Into the Borderlands: Decorative Borders to Stitch

Colorful needlepoint border design

Borders are attractive by themselves, but that is not their only potential use. They can be used to construct frames, or they can be repeated multiple times to make an all-over design. One of the things that interests me so much about borders is that reversing them sometimes surprises me. For example, I planned to use the design above for the top of a wall hanging and then turn the pattern upside-down to complete the bottom edge.  When I reversed the design, however, I discovered that not only would it serve the purpose I intended for it, but it was also an interesting design in its own right, with an entirely different "feel" than its mirror image. Either one can easily stand alone. You will see the reversed design at the end of this post.

You may not feel ready to take on such a large project right away, so let's start with something simple and see how it can be changed a step or two at a time to work in a number of needlework techniques.  We will start with this simple cross-stitch pattern, which can be repeated over and over to make a border that is as long as you wish.

Simple cross-stitch butterfly, repeated for a border

Obviously, the same pattern can be done in counted cross-stitch on fabrics like checked gingham, monks' cloth, Aida, etc., or as blackwork.  The only modification I would  make is to switch from black to another color of floss.

Same cross-stitch butterfly border in red

I liked this one so much that I decided to make the body of the butterfly slimmer and enlarge the top and bottom wings. I also liked the empty squares on the original design, thinking that they could be left open or filled with a stitch like a French Knot or a bullion knot.   I finally decided to fill them with spots of other colors. The result for me was this multicolored butterfly. This version of the pattern was done in upright Gobelin on canvas with backstitching for the outline and antennae and French knots for the eyes. It could just as easily have been done in counted cross-stitch or needlepoint.

Simplified butterfly design in needle weaving

Once I started to think about canvas, I had to experiment with it some more. I modified the butterfly a bit, making it somewhat smaller for more repeats, and added vertical columns of stitches between the butterflies. This was done with acrylic yarn on # 7 plastic canvas  in a technique called needle-weaving, which consists of in-and-out horizontal stitches worked either left-to-right or right-to-left — or both alternately. I did not put in antennae on this motif. The colors were limited to red and blue.

Butterfly design, modified again, in Gobelin stitch

I had been looking for a motif to use on the hatband of a red hat for a dear friend who belongs to the Red Hat Society. With minor changes, I thought a modified version of the design above would do nicely. I put in simple antennae. I chose a dark purple for the bodies, a lighter purple for the lower wings, and a dark lavender for the upper wings. The design was eventually made on a stiff canvas with the butterflies done in upright Gobelin stitch and the white background done in tent stitch. You can see for yourself how many different techniques the little butterfly design has suited — and perhaps add a few more ideas of your own to the list.

Simple blackwork border design

I'm careful to keep patterns of my border designs  (in both black-and-white and color), not only for reference, but also because I often can change them into all-over

Simple blackwork border design, stacked

designs by simply stacking them with very little space between them or by joining them together.  For example, this simple border design becomes an interesting all-over pattern.

Flower motif repeated vertically, horizontally, & a fancy corner

Or I may need to design a corner block or modify a horizontal design to a vertical one, so that the motif can be used as a square or rectangular frame for something.



Here are a few new designs shown as blackwork. They can easily be done in colors.  If you play with them to make borders, frames,  or all-over designs, modify them in any way you like.

Three new blackwork borders

Some of you may be ready for a more challenging project.  For example, you may want to use a border design for many more repeats to produce an all-over design. Here is one I have done for a pillow top, tentatively entitled "Persian Pillow".  I made a single, repeatable design with the initial row and repeated it 15 times, each row in a different color.  Then I repeated the whole block until I had covered the pillow, filling in the corners at the top with stitches in the appropriate colors in reverse order. Here is the original block:

"Persian Pillow" pillow top

And the pillow top.

Now, here are some things YOU can do:

• Make up a simple border design on graph paper and try it out as blackwork or counted cross-stitch.
• Choose one of the simple blackwork line patterns that we have given you and do it in color.
• Choose a single line pattern and "stack" it four or five times to make an all-over pattern.
• Take a horizontal pattern and use it as a vertical one to make a corner deign, modifying it as needed.
• Use a simple line design to make a pattern for a small embroidered frame.

Border design from top of post, flipped

See, YOU can be a designer, too!!

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Quickpoint: Big Stitches for Needle Art Success

Quickpoint is a form of needlework that I recommend to several groups of people. First of all, to beginning needleworkers. It is easy to do and the results are achieved quickly. Almost any kind of design can be adapted to the technique. There are some absolutely beautiful pillow kits currently available that originated in Belgium. You may not want to start out with something quite that expensive, however. You also know, if you are a regular reader of this blog, that I feel kits sometimes discourage creativity.*  I would personally rather see all craftspeople do something that is original and that expresses their tastes and personalities. A second group for whom quickpoint is appropriate is that of creative people who have very limited time to do projects. The final group would be those people who once enjoyed needlework, but now find their eyes and hands do not respond as well as they once did. I belong to that group myself. Please don't give up an activity that you love. Find less physically demanding ways to work. Quickpoint is large and the canvas mesh is easy to see. The needles are large and have eyes that are easy to thread. The yarns are thick and cover the canvas quickly. Projects can be any size that is easy for you to hold.

Quickpoint wall hanging, "Spring Thaw"

The “point” part of quickpoint implies that it is only done in needlepoint. This is misleading. Although it is done on a canvas background, quickpoint is also lovely done in counted cross-stitch. (I believe needlepointers and cross-stitchers together form the largest group of people doing stitchery today.) The wall hanging here, “Spring Thaw”, is done in cross-stitch. This is how it looked completed.

#3.75 & #5 canvas

 Traditional quickpoint canvas has 4.5 stitches to he inch. I do not have a source for this canvas at the moment, so I cannot show it to you. I can, however, show you a larger-mesh and a smaller-mesh canvas, both of which work well for quickpoint. The canvas with the larger squares is #3.75 conventional latch-hook rug canvas. It can be worked in uncut rug yarn or one of many thick craft or novelty yarns. The canvas with the smaller mesh is also a rug canvas, but one which requires a special hook. It is #5 canvas. You can use two strands of knitting worsted yarn or several strands of crewel or tapestry yarn on this canvas. For the best results, do not double the yarn; instead, cut two or more separate strands the same length and thread all of them through the eye of the needle at the same time. Some of these materials can be hard to find. Good paces to look for them are thrift stores, charity shops, and yard or garage sales.

Framed needlework, "Are You Endangered, Too?"

From time to time, I create a needlework picture for a series I call “Close Encounters”. The photograph at the beginning of this post is a close-up of one of these pictures, entitled “Are You Endangered, Too?” You can see the entire picture at the right. It is done primarily in cross-stitch with some tent stitch.

Framed quickpoint, "Let's Do Lunch"

Another of the series is the one at the left, “Let's Do Lunch”. It also has some star stitches in the more heavily textured areas. A star stitch is made by stitching a + (like a plus sign) over a completed cross-stitch. A conventional cross-stitch occupies four squares of mesh. A star stitch (which has many other names, including Double Cross, and St. George & St. Andrew) occupies nine squares of mesh as you can see in the sample. As with cross-stitch, it does not matter which part of the “plus stitch' you do first as long as you are consistent and do the stitch the same way every time.

Steps in making the star stitch

Tip: If you are doing a framed picture or a wall hanging that you want to stay rigid and not sag, you need to work on jute canvas. To do a pillow or other soft object, you will need cotton canvas or a nylon mesh. Again, you may have to do some searching to find the appropriate materials.

Quickpoint cross-stitched butterfly

 
Here is one last example of combined quickpoint. The butterfly was done in cross-stitch. The outlining is done in a single strand of crewel yarn, as are the “floating” lines that represent veins in the wings. The background is done in tent stitch. This is easier to see in the enlargement below.

Detail of butterfly's wing

Annake working on "Spring Thaw"

When I am planning a complicated piece with many different shades of color, I often make a detailed graph of the planned design before I begin stitching. You can see part of such a graph over my shoulder as I am working on “Spring Thaw”. On the “Close Encounter” pictures, however, I charted some features and simply outlined everything else. I didn't chart the butterfly, simply outlined it. I'm currently starting a new picture in the “Close Encounter” series. In the next post on this topic, I will take you through the process for that picture, step-by step.

In the meantime, think “big stitches” and do a little quickpoint.

* My apologies if I have offended anyone from Belgium. I have many fond memories of the country and its friendly people.

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Summer Questions & Answers, 2016

Orange butterfly picture by J.J.

“I made a hot-iron transfer from the Butterfly chart (June 1, 2016) according to your directions (October 6, 2013). I did the pattern with X's and did the embroidery in cross-stitch. My colors weren't all the same as the ones one the chart, but they were close. I put the butterfly on the back yoke of a denim shirt and I really like it. Now my 12-year-old daughter wants a butterfly on the back of her shirt and my pattern is too big. Do you have a smaller butterfly pattern I could use? It doesn't have to be the same butterfly.”

Thank you for telling me about the interesting way in which you used the pattern. I love to get information like that! I'll be glad to give you a pattern that should be small enough for your daughter's shirt. This one should be enough smaller to fit. I hope it does and that she likes it! This pattern is for the smallest of the three butterflies on the wall hanging (March 21, 2016). The colors represent those of a real butterfly, but you are free to use any colors you choose.

Small butterfly from latch hooked wall hanging

If your daughter wants her butterfly in the same colors as yours, you can do the following steps:

1. Leave the body of the butterfly (F) brown and the antennae black.

2. Substitute violet for the darkest brown (A) on the wings.

3. Substitute lavender for the light orange (B).

4. Substitute purple for the dark orange (C).

5. Substitute cream, white or whatever you used around the edges for the light tan (E) on the upper wings.

6. Substitute mauve or rose for the medium brown (D) on the lower wings.

Click here to download Butterfly Needle Arts Chart #3

Here's the chart.

Readers, look for a chart for the third (center) butterfly from the wall hanging on one of our autumn blog posts.

Butterflies come in a huge variety of colors, but the colors are not evenly distributed worldwide. Here in temperate North America, the main colors are black, white, yellow, orange and brown. Purple and blue are less common and true red and green are rare. However, those colors can be found on many butterflies from the tropics. In fact, you can make up a fanciful fantasy butterfly and later find out that a live one very similar to it exists somewhere on earth. I'm beginning to think that fact applies to flowers, too. A couple of years ago, I did a large needlepoint of a daylily, giving it all sorts of unusual shades of color. This spring I opened a garden catalog and there was “my” daylily being offered as a brand new variety!

"Dayglo Daylily," framed needlepoint from our Etsy shop

“The little lion on checked gingham (July 31, 2016) is so cute! What stitches did you use?”

Head of lion on checked gingham

Basic blackwork (October 6, 2013) is done with 4 small, straight stitches: a vertical stitch in the center of the squares a horizontal stitch in the center of the squares, a stitch slanting from lower left to upper right, and a stitch slanting from lower right to upper left. If you combine the first two, you get a plus sign (+). If you combine the second two you get an x (a cross-stitch). The more of these stitches you place in a given square, the darker the area of stitching appears. The darkest area of the lion is that of his back legs, which were made by stitching a cross-stitch in each square and then stitching a horizontal stitch across the middle of each x. All the patterned areas were designed this way. Each individual area was outlined with plain chain stitch. The eyes, nose, tongue and fangs are done in solid chain (October 31, 2015), sometimes called Beauvais embroidery. You begin by outlining, but continue stitching around and around inside the outline until the area is completely filled with stitches. I'm glad you liked the little fellow!

Finally, some gardening questions, which I will turn over to J.D.

“What have you been able to grow in your straw bales? (April 30, 2016)”

Spice basil growing in straw bale

The bale gardening experiment has had mixed results: in one batch of bales, I seeded summer savory, curled cress, sylvetta, chervil, and mustard spinach quite successfully and transplanted some fennel plants, all of which are doing pretty well. In another set of bales, things have not gone as well, though I do have one batch of a special spiced basil variety doing fairly well. In the third set, zilch. The limiting factor has been how thoroughly I could soak the bales regularly both before and after planting. The soaker hose setups popular in much of the literature simply can’t do the job in our arid climate. Fortunately, I can try again in the infertile bales next year with a new watering system.

“Your irises are so beautiful, and seem to grow so well! I haven’t had much luck with irises, but you’ve inspired me to order some from a catalog – they’ll be here in the fall. Any advice for me?”

Well, if you saw the collage of iris pictures in our July 10, 2016 post then you probably saw my instructions for transplanting in the same article. The only things I would add are: 1) Make sure you don’t cover the rhizome (the thick, gnarly part) when you cover the roots (the skinny, dangly parts) – the rhizome needs to breathe; 2) Make sure your soil has good drainage, irises don’t like wet feet. If you have clay or other heavy soil, add some sand or other amendment to be sure excess water drains and doesn’t stand where you’ve planted; 3) Don’t baby the irises, they seem to thrive on benign neglect.

Iris, out by the alley...

A couple of years ago, Annake got three fancy batik irises of different colors. Two of these were planted in selected special locations, and carefully nursed along. They do all right, giving us a couple of nice blooms each year, but that’s about all. There was no good place for the third plant at the time, so I stuck it out by the alley, just out of the gravel, in a location that gets irregular sun and absolutely no irrigation. Of course, it has thrived – it’s multiplied and needs dividing now, and throws up multiple heavy blooms from every stalk.

“At one point you mentioned that you were going to try some new methods for starting plants. Did anything ever come of that?”

J.J., my sister, did forward me an article about starting cuttings in raw potatoes; so, I got a sack of cheap russets at the grocery store before I bothered to do any real research on the subject. I found out that many grocery store potatoes are treated in some fashion to keep them from sprouting in storage, and that these should NOT be used to start cuttings. Sure enough, not a single potato from that bag ever developed any ‘eyes’ (sprouts), and I tossed them all when they started to rot.

However...

About the time I brought those potatoes home, we found a stem broken off one of Annake’s potted geraniums on the greenhouse floor. Since I didn’t yet know any better, I bored a hole in one of the potatoes and stuck the stem in to try to salvage it, and put the whole assemblage on the back of the greenhouse bench. After my research, I knew nothing would come of the whole exercise, but I never got around to tossing the stem and potato on the compost pile. So, I was flabbergasted when Annake showed me the cutting a couple of weeks ago, not only growing but blooming!

Geranium cutting blooming in a potato

It seems that the geranium never bothered to read the articles that said you can’t use treated potatoes.

Until next time: go make something, grow something, and have a great summer,

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Latch Hooked Butterflies for Summer, and a Pattern for You

Iris Wall Hanging

Those of you who follow these posts regularly know that I like the theme of the Four Seasons. I have previously shown a latch-hooked snowflake wall hanging for Winter and provided a pattern for you to follow if you like (January 28, 2015). For Spring, I did a hanging with three iris flowers and gave you an iris pattern to do in colors of your choice (June 18, 2015). My choice for Summer was to do pictures of three butterflies. All are different species, so I have put a pattern for a ‘generic’ butterfly for you at the end of this article. The black or dark brown border is given and you can the fill in the wings with any colors you prefer.

First Latch-hooked Butterfly (bottom)

I have discussed latch-hooking before (June 16, 2013), and you may want to look at that post. On re-reading it, however, I thought of a number of suggestions and/or cautions that I would like to pass along to you. I have done so in this post. The best canvas for most latch-hook projects is a jute canvas. I have used the nylon mesh for soft projects like pillows and for items that have to be washed, but it is too fragile for rugs and most wall hangings. The best jute canvas is marked off with horizontal and vertical lines so that areas are outlined that contain 100 squares of mesh (10 squares x 10 squares). If you must use unmarked canvas, take the time to use a yardstick or meter stick and a permanent marker to put these lines on the canvas. It will make the placement of your designs much easier. The canvas is very sturdy, but it is also very rough on the surface. To protect my hands from this roughness, I wear crafting gloves with the ends of the glove fingers cut off. If you don't have such gloves, you may want to wear adhesive bandages (such as Band-Aid®) on the parts of your hands that come into contact with the canvas.

Second Latch-hooked Butterfly (middle)

I begin my work at the bottom of the canvas and work upward one row at a time. As I make a row of knots, I examine each knot to make sure the two cut ends of the knot are even. If they are not, I pull gently on the shorter end until they are the same length. Sometimes I need to remove a knot. To do so, I press the cut ends upward against the unworked canvas and pull the loop of yarn at the bottom gradually until the knot releases. If the yarn is undamaged, I use it to re-make the knot; if it is damaged, I discard it. Once a row is complete, I use the back of my hook to press all the knots downward evenly. This gives me another opportunity to look for and correct imperfect knots. As the project grows long enough to come close to my knees, I want to protect it from any lint, dust, hair from the shop cat, etc., that might brush off of my clothing. For a wall hanging, I tape an open pillowcase or plastic trash bag to the edge of the work surface and slip the work in progress into it. When I'm working on a rug, I can keep a clean tablecloth spread across my knees.

Third Latch-hooked Butterfly (top)

Once a section with a butterfly was completed, I took the time to put away the pattern for that butterfly and any yarns that I would not use again, I discarded damaged yarn. I brushed the loose fibers from the surface of the butterfly. To do this, I use the side of my hand or a soft hairbrush. I begin at the top center of the work and brush the surface of the work in long strokes to the edge of the canvas and off onto the worktable. I work my way to the bottom of the panel a few rows of knots at a time. Then I repeat the process from the center to the opposite edge. I'm always surprised by the amount of “fuzz” I need to remove! Then I clean the tabletop and check the floor for stray yarn. Finally, I put out the next pattern and the colors of yarn I will need to use for it. This keeps the table relatively uncluttered and puts everything within reach.

Back of First Butterfly

Once the design was completed, I turned the work over and examined the back of the canvas. I was looking for knots I might have missed or put into the wrong place in the pattern, damaged ones, and anything else that needed to be corrected. The tops and bottoms of wall hangings have the most stress on them. I fold these edges under for several rows of mesh and make the knots of yarn through both layers. You may do this with the sides, too, but it isn't really necessary. The raw edges can be turned under and sewn to the back of the finished knots. I back the finished hangings with felt, leaving enough of it at the top to make a pocket for a dowel or other type of hanger. J.D. then completes the hanger.

Butterfly Needle Arts Pattern (click to download)

Now, here is a butterfly pattern that you can download for free and work in any colors. The pattern will also work for cross-stitch, tent stitch, blackwork and a number of other techniques. The outlined squares should be worked in black or very dark brown, unless you are doing a fantasy butterfly (in which case you should use your imagination). The bodies, marked with an X are usually some shade of brown or gray, but black also works well. The row of dotted squares indicates where the wings meet or overlap. If you are doing a solid-colored butterfly, you may want to do this row in black or dark brown to match your outline. If you are using different colors for the upper and lower wings, chose one or the other to do this row. (In Nature, the upper wing is the one more likely to overlap.)

May your summer be bright with butterflies,

Finished Butterfly Wall Hanging

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Assisi Embroidery: A Different Way to Look at Design

Assisi work is a very old form of counted-thread embroidery. Its first known use was in the late 13^th or early 14^th Century. The name comes from Assisi, Italy, the little town in Umbria made famous by its association with Saint Francis of Assisi. Many of the best examples, made by nuns in convents for use as altar cloths in cathedrals, have managed to survive. They were worked on white linen with single colors of silk thread. The colors used were red, blue, yellow, green and brown. Only the silhouettes of the subjects were outlined; the backgrounds were worked solidly. The subjects were primarily Biblical scenes, with some mythological subjects and stylized animals and plants. The technique remained popular in church circles throughout the 17^th Century.

Red square shows flowers implied by background stitching

By the 18^th century, however, the embroidery work had passed from the nuns to the women of the town of Assisi, where it became a cottage industry for them. The subjects became more secular and they were then used on household linens. The motifs were outlined in one color (usually black), while the backgrounds were worked in a second color (often red or green). Some women began experimenting with less traditional color combinations, such as rose and blue or blue-gray and gold. Elements of the technique became incorporated with more widespread folk embroidery. If you look carefully at the enlargement of this counted-stitch embroidery on evenweave linen, you will see tiny flowers that are not embroidered, but simply suggested by the stitches around them.

Assisi butterfly in red on white monk's cloth

Today you need not be limited by any of the traditional restrictions. Indeed, the simplest subjects need not be outlined at all; Their inner structure is shown by extending the background stitches inside their silhouettes. An example is this piece, first shown on the post for April 30, 2014. The colors used here are the traditional red-on-white, but it is perfectly possible to use any color (or colors) of thread on any other color of background –- even black. There are many ways in which you can use this simple and versatile style of embroidery to express your indiviual taste and personality.

Sampler for some Assisi background stitches

The most common background stitches are conventional (left-over-right, stitched in two different passes) cross-stitches, but other alternatives include two-sided cross-stitch (right-over-left, each stitch completed before the next is begun), zigzag stitch (cross-stitches with upright stitches between them), long-armed cross-stitch, four-sided stitch, and detached filling stitches like wheatear and French knot. Three of these stitches are shown on this sample, first in a single color and then with two colors used to make the stitch pattern clearer. (Top to bottom, long-armed cross-stitch, zigzag stitch, four-sided stitch.) There are several versions of long-armed cross-stitch; I've chosen a simple one. The four-sided stitch can be used as a detached filling stitch. Outlining is usually done in back-stitch or double-running stitch (sometimes called Holbein stitch). That doesn't mean you can't use outline stitch, stem stitch, chain stitch or even couching.

Assisi embroidered rose on monk's cloth

Nor do you need to use a linen background and silk thread. Cotton fabrics and cotton or rayon floss, craft threads, and crochet cotton are inexpensive, readily available, easy to use and come in a multitude of colors. Hardanger cloth and Aida are strong contenders for this type of work. I have a special fondness for linen thread and tapestry wool on coarser fabrics like hopsacking, wool, wool blends and decorator burlap. (Whatever you use, use something that will not cause discomfort to your eyes or hands.) The project shown here is a multiflora rose outlined in a single strand of J&P Coats™ craft thread. The background is worked in six-strand DMC™ floss on monks' cloth. Several closely-related shades of red were used.

Outline of "JOY" embroidery, ready for Assisi background

I like single words displayed in ways that make me stop and think about the meaning of the word. I decided to do an Assisi embroidery featuring the word JOY against a background of “joyous” rainbow colors. I had a frame I wanted to use for it, so that dictated the size of the project. After working out my design on graph paper, I prepared my fabric and backing with easy-to-remove basting and centering stitches. This time I decided to use the conventional black outline. I back-stitched around the three letters. Here is a picture of the project at that stage.

The yellow and green center stripes were measured so that each would fill exactly half of the space allotted for the letter “O”. The other stripes are slightly wider. I wanted the blue and orange stripes to encompass the majority of their letter spaces and the red and purple ones to cover the small parts left over. I decided to leave a margin of the unstitched background fabric at either end of the embroidery to set it off. This picture shows the project completed, hemmed, and ready to frame.

Finished Assisi embroidery project, "JOY"

 

Assisi embroidery of iris on needlepoint canvas

I had never seen Assisi work done on needlepoint canvas, but I could see no reason not to try it. I drew a simple outline of an iris bloom and a bit of stem and traced it with pencil onto #10 mono canvas. I worked the outlines of the design in continental stitch and the background in basketweave stitch. I decided it needed a bit of a second color, so I did the “stamens” in doubled six-strand floss. I like the result and am now planning a long horizontal panel with several flowers, done so the white canvas becomes the flower, each with a different color background. There may be a place for that little butterfly somewhere in the panel, too.

I believe my interest in Assisi work stems from my fascination with positive and negative shapes in design. If you want to see the work of a master of positive/negative design (and one of my two favorite artists of all time), look for pictures by Dutch artist M. C. Escher (Maurits Cornelis Escher, 1898–1972). They will exercise your mind and your imagination.

As for Assisi work --- try it. You'll like it!

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