Mediaeval Embroidery

Mediaeval Embroidery has also called “Point Venice”, “Fourteenth Century”, and “Italian Relief Embroidery”.

It is an adaptation of the Buttonhole stitch. When finished, each petal or leaf is securely attached to the fabric at two points only — its base and tip.

At a point where two petals join, bring the needle through from the under side of the material and take five darning stitches, one across the base of each petal, bringing the needle up close to the starting point. See Fig. 1.

Mediaeveal Stitch No. 1

Next take four Buttonhole stitches over the Darning stitch as in Fig. 2, then take six stitches adding one at each end of the preceding row of four. See Fig. 3.

Mediaeval Stitch No. 2

Mediaeval No. 3

In the same manner make the next four with eight stitches in each, then decrease the number two at a time, until there are but two, when fasten at the point of the petal with two stitches, passing the needle to the next petal at the same time. Fig. 4 shows a half finished flower petal.

Mediaeval Stitch No. 4

These directions are for the forms illustrated here, but to make larger or smaller petals or leaf forms vary the number of stitches in each row accordingly.

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