Stitching Idyllic Blog

January 22, 2013 by Ann Bernard

Royal School of Needlework – Third Sampler – Applique and Couching

This piece was a pain to stitch. For starters, I did not like that hot pink linen fabric then and I continue to dislike it. It was the project where we learned, because we had to, how to stitch accurately and quickly.

Royal School Of Needlework Applique And Couching

The design was transferred onto the cream fabric by the prick, pounce and paint a very thin line with black watercolor paint method. The pink and the cream fabric were both mounted onto a slate frame and the cream fabric was thoroughly basted in place. Starting somewhere, probably near the base of the stem, small running stitches were made on the design lines along a small section. The fabric was trimmed away very close to the marked and stitched line. The couched thread was either 12 or 18 strands of DMC Floss (deliberately left slightly puffy) couched down with three threads. Whatever your spacing was between the first two stitches was what it had to be consistently throughout no matter the curve or the space available. We worked by eye with no templates allowed. I encourage my students to use templates where accurate spacing is necessary. There is no need to try the patience of students unnecessarily.

The edges and the centre of the Rose are Padded Satin Stitch.

The edges and the centre of the Rose are Padded Satin Stitch. I am writing a tutorial on how to do this shortly. Like everything else, once you know how, it is easy.

It will be on my blogsite: Stitching Idyllic

January 14, 2013 by Ann Bernard

Stitches Sampler from The Royal School of Needlework

This was the first sampler stitched as a student at The Royal School of Needlework in 1951.

Royal School of Needlework 1951 Sampler

At 17 years plus a few days old, it was one huge undertaking to travel in and out of London each day and actually spend my time doing something that was both interesting and demanding. (Believe me, it was joy after attending what was a prestigious and appalling school.) My eyes were good and I was in ‘the smaller the better stitches’ phase in my life. As such, I now need a magnifying glass to identify some of these stitches.

This is particularly true of some of those in the darkest of the wool threads. There are some interesting Trellis Filling stitches but you can take a closer look at some of the details.

Trellis Filling Stitches.

These samplers were mounted on masonite this being the only mounting board available at the time No one knew or understood anything about acidity and the conservation of fabrics and threads. On taking these samplers apart for acid-free remounting, I found that the fabric that wrapped across the cut edges of the masonite to be more discoloured than the main part. The white sheeting wrapping the board and underneath the sampler was brown as if plunged into tobacco smoke though no one in this house has smoked near them. In fact they have been behind glass for protection for many years.

The smaller the better stitches phase in my life.

The new mounting on acid free board covered with clean and freshly laundered white cotton underlay has been a huge amount of work. But I reckoned that if I did not do this, no one else would and that in another 50 years the condition of the fabric could be terrible. The threads have generally survived well though there was some minimal damage from moths that I was able to repair.

The fabric that wrapped across the cut edges of the masonite to be more discoloured than the main part.

As you can see, there was not a lot of fabric available outside the design lines. After it came off the slate framed on which it was stitched, it was blocked. We used carpet tacks for this and you can see the holes and rust caused by this. I think that it would be almost impossible for a sampler such as this to exist without incurring damage from blocking, mounting and framing. It is sad to see this as I do remember, and remember well, what the samplers were like when pristinely new and not been ‘processed for presentation’.

I hope you are enjoying and are interested in these Real Glimpses from the Past. Not too many stitchers from that era are still alive and I want to pass the views as well as the experience on before it is lost.

The next sampler to go online will be our second one. I am planning to include the directions on how to create immaculate Padded Satin Stitch. Like most of these techniques, it is not difficult once you know how.

Happy New Year.

December 4, 2012 by Ann Bernard

Coral Stitch

Coral stitch is featured as an outline stitch in the Queen Anne corner of the Crewel Work Sampler stitched at the Royal School of Needlework during the early 1950s. I have never seen this stitch featured in a Stitch Dictionary which has motivated me to share it with you. Coral Knot stitch is often referred to as Coral Stitch but this is different.

Place your fabric in a hoop so that it is taut. DMC Perle 5 was used for this demonstration.

1. Work from right to left. Bring the thread to the front at the start of the line. Take the needle to the back above the line with the thread in a loop as shown.

Coral Stitch #1. Take the needle to the back above the line with the thread in a loop.

2. Bring the needle back to the front an equal distance below the line and within the loop as shown.

Coral Stitch #2. Bring the needle back to the front an equal distance below the line and within the loop.

3. Pull the thread vertically up towards your nose.

Coral Stitch #3. Pull the thread vertically up towards your nose.

4. And here is the tricky bit. Adjust the length of the arms by pulling the thread away from you in a horizontal direction and then towards you horizontally until the length of the two arms of the stitch are equal.

Coral Stitch #4. Adjust the length of the arms by pulling the thread away from you in a horizontal direction and then towards you horizontally.

Worked in the traditional manner this is a ‘squared stitch’ meaning that the space between the stitches is equal to the width of the stitch.

Coral Stitch #5. this is a ‘squared stitch’ meaning that the space between the stitches is equal to the width of the stitch.

Also, it is preferable to use a thicker thread and decrease the size of ‘the square’ so that the black line is completely covered. If you look at the Queen Anne sampler, you will notice that the squares are so tight that it is hard to see the construction of the stitch.

Here are some examples of using the stitch in a more relaxed and contemporary manner. These are far easier to stitch than the traditional style where it really shows if the stitches are not an even size and spacing. I like the circular placement and think that it would nice alternative to Buttonhole Stitch and is much easier to control.

Coral Stitch #6. Coral stitch in a more relaxed and contemporary manner.

Coral Stitch #7. Circular placement and think that it would nice alternative to Buttonhole Stitch.

Coral Stitch #8. S Shaped Coral Stitch.

What will this stitch do for you?

November 11, 2012 by Ann Bernard

Queen Anne the fourth quarter. What is special or different about this?

Queen Anne (1702-1714) was the last of the Stuart monarchs. Although in poor health she was pregnant 17 times but only one child lived beyond infancy. Her great friend, Sarah Jennings, with whom she had a stormy relationship, married John Churchill. He had great military skill winning many battles in Europe including the Battle of Blenheim. A grateful nation created him the Duke of Marlborough and built Blenheim Palace for him. Located northwest of London and near Oxford, it is well worth a visit. Winston Churchill was born there.

Queen Anne’s reign was noted for the development of the two party political system, the Union of England, Ireland and Scotland forming Great Britain among other achievements. It was a time of the building of mansions, private houses, lavish interior decoration and beautiful furniture. The furniture was smaller, lighter and more comfortable than previous styles; the cabriole leg (S shaped) is the most recognizably enduring part. This seems to be an appropriate accompaniment to the style of embroidery that we were told was current during Queen Anne’s reign.

What we were told at the Royal School of Needlework was that silk threads from the Far East had become available triggering a whole different style of embroidery. These threads were not suited for portraying the Jacobean Tree of Life with all its fanciful and massive leaves, flowers, birds and beasts. Instead, linear and free form shapes better were better suited to the new style furniture and interior decorating. I do not think that the elements of this design represent anything or are symbolic of anything.

You will notice that the colours have become muted more like the Elizabethan colour scheme rather than the boldness of the Jacobeans. The parallel lines use negative space between the colours to enhance each one of them. The stitches used are puffy Couching, Long and Short Stitch, some Laid Work, and French Knots. The majority of the lines are worked in Coral Stitch which happens to be one of my very favourite stitches of all time. I have looked for it in books and never seen it anywhere. It does seem to be related to Coral Knot but is worked a little differently. No, it is not difficult. The effect is a light and open decorative line which works well both as a single outline and a spaced filling. I include the closeup so that you will be able to see it better. We stitched some lines in worsted wool such as the blue and green outer lines. The couching and long and short stitch are in Pearsall’s Filoselle Embroidery Silk which is a 6-strand silk floss.

See also:
Sampler of crewel work stitches worked by Dorothea Nield, c.1930 in the Bridgeman Art Library. Creative Needlecraft by Lynette de Denne. Octopus Books Limited 1979 ISBN 1 85052 07. This excellent book is a good investment if you should be lucky enough to see it somewhere. Erica Wilson is bound to have it in her books though I am unable to tell you which one.

Notice the different design features and the different methods of stitching. Your comments are always welcome so please keep them coming. The next entry will be our first RSN sampler and, possibly, the second one also.

October 21, 2012 by Ann Bernard

Late Jacobean Crewel Work sampler

Crewel Work Sampler Third Corner Late Jacobean

The latter part of the 17th century is the period known as Late Jacobean. The third corner of this crewel work sampler was stitched while I was a student at the Royal School of Needlework a very long time ago, a teenager. This is where we learned to shade. The red and pink of the pomegranate is parallel shading. Parallel rows of stem stitch are worked starting from the outside. Notice how the colour change is achieved. The rest of the items are all long and short stitch and we started with the central part of the large leaf. By the time we got to the smaller, outer leaves we had more of an idea on how to do this difficult stitch. The leaves that shade from navy through green to yellow are one inch in length for the smallest, and one and a half inches long for the leaves at the top of the panel. The method is ‘stitching to a vein without a vein’. Notice the sharp points and crisp edges to these leaves. I did a good job of those and yes, there are technical tricks to achieve this.
Researching this design, the pomegranate is symbolic for fertility and abundance though there are different meanings dependent on the culture or religion.

Pomegranate is symbolic for fertility and abundance

We were told that the blue rose indicated the joining of the Houses of Lancaster and York which concluded the Wars of the Roses. These civil wars in the 15th century (described as long, repetitive and destructive) were between the Plantagenets (white roses) and the Tudors (red roses) and the politics were complicated. A combination of sick and incompetent rulers created widespread unrest with families divided and fighting each other.

Henry Tudor (became Henry V11), won the final battle which was horrific but ended the conflict. He was the father of Henry V111 and grandfather of Queen Elizabeth 1. As the Early Jacobean period occurred after the reign of Elizabeth, this blue rose indicates a period that was already history. The above stylised version of the uniting of these warring factions is really more congruent. I, personally, think that the blue rose is just a blue rose with no historical significance.

Unfortunately, the water damage from steaming is clearly visible in this quarter of the sampler.

I remain eager to hear your comments and ideas on the significance of these motifs. It would be great to be able to put more information into the provenance.

You can also go to Stitching Idyllic to see more recent stitching or check out Etsy for some great Jacobean Crewel Embroidery kits, but I have not tried them.

October 8, 2012 by Ann Bernard

Early Jacobean Embroidery Crewel Work Sampler

Before getting into the Jacobean Embroidery, I thought you would like to see this piece of embroidery. It is labelled as neo-crewel period dated 1910. Courtesy of H.E. Kiewe. English Crewel Designs by Mary Eirwen Jones 1974 1SBN 1-688-00288-9. It makes me curious, more and more curious.

English Crewel Designs by Mary Eirwen Jones

Early Jacobean Embroidery

The Jacobean period refers to the 17th century when the Stuarts, starting with James I and Charles I and II, ruled. They were the Kings immediately after Queen Elizabeth 1. There was a break in the Stuart line for Oliver Cromwell. It was an ornate period with lavish clothing and wonderful architecture. Early Jacobean specifically refers to the reign of James 1 in the first quarter of the century. The East India Company was at that time importing palampores into England which greatly influenced English decorative arts.

Palampores, hand-painted (stencilled) cotton fabrics from India, were influential in developing the traditional crewel work designs such as the Hindu Tree of Life pattern. Favourite embroidery motifs included exotic animals, resplendent birds, large ornate leaves and fantastical flowers. The timeless appeal of the Jacobean designs means that these motifs and layout continue to be used today though many of us now seek to arrange them in non-traditional ways. Embroidery was done on linen or twill fabric using wool yarn in bright colours. Many household items such as large wall hangings and bed curtains as well as cushions and pillows were decorated with Jacobean embroidery. They can be seen in museums and are illustrated in many books.

Block shading crewel sampler

This is the second of the four corners on this Crewel Work sampler. In terms of technique, it is an exercise in Block Shading. This is not difficult to do but it is advisable to know how it is done to reduce unnecessary problems. We started with the green areas and progressed to the large turquoise leaf. The learning process is fairly obvious if you look closely. I love the pink and grey motif in the upper right corner. I also like how the green of the main leaf forms the stem of the turquoise leaf giving the whole design unity. The oddity in the piece is the bright blue in the lower left. It is not a mistake or a repair. We were given this colour to use in that position. I remember questioning it. These being the postwar years and a lack of replacement materials, I think that RSN was running out of the right shades of wool threads though it does add a little zing to the composition.

The dark brown area is Long and Short Stitch. We were told that Block Shading was a technique that was used before the development of Long and Short Stitch. I have no idea whether this is correct or not. And it bugs me not to know and understand the progression of stitching history except in reference to major shifts and developments. I hope that there is someone who knows the answers as I will be gratefully eager to hear them. Unfortunately, in this corner of the sampler the water damage from steaming is obvious. I greatly regret this as it is otherwise in excellent condition.

Any thoughts or suggestions you have will be greatly appreciated.

The next corner, Late Jacobean shows a progression in technique and a totally different design.

Royal School of Needlework – Third Sampler – Applique and Couching

Enjoy a post from the past

Stitches Sampler from The Royal School of Needlework

Enjoy a post from the past

Coral Stitch

Enjoy a post from the past

Queen Anne the fourth quarter. What is special or different about this?

Enjoy a post from the past

Late Jacobean Crewel Work sampler

Enjoy a post from the past

Early Jacobean Embroidery Crewel Work Sampler

Early Jacobean Embroidery

Enjoy a post from the past