PATTERN AND DESIGN TRANSFER SECTION
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CHRISTMAS NEEDLEWORIC
'HE most pleasant pastime iojr this season of the year is the
making of holiday gifts for loved ones. The token "made
by one's self and presented at Christmas is so much more
appreciated than a gift purchased all ready made because,
in the hand-made gift love breathes from every stitch.
Acceptable Christmas presents are 'generally those which are both
useful and ornamental and under this head come handkerchief cases,
pen-wipers, safety pin books, and shaving pad covers.
A heart-shaped needlecase is easily ;made by cutting two pieces
of cardboard in the shape of a heart, ayerseaming a piece of white
muslin over each, for the sake of padding, and arranging holes, or
a ribbon at he top to fasten the two pieces together after the entire
work upon them is completed. The embroidered cover is put on last
and, between the two covered pieces of cardboard are laid several bits
of flannel, pinked around the edges and, preferably, of the color of the
flower embroidered upon the outside of the heart. ' The ribbon, which
ties the heart and forms a loop by which to hang it up, should match
the flower in hue or else tone in with the colors of the embroidered
design. Wherever ribbon is used upon the articles described it should
always be chosen with reference to the color of the embroidery.
There are many ways of embroidering the flowers offered in these
embroidery designs, and any of the stitches described may be em
ployed. A rapid and pretty way to work foliage is to outline the leaf with
two rows of running stitches, one row a little distance from the other,
but coming- together at the top and bottom of the leaves. Fill in the
space with long stitches to make a padding for the embroidery. When
the leaves have all been outlined and filled in, begin to work, with
silk, crosswise, over and over the padding, laying the stitches closely
and evenly over the outline stitches until the outer part of the leaf
stands out in bold relief. It is pretty to work the tips of the leaves in
a lighter shade of green thn the lower portions. Indeed, shaded
foliage and flower petals are always more rich in effect.
The inexperienced worker will do well to work without shading
until some degree of expertness has been reached in embroidering
with single colors, but a charming effect may be obtained in foliage
by filling in the centers of the leaves with a different shade of color.
After the outlines of the leaves have been embroidered the center
may be filled in with briar stitch, herringbone stitch, couching, seeding
darning, weaving or long-and-short stitch. All these methods are far
more quickly accomplished than satinstitch, the favorite embroidery
stitch for all fine work, and which, when combined with other stitches, "
conveys a richness of design not otherwise obtainable.
Seeding is done much like French knotting, by filling in a space
with tiny knots. Seeding is always effective when combined with
French embroidery, or satin stitch, and is handsome when used as a
filling for spaces between outlined lettering. It is extremely fashion
able, this season, to make a background of seed stitches to a mono
gram design, or some small medallion pattern.
Another way to fill in the leaves and petals of flowers is with
French knots, made large, so as to stand well out upon the material.
This kind of knotting is best when the design is a large one, the silk
or crewel used coarse in quality, and the effect to be produced bold,
rather than delicate. The long-and-short stitch is intended for rapid
work done with coarse silk or cotton. It consists of a long and then
a short stitch, alternating, and is particularly useful in outlining the
edges of fldwer petals and foliage. When this stitch is used the
centers of petals have no other filling and leaves are merely veined
with rope-stitch, outline stitch, or snail-trail stitch, unless the leaf is a
large one, when a broader treatment is desirable, and herringbone and
feather stitching form attractive, fillings. ' V ..
All the lettering Nin these designs should be -done in satinstitch,
first "outlining the letter with a running thread and then filling it in
with long padding stitches. . . . '
Theshaving case cover is worked with daisy pattern and these
dainty blossoms are best worked in satinstitch and padded well, so
that they seem to bloom out from the material. The petals are very
easily worked because they are narrow. All narrow petals and fol
iage should be embroidered with padded satinstitch, as the relief thus
insured adds greatly to the. beauty of the design. ;
The daisies are first worked upon the top for the shaving case and
then the embroidered circle is stretched over a circle of cardboard. A
second piece of cardboard is covered for the back of the case and both
pieces are finished with eyelets at the top through which ribbon is
laced and tied in a pretty bow. , The shaving paper is held between
the leaves of the case by the ribbon. ;v - V ' ' -
The safety pin holder is also furnished witlf eyelets at one end
through which ribbon may be laced. But, if one pleases, the eyelets
may be eliminated and the ends of the book overseamed and trimmed
with ribbon. , ' . . r
Embroider the outer side of the safety-pin case with any of the
Stitches described and lay between the leaves 'several layers of fine
flannel, cut just a trifle smaller than the outside leaves. Pink the
edges and fasten the safety-pins in parallel rowsacross the flannel
leaves. '
White flannel is used with delicate. embroidery and tinted flannel
with white or bright colored embroidery. ' .,
The same stitches are used in making the butterfly design upon
the cover for a penwiper. Thoughts that fly are prettily exemplified'
in this design and nothing is lovelier, worked in colored silks, than
a butterfly.
The outer edges of the butterfly's wings would look best worked
in satinstitch, or long-and-short stitch. The wings may then be filled
in with seeding or darning or weaving stitches, all ofwhich are very
effective for filling in a design of this shape.. On top of these fillings
work the spots, seed upon butterfly wings, in rich colors in satinstitch.
Run a thread around the spots just as though no embroidery were be
neath, fill in the little circle with stitches from edge to edge and then
work crosswise of the filling threads with close satinstitch. The effect
of the colored spots raised above the wing embroidery is very beau
tiful. The spots should contrast with the other coloring used in the
wings, as butterflies offer vivid contrasts of coloring in their wings.
The body of the butterfly must be outlined and padded with long
stitches so as to stand out higher than the rest of the design. Then
work across the padding with satinstitch and use a darker color of
silk for the body: The feelers may be worked in outline, rope, snail
trail or satinstitch, jus't as one pleases. The satinstitch takes longer
and does not, look any more effective for this purpose.
When the design has been worked the cover is then stretched over
a1 cardboard form and fastened to bits of chamoise skin by means of
a ribbon at the end. Usually a back, or bottom to the penwiper is
. made of stiffer cardboard than the top, and is covered with any at
tractive material which will harmonize with the embroidered top. It
is well to use rich, rather than light colors, for embroidered articles
which cannot be laundered.
Everybody knows how to make a handkerchief case so it isonly
needful to say that the one illustrated is made like a large envelope
with an embroidered flap. It is best to work this embroidery design ?
with satinstitch over a filled-in outline, and the lettering should also
be worked with satinstitch. White linen, worked in washable colored
silks makes the best cover for a handkerchief case since the top may
be ripped off and washed constantly. Still, colored silk, of not too
light a shade, will remain fresh for years, even though some, of the
"design is worked in very light colors. Ribbon, with which to tie the
envelope in place, after .the case" has been, finished, should be of a
tint to harmonize prettily, with the embroidery. The scalloped edges
must be buttonholed or embroidered with satinstitch.
- - For -working on. linen, mercerized, cotton i .floss is more desirable
than linen threads," and the thickness of the floss JHiould be regulated
by the weight of the linen to be embroidered.- '
For btld designs and heavy embroidery there is a choice of de
sirable working silks of considerable thickness, such as Mpuntmellik. j
silk, lustrous silk, and several loosely twisted, thick working silks tht
go by the names given them by their various manufacturers.
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