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    Simple Embroidery and Simple Embroidery Design - A Two Volume How-To Guide for Beginners
    Simple Embroidery and Simple Embroidery Design - A Two Volume How-To Guide for Beginners
    Simple Embroidery and Simple Embroidery Design - A Two Volume How-To Guide for Beginners
    Ebook180 pages4 hours

    Simple Embroidery and Simple Embroidery Design - A Two Volume How-To Guide for Beginners

    By Marguerite Randell

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    About this ebook

    This is a classic guide to embroidery designed especially for amateurs. Embroidery is the handicraft of decorating fabric or other materials with needle and thread or yarn. Embroidery may also incorporate other materials such as metal strips, pearls, beads, quills, and sequins. This fantastic guide offers the reader a practical introduction to the subject, making it perfect for those with little previous experience. Contents include: “The Art of Embroidery”, “Freehand Stitches – Chain Group”, “Chain Stitches”, “Chain Stitches (continued)”, “Herringbone Stitches”, “Herringbone Stitches (continued)”, “Stem or Outline Stitches”, “Hemstitching”, “Hemstitching (continued)”, “Embroidery”, etc. Many vintage books such as this are increasingly scarce and expensive. It is with this in mind that we are republishing this volume now in an affordable, modern, high-quality edition complete with a specially-commissioned new introduction on embroidery.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRead Books Ltd.
    Release dateMay 31, 2013
    ISBN9781473388222
    Simple Embroidery and Simple Embroidery Design - A Two Volume How-To Guide for Beginners

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      Book preview

      Simple Embroidery and Simple Embroidery Design - A Two Volume How-To Guide for Beginners - Marguerite Randell

      SIMPLE EMBROIDERY

      AND SIMPLE

      EMBROIDERY DESIGN

      - A TWO VOLUME

      HOW-TO GUIDE FOR

      BEGINNERS -

      BY

      MARGUERITE RANDELL

      AND HEBE COX

      Copyright © 2011 Read Books Ltd.

      This book is copyright and may not be

      reproduced or copied in any way without

      the express permission of the publisher in writing

      British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

      A catalogue record for this book is available from

      the British Library

      Simple Embroidery

      by

      MARGUERITE RANDELL

      HEAD OF THE TRAINING SCHOOL,

      ROYAL SCHOOL OF NEEDLEWORK,

      SOUTH KENSINGTON.

      CONTENTS

      Introduction

      Notes on Materials, etc.

      Equipment

      General Hints

      Ex. 1. Freehand Stitches—Chain Group

      Ex. 2. Freehand Stitches—Chain Group (cont.)

      Ex. 3. Freehand Stitches Herringbone Stitches

      Ex. 4. Freehand Stitches Herringbone Stitches (cont.)

      Ex. 5. Freehand Stitches Buttonhole Stitches

      Ex. 6. Freehand Stitches Stem or Outline Stitches

      Ex. 7. Hemstitching

      Ex. 8. Hemstitching (cont.)

      Ex. 9. Fancy Veinings and Borders

      Ex. 10. Needleweaving

      Ex. 11. Embroidery on Linen

      Ex. 12. Cushion Covers in Linen

      Ex. 13. Sachet and Mending Case in Linen

      Ex. 14. Needlebook and Blotting Pad in Linen

      Ex. 15. Smocking—Stem Stitches

      Ex. 16. Smocking—Honeycomb Stitches

      Ex. 17. Suggestions for White Embroidery

      Ex. 18. Shadow Appliqué

      Ex. 19. Needle Shadowing on Muslin

      Notes on the Pressing of Finished Embroidery

      Introduction

      Embroidery should be one of the most popular of the crafts. It is easily developed on progressive lines as an outcome of the necessary and important subject of needlework. A girl who cannot readily use a needle is badly equipped for after life. Whatever her career may be she must, at least, be able to mend.

      Apart from necessity, too, there is the very real and lasting pleasure of creating something. Embroidery is, above all, a craft which can be practised almost anywhere and at any time, as the materials and apparatus required are few and simple. Under the guidance provided in this little book, small household and personal articles of permanent beauty and utility can be made at very little expense.

      Many of the processes chosen for the exercises in this book are from traditional peasant work of Southern Europe, where such things are part of the common life of the people. They are forms of simple stitchery worked with fast colour cottons on linen, providing infinite variety and also provoking the workers to make their own fresh arrangements of stitches. These stitches worked over the threads of the material are known as square stitches.

      Freehand stitches, that is, those which follow a traced line and are independent of the material for their formation, have been introduced in family groups, and not doled out one at a time as the pattern demands. The latter method taxes the memory unnecessarily and gives no coherent or progressive knowledge to the pupil. When taught in groups, the pupils readily observe how a small difference in the angle at which the needle is placed in the material, or the tension of the thread, make a big change in the stitch produced.

      In giving diagrams of stitches the reverse side has also been shown in most cases, as this is often of the greatest help in elucidating the method of working.

      SIMPLE

      EMBROIDERY

      The Art of Embroidery

      Embroidery dates from comparatively early in the history of mankind, though of necessity later than weaving. Almost as soon as women had learnt to spin and weave the field was open for the decoration of the fabric thus made.

      Wool and flax were the first threads to be spun and the tombs of the kings of Egypt have preserved for us many wonderful specimens of pattern weaving and embroidery on linen. Specimens exist which show that most of the methods of embroidery known to-day were in common use some centuries before the Christian era.

      The culture and crafts of ancient Egypt were carried by traders across the Mediterranean Sea to Greece and Italy. To this day, one finds beautiful traditional embroideries being made in these countries. Their source and inspiration were in the ancient craft-work brought over by early traders. The background is chiefly linen. Fast dyes are used for the embroidery threads, so that the article may be used and washed without anxiety, as should be the case with household things.

      Choice of Material.

      Embroidery is used to ornament and enrich materials but, in choosing materials to embroider, it should always be remembered that the fabric has a very essential part to play. Too often this is entirely ignored.

      The design, threads and stitches used should be in harmony with the background as to colour and weight. For this reason it is often best for beginners to keep for a while to stitches and patterns based on the fabric, which should be coarse and loosely woven so that the warp and weft threads are easily distinguishable. The warp threads, which are stretched and rolled on a frame or loom, run the length of the material, while the weft or weaving thread works in and out across the width of the warp threads and, in turning at either side forms the selvedge. In coarse materials this weaving is easy to see and one can scarcely handle materials at all for sewing purposes without knowing the way of the stuff.

      For school work choose a material in which the warp and weft threads can be seen clearly. It can be of linen, jute or soft cotton canvas. Art canvas and Titian cloth are made of jute and can be obtained in a variety of shades and 50 in. in width. The threads draw out easily and are clear to follow when working stitches based on the fabric.

      Always use a material and style of work suitable to the purpose for which the article is to be made. Do not, for instance, make cushions which may only be looked at, or embroider household linen with threads which will not launder.

      Do not let the embroidery be such as to spoil the suppleness of the fabric or its draping possibilities.

      In carrying out drawn thread work take out as few threads as possible. Endeavour in planning the decoration, to strengthen the drawn parts of the material.

      Threads.

      The general rule is that the thread chosen for embroidery should be at least as rich in quality as the background. When linen is embroidered, the work is usually carried out in cotton owing to the great variety of sizes, makes and colours obtainable.

      Stranded cotton is the best for work on fine materials, the number of strands used in the needle being varied according to the type of work.

      A good rule in choosing the size of a thread is to match it with that of the material.

      Equipment

      Thimble.—The use of this should be insisted on from the first.

      Scissors.—Two pairs, embroidery and cutting out.

      Stiletto.

      Pencil.

      Footrule.

      Pins.

      Needles.—It is very important that the right size and kind be used.

      Apart from ordinary sewing needles—sharps and betweens—there are three varieties of embroidery needles:

      Crewel Sizes 1-10

      Chenille Sizes 16-25

      Tapestry Sizes 16-25

      Tapestry needles are very good for hemstitching as, in the smaller sizes, they are sufficiently sharp to take the stitches and do not split the threads in picking up for the grouping.

      Ring Frame.—For some all-over filling stitches and for needle weaving a small ring frame is necessary. The outer ring should have an adjusting screw for use with thick materials.

      Ring Frame.

      General Hints

      How to Hold the Work.

      Grip the material firmly between the first finger and thumb of the left hand, allow it to pass over the second and fourth fingers and under the third which is used to steady it: separate the fingers a little as space is required for working.

      Choice of Needle.

      Choose a needle which comfortably

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