Art in Needlework Part 4

One need hardly describe b.u.t.tONHOLE St.i.tCH. The simple form of it (A) is worked by (when you have brought your needle out) keeping the thread under your thumb to the right, whilst you put the needle in again at a higher point slightly to the right, and bring it out immediately below, close to where it came out before. This and other one-edged st.i.tches of the kind are sometimes called "blanket-st.i.tch."

The only difference between versions such as B and C on the sampler, and simple b.u.t.tonhole, is that the st.i.tches vary in length according to the worker's fancy.

[Sidenote: TO WORK E.]

The CROSSED b.u.t.tONHOLE St.i.tCH at E is worked by first making a st.i.tch sloping to the right, and then a smaller b.u.t.tonhole-st.i.tch across this from the left.

The border marked D in sampler consists merely of two rows of slanting b.u.t.tonhole-st.i.tch worked one into the other. Needlewomen have wilful ways of making what should be upright st.i.tches slant awkwardly in all manner of ways, with the result that they look as if they had been pulled out of the straight.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 22. b.u.t.tONHOLE SAMPLER.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: 23. b.u.t.tONHOLE SAMPLER (BACK).]

[Sidenote: TO WORK F.]

The border at F, known as "TAILOR'S b.u.t.tONHOLE," is worked with the firm edge from you, instead of towards you, as you work ordinary b.u.t.tonhole. Bringing the thread out at the upper edge of the work to the left, and letting it lie on that side, you put your needle in again still on the same edge, and bring it out, immediately below, on the lower one. You then, before drawing the thread quite through, put your needle into the loop from behind, and tighten it upwards.

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE WORKING OF H ON b.u.t.tONHOLE SAMPLER.]

[Sidenote: TO WORK G.]

In order to make your ladder-st.i.tch (G) square at the end, you begin by making a bar of the width the st.i.tch is to be. Then, holding the thread under your thumb to the right, you put the needle in at the top of the bar and, slanting it towards the right, bring it out on a level with the other end of the bar somewhat to the right. This makes a triangle. With the point of your needle, pull the slanting thread out at the top, to form a square; insert the needle; slant it again to the right; draw it out as before, and you have your second triangle.

[Sidenote: TO WORK H.]

The difference between the working of the lattice-like band at H, and ladder-st.i.tch G, is that, having completed your first triangle, you make, by b.u.t.tonholing a st.i.tch, a second triangle pointing the other way, which completes a rectangular shape.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 24. b.u.t.tONHOLE, CHAIN, AND KNOT St.i.tCHES.]

In the solid work shown at J, you make five b.u.t.tonhole-st.i.tches, gathering them to a point at the base, then another five, and so on.

Repeat the process, this time point upwards, and you have the first band of the pot shape.

Characteristic and most beautiful use is made of b.u.t.tonhole st.i.tch in the piece of Indian work in Ill.u.s.tration 24, where it is outlined with chain st.i.tch, which goes most perfectly with it.

Cut work, such as that on Ill.u.s.tration 65, is strengthened by outlining it in b.u.t.tonhole-st.i.tch.

Ladder-st.i.tch occurs in the cusped shapes framing certain flowers in Ill.u.s.tration 72, embroidered all in blue silk on linen. It is not infrequent in Oriental work, and, in fact, goes sometimes by the name of Cretan-st.i.tch on that account.

FEATHER AND ORIENTAL St.i.tCHES.

FEATHER-St.i.tCH is simply b.u.t.tonholing in a slanting direction, first to the right side and then to the left, keeping the needle strokes in the centre closer together or farther apart according to the effect to be produced.

It owes its name, of course, to the more or less feathery effect resulting from its rather open character. Like b.u.t.tonhole, it may be worked solid, as in the leaf and petal forms on the sampler, Ill.u.s.tration 25, but it is better suited to cover narrow than broad surfaces. The jagged outline which it gives makes it useful in embroidering plumage, but it is not to be confounded with what is called "plumage-st.i.tch," which is not feather-st.i.tch at all, but a version of satin-st.i.tch.

The feathery stem (A) on the sampler is simply a b.u.t.tonholing worked alternately from right to left and left to right.

[Sidenote: TO WORK B.]

The border line at B requires rather more explanation. Presume it to be worked vertically. Bring your needle out at the left edge of the band; put it in at the right edge immediately opposite, keeping your thread under the needle to the right; bring it out again still on the right edge a little lower down, and then, keeping your thread to the left, put the needle in on the left edge, opposite to where you last brought it out, and bring it out again on the same edge a little lower down.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 25. FEATHER-St.i.tCH SAMPLER.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: 26. FEATHER-St.i.tCH SAMPLER (BACK).]

The border at C is merely an elaboration of the above, with three slanting st.i.tches on each edge instead of a single one in the direction of the band.

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE WORKING OF G G ON FEATHER-St.i.tCH SAMPLER.]

Bands D, E, F, G, are variations of ordinary feather-st.i.tch, requiring no further explanation than the back view of the work (26) affords. On the face of the sampler it will be noticed that lines have been drawn for the guidance of the worker. These are always four in number, indicating at once, that the st.i.tch is made with four strokes of the needle, and the points at which it is put in and out of the stuff.

[Sidenote: TO WORK G G.]

In working G G, suppose four guiding lines to have been drawn as above--numbered, 1, 2, 3, 4, from left to right. Bring your needle out at the top of line 1. Make a chain-st.i.tch slanting downwards from line 1 to line 2. Put your needle into line 3 about 1/8th of an inch lower down, and, slanting it upwards, bring it out on line 4 level with the point where you last brought it out. Make a chain-st.i.tch slanting downwards this time from right to left, and bring your needle out on line 3. Lastly, put your needle into line 2, 1/8th of an inch below the last st.i.tch, and, slanting it upwards, bring it out on line 1.

Feather-st.i.tch is not adapted to covering broad surfaces solidly, but may be used for narrow ones.

ORIENTAL-St.i.tCH is the name given to a close kind of feather-st.i.tch much used in Eastern work. The difference at once apparent to the eye between the two is that, whereas for the mid-rib of a band or leaf of feather-st.i.tching (25) you have cross lines, in Oriental-st.i.tch (27) you have a straight line--longer or shorter as the case may be.

Oriental-st.i.tch, sometimes called "Antique-st.i.tch," is a st.i.tch in three strokes, just as feather-st.i.tch is a st.i.tch in four. It is usually worked horizontally, though shown upright on the sampler, Ill.u.s.tration 27. Like feather-st.i.tch (see diagram), it is worked on four guiding lines, faintly visible on the sampler.

[Sidenote: TO WORK A, B, C.]

St.i.tches A, B, and C are worked in precisely the same way. Bring your needle out at the top of line 1. Keep the thread under your thumb to the right and put your needle in at the top of line 4, bringing it out into line 3 on the same level. Then put it in again at line 2, just on the other side of the thread, and bring it out on line 1 ready to begin the next st.i.tch.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 27. ORIENTAL-St.i.tCH SAMPLER.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: 28. ORIENTAL-St.i.tCH SAMPLER (BACK).]

It will be seen that the length of the central part (or mid-rib, as it was called above) makes the whole difference between the three varieties of st.i.tch. In A the three parts are equal: in B the mid-rib is narrow: in C it is broad, as is most plainly seen on the back of the sampler (28). The difference is only a difference of proportion.

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE WORKING OF A, B, C ON ORIENTAL-St.i.tCH SAMPLER.]

[Sidenote: TO WORK D.]

The sloping st.i.tch at D is worked in the same way as A, B, C, except that instead of straight strokes with the needle you make slanting ones.

[Sidenote: TO WORK E.]

St.i.tch E differs from D in that the side strokes slant both in the same direction. It is worked from right to left instead of from left to right.

[Sidenote: TO WORK F.]

St.i.tch F is a combination of b.u.t.tonhole and Oriental st.i.tches. Between two rows of b.u.t.tonholing (dark on sampler) a single row of Oriental-st.i.tch is worked.