Linen Embroidery
It is made by tracing upon good hand-made Linen a bold conventional outline, drawing away the Linen Threads at stated intervals, and Overcasting those left, so as to form a ground composed of open squares, while the plain Linen within the traced outline is Buttonholed round and forms the design.  Click on picture to see more detail. To work as shown in Fig. 1: This pattern is taken from an old German piece of work, and is executed upon good, but not too fine, Linen, with red washing silk, or Turkey red ingrain cotton. Transfer the pattern to the Linen by means of tracing paper and carbonized paper, and back the Linen with parchment or toile ciré. Then BUTTONHOLE all round the outline with the red silk, and make the Buttonhole lines very narrow. Draw out the upright threads of the material in sections, pull out six or eight threads, and leave two, and repeat to the end of the linen, but cut the drawn threads where they touch the thick parts of the pattern. Having finished the upright lines, draw out the horizontal ones in the same manner, so that a network of squares is formed upon the ground. Thread a needle with silk, and OVERCAST over all the left threads. The difficulty in the work will be in the even Overcasting of these lines; they should be steadied by being held down by the left thumb, and the silk used in the Overcasting should be selected without blemishes or rough places. Two more examples of Linen embroidery is shown below:  Click on picture to see more detail.  Click on picture to see more detail. Another kind of Linen Embroidery. In this, the work and background are quite solid, lines of Drawn threads being used only to form ornamental borders. To work: Trace a bold conventional flower pattern upon Russian Crash, or coarse white linen. Work the outlines of the same in CREWEL STITCH, with blue linen thread, and work the fillings with SATIN, FEATHER, CORAL, CROSS STITCH, and FRENCH KNOTS. Alter the direction of the stitches, and the stitches in various parts of the work, and thus produce a variety of effects from the same design. An imitation of this Linen Embroidery is made upon Java canvas, and is used for cushions, mats, and other articles; the threads of the Java canvas not being drawn away, the ground of the Embroidery is solid. To work: Trace the design as before mentioned, then take coarse silk, and RUN it along the squares of the canvas, making one stitch answer to one side of a square. Run all the upright and horizontal lines in this manner, and so form a groundwork of squares. Then take fine silk, of the same color as used on the ground, and OVERCAST all the lines of the design. Another variation of imitation Linen Embroidery is to cut out the pattern upon linen, lay that upon the java canvas, OVERCAST it down, and then RUN the lines upon the groundwork. Neither of these imitation Linen Embroideries can be used upon the wrong side like the real Linen Embroidery. Return to top of Linen Embroidery page. Return to Types of Embroidery page. Return to Home page.
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