off on their yarn. They chose any yarns that they needed from the cartons and sat down to work.

Canvas with edges taped to prevent raveling

If you are doing this technique on plastic canvas, as my students were, be sure all of the edges are as smooth as possible. If you are using jute or fabric canvas, tape the raw edges with masking tape turned under to cover both sides of the canvas. This keeps the edges of the canvas from fraying and keeps your yarn or floss from being roughened by contact with the edges of the canvas.

Bulldog's head outlined on plastic canvas

The students had been working on #7 plastic canvas for their projects. Since #10 is a much smaller mesh (100 squares to the square inch, rather than 49 squares), they now had some adjustments to make. Each one was provided with a shorter tapestry needle which had a smaller ‘eye’ than the one they had been using. I demonstrated how to use two different kinds of needle threaders and put some on the tables. Then I demonstrated how to separate and combine strands of 3-ply and 4-ply yarns to get the proper thickness that would cover the canvas. I also demonstrated how to combine strands of different colors of yarn to get the effect of shading (also detailed in the April 8, 2018 post.)

One half of bulldog stitched

I had already worked one side of the dog’s head and now demonstrated the stitching on the other side. Once everyone was satisfied that they knew how to proceed, the class began stitching. While they worked, I went over with them the “11 Secrets for Needlework Success” (see the post for June 1, 2014), which I had printed as a hand-out for each of them. We discussed the suggestions and I answered their questions. As any problems arose with the stitching, we discussed and solved them. When the first person wanted to do some interior back-stitching, we stopped for a few minutes to discus back-stitching in a single color or in several colors, when to use longer stitches instead of very short ones, and when slanted stitches worked better than straight ones. They asked if it was all right to use some tent stitching with the longstitch and I assured them that it was.

When about 20 minutes was left of our 90-minute session, I demonstrated a stitch pattern on a pegboard display stand which shows individual stitches in a large size, and had them copy the stitches on a small piece of plastic canvas, label it, and store it in a notebook. The stitch is one of several long-and-short stitches belonging to the family of very old tapestry stitches known collectively as “Hungarian point”. These stitches are usually called “grounds” or “groundings,” and are used in a single color or two closely related colors as backgrounds for other kinds of needlework. I have used two colors in this sample for clarity.

Parisian stitch sample

This pattern is called Parisian stitch. The first stitch is an upright one over 4 threads of canvas or bars on plastic canvas. For the second stitch, drop down 1 thread or bar and make a stitch over 2 threads or bars. Alternate these two stitches across your canvas. In the second row, the short (over 2) stitches are done at the bottoms of the long (over 4) stitches, and the long stitches (over 4) are done at the bottom of the short (over 2) stitches. These second row stitches begin in the same squares of mesh where the stitches above them ended, so no threads or bars are left uncovered. The third row and all other odd-numbered rows are like row 1; the fourth and all other even-numbered ones, like row 2. To complete an area, fill in with short stitches so that the top and bottom of the piece is even.

More Parisian stitch samples

There is no reason, however, that these stitches cannot be used to form colorful all-over patterns on their own. In contrasting colors, as on the top sample here, the stitches make a boldly striped pattern. But if you choose closely related colors like the reds and oranges of the middle sample, you can achieve a more subtle ombre-shaded effect. This is how the stitches were used in the old tapestries. The more closely related the colors are, the subtler the effect. A variegated yarn (bottom sample) will give you a more abstract effect. This can be be useful. Imagine, for example, using a variegated green in the background of a picture to suggest trees or shrubs, or a variegated brown or gray to suggest a fabric.

As the end of class neared, I asked the students to practice the Parisian stitch, but not to use it on the backgrounds of their pictures, explaining that in the next session they would learn a number of such background stitches and could choose their favorite. I also asked them to put color directions on their traced outlines and return the color renderings for my puppet files. They were to have their outlines filled in, plus interior back-stitching; by the next session to be ready for background stitching. The two ladies working on Easter animals asked if they could have copies of the color pictures and outlines for the other Easter animals. They planned to work together, so J.D. did copies of two extra animals for each of them and together they had the full set. For those of you working at home, you might want to work from a photo of the face of a favorite pet. We adjourned.

Bulldog's head finished, ready for background

I realize that some students will not do canvas work again after they finish their class projects. Nevertheless, the skills they have learned will carry over to other kinds of embroidery on fabrics like monks’ cloth, Aida, decorator burlap, etc. And they will have learned the advantages to be gained from having a firm surface to work on and will be more likely to use hoops and/or frames. That will reduce the necessity for extensive blocking and produce a neater project.

As always, enjoy your work!

More simple puppet head designs

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An Introduction to Four-way Bargello --- Part I

The picture below shows a vintage four-way bargello pillow that I made in the 1970's, when I was just learning the technique. Some four-way patterns appear to continue past the edges of the canvas, but I chose to emphasize this one by using a solid color, closely related to the color of the pillow's backing, around it. The four corners are done in brick stitch, mitered at the center of each corner. The small areas along the sides are done in continental (tent) stitch. The pillow is holding up pretty well, considering that it has shared rocking chairs with me and several generations of cats.

Remember when I demonstrated a series of concentric diamonds done in Hungarian stitch (April 10, 2014 blog post)? This is not a true four-way because the stitches point in only two ways --- not four. Nevertheless, the pattern shares many four-way characteristics. The canvas is prepared in the same way. It is cut into a square and the edges are covered with masking tape to prevent it raveling and snagging floss or yarn. The center of the canvas is located by the intersection of central horizontal and vertical lines. The preparation is finished by drawing diagonal lines from the corners through the center. You can see these lines around the diamond in the picture. This marking is vitally important in making four-way designs. The stitching of the diamonds starts at the center point and is worked outward. Although there are exceptions, many four-ways are worked in this way.

As you may remember, the Hungarian stitch is based on two short stitches, over two threads of canvas, with a longer stitch, over four threads of canvas, between them. I've shown a sample of the stitch as it is used to make such a diamond, emphasizing descending and ascending lines and how corners are made (upper right). I used contrasting colors so that it is easy to see how the pattern develops. I prefer to begin at the center and work outward (lower left), but it is also possible to start with a small diamond (like this one with five Hungarian stitches on a side) and work both toward the center and outward (upper right).

I worked the diamond design all the way to the centers of the four sides of the canvas. The diamonds were worked in six-strand embroidery floss, doubled, and single-strand craft thread, also doubled. This makes plush, padded stitches which rise above their background. The floss gives a shine to the design. There is one drawback to working with doubled strands, however; if you make a mistake, it may be difficult or even impossible to correct it. You may be left with two alternatives: cut and remove an area of stitches and replace them, or live with the mistake.

The four corners were worked in a Persian-style tapestry yarn to give a textural contrast. They are done in basketweave (tent) stitch, beginning with the corner stitch. Some of you may not be familiar with tent stitches. The sample below shows an example of basketweave with the odd rows in one color and the even ones in another to make the sequence easier to understand. It begins with a single stitch in the upper right-hand corner. There are two stitches in the second row, three in the third, and so on. The rows are worked alternately left-to-right and right-to-left. (As you can see, using two related shades in this way creates a kind of iridescent effect ) The diagonal strip shows how the stitch looks in a single color. The swatch at lower left gives a glimpse of the back side of the stitches, showing how well they cover both sides of the canvas. As I completed each corner of the diamonds, I turned the canvas 90 degrees before beginning the following corner. Compensation stitches were made on the inner edges, running in under the last row of stitches in the outer diamond.

Our next pattern is a true four-way, done in blocks of gobelin stitch with the direction of the stitches oriented to the edges of the canvas. I adapted this pattern from a design by Lisbeth Perrone (The New World of Needlepoint, Random House, New York 1972). The design was not originally intended to be a four-way project, but I could see that it had a strong potential to become one. This is one of those patterns that extend past the limits of the central motifs and can be repeated over and over. The colors shown are roughly those in the original design.

I worked my version out on graph paper because the rows of stitches in the original differed in width. I wanted mine to be uniform --- each stitch over four threads --- except where they are mitered along the diagonal lines. The next sample will show you how to miter stitches along diagonal lines and make all four sides of the pattern meet at the center of the canvas. Let's start with the center square. I've done one in four colors so that you can see the four triangles that make up the square, and the way they fit together. Below that is a square done in a single color. Each triangle starts with a stitch over a single thread, then stitches over two, three, four, three, two, and one thread. Remember that we count threads, not spaces. You will notice that there are empty squares of mesh at the four corners of the square. You may wish to leave these as part of the design. Or you may choose to cover them with a short, straight stitch or a tent stitch or a cross-stitch. It doesn't matter which as long as you are consistent throughout the work. To the right are three examples of corner joins of strips of different widths. The two small rectangles on the far right show two different ways to join areas of stitches along a diagonal line. Finally, you might decide to back-stitch over some of the lines created by the stitches --- as in this aqua square back-stitched in turquoise.

I substituted turquoise, coral, sage green, and peach for the colors used in the original design and decided to use a fifth color, aqua, for the stitches between the motifs.. These colors are often associated with Southwestern Indian designs, like textiles and sand paintings. I suspect Ms. Perrone referred to Native American designs for her inspiration, so this seemed culturally appropriate. You could work the design in your choice of colors; however, I recommend using one dark color, at least two medium colors (one brighter than the other --- or others), and one light color to get the desired effect. The fact that I changed colors and values changed the emphasis in the different sections of the pattern, making it differ quite a bit from the original. Finally, I chose to work the large, plain areas in aqua, a lighter color than the turquoise, changing the all-over effect even more. This gives a quite modern effect, while still using traditional colors.

To begin, find the center of your canvas. Since this design may be continued in all directions, you are not restricted to a square canvas. If you are planning to frame your work, you may want to cut the canvas to fit the frame you intend to use. (Add an extra half-inch or so on all sides, to accommodate the masking tape, which can be turned under when the tape is removed or used as a seam allowance if you are making a pillow top.) In most cases, I use frames that have apertures which are as nearly square as possible. In order for the design to progress properly, however, it is wise to draw a square lightly in pencil or permanent marker on the canvas, no matter what the canvas's shape is. I would do this, for example, if I were using a round or octagonal frame. Make sure that the center square of your canvas is the exact center of the square you draw. Then draw the diagonal lines through the center point to the corners of the square. These lines can be extended outward to the edges of the canvas. I draw my lines in pencil because I find that, after working a few rows of stitches, the diagonals may be off by a row or two of canvas squares and need to be erased and redrawn. Use a good quality masking tape to cover the raw edges of the canvas. Now you are ready to begin stitching.

Prepared canvas, ready for stitching

Make something beautiful!

4-way bargello pattern, finished with topstitching

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Bravo, Bargello! -- a New Approach to an Old Needlecraft

After completing several large projects, I promised myself some time to play with the kinds of needlework that most delight me. If you read my previous blog post (April 17, 2013), you know I made some puppets. Then I turned to another of my favorites, bargello. Bargello is a “family name” for geometrically patterned counted-stitch needlepoint made with simple upright stitches on canvas. The name comes from the Bargello Museum, where many beautiful examples are housed. It is also known as Florentine embroidery, Hungarian point, and flame stitch.

Annake finishing the "aspen" pillow-top

Why am I so attracted to bargello? Because it's fun! I love to adapt old patterns to new purposes and to invent new ones. The possible combinations and permutations are infinite. They unroll beneath my needle like magic carpets. There's no boredom involved in bargello.

I've always wondered why more men didn't take up bargello.  The strong geometric patterns and the stunning optical illusions they can create ought to appeal to men. I once taught bargello to an Air Force captain and a major.  They said it kept them alert on night duty and made the time pass quickly and pleasantly.

Inspired by Earth Day, I decided to do a set of pillows or pillow shams in patterns that reminded me of habitats: forest, desert, ocean, etc. Then I would accompany each one with a a scenic or whimsical picture done partially in the same bargello pattern, but combined with other tapestry stitches and with a detail done in tent stitch.  I call this technique “Bargello Plus”.

The "evergreen" pillow and picture, together

After viewing my first completed picture, our resident computer guru remarked that I had encompassed several centuries of stitchery history and half a world of geography in one small project. I thought that was a wonderful idea! First the tent stitch was invented in the Middle East. Then came a variety of tapestry stitches out of Eastern Europe, possibly inspired by the elegant embroideries of the Byzantine Empire, including the Hungarian stitch I used for the sky. These stitches were combined into elaborate patterns in Florentine embroidery when Florence was a major European art center. Those patterns, especially variations of flame stitch, came early to the American colonies, where they were used in upholstery. Here I am in the Rockies, using all of the techniques. .I've added to the timeline by using 20th and 21st Century materials: gridded, quickpoint, and plastic canvas and acrylic, craft, and novelty yarns.

The "evergreen" picture close up

I've never hesitated to use and combine new or unconventional materials, even doing bargello on plastic window screen. It's great for inserts and anything that needs to be padded and the silvery gray color makes an unobtrusive background.

Traditional bargello uses several closely-related hues of the same color, but you may use any color combination you like –  the colors of a favorite sports team, for example. I'm working out some patterns now to do in Denver Broncos' blue, orange, and white for fall projects. Mild or wild, the patterns are appealing.

Both the triangular “evergreen tree” pattern and the rounded tree design inspired by our native aspen are adapted from 1970's designs. The tent stitch elements were charted  separately, then added to the design. I chose Hungarian stitch for the forest sky because its double diagonals echo the sloping profiles of the trees, the subtle slant of tent stitch and the strong shape formed by the eagle's wings. The tapestry stitches used in the aspen grove picture include brick and Parisian. I chose the bear to occupy a spot in the grove because his rounded outline fit nicely into the oval area created by omitting one tree.

Finished picture of aspen with bear

Another thing I like to do is to make small changes in alternate rows of the bargello motifs.  Can you spot my variations on the eagle picture and the aspen pillow? (Clicking on the pictures will give you a larger view) To elongate the ovals on the yellow pillow top, I worked in a 5-3 step (each stitch over 5 threads, skip 3 threads when making a step either up or down). Everything else is done in a 4-2 step.

As a teacher, I'm happiest when I can convince someone to try something new. If you've never tried bargello, I hope you will do so. If you would like some of my future blogs to be tutorials for it and/or sources of patterns, please post a comment and let me know you're interested.

Annake

Closeup of the "evergreen" pillow

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