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Stitch-A-Long with Carol

White Work Sampler

Carol Leather

2011

X - C ALIBRE D ESIGNS

Contents Introduction ...... 4 Getting started ...... 5 Before commencing ...... 5 Band One ...... 6 Single Faggot Stitch ...... 6 Band Two ...... 8 Drawn thread work technique – securing the fabric threads ...... 8 Drawn thread work technique – removing the threads ...... 8 Drawn thread work technique – Hemstitching ...... 9 Band Three ...... 10 Satin stitch border ...... 10 Pulled double back stitch ...... 10 Band Four ...... 12 Diamond eyelet stitch ...... 12 Double backstitch leaves ...... 13 Band Five ...... 14 Pulled Satin Stitch ...... 14 Honeycomb Stitch ...... 14 Band Six ...... 16 Three sided stitch ...... 16 Ringed back stitch ...... 17 Band Seven ...... 18 Diagonal 4 sided stitch ...... 18 Completed work ...... 19 Storage ...... 19 Frame it! ...... 19

Introduction

Originally released through the www.needlework-tips-and-techniques.com ezine, Stitchin’Time, here you can find combined the full step-by-step guide on how to build this beautiful whitework sampler. The popular request to have this published as an eBook, has meant that you will now be able to get a full pattern chart for your use, as well as all the help and guidance that was available in the original stitch-a-long.

If you have never embarked on a whitework project before don’t worry, you will find these easy to follow steps and illustrations an asset. The completed project is 9.4 x 14.2cm or 3.7 x 5.6 inches, however you could repeat any of the bands if you require something larger.

I do hope you enjoy stitching my sampler and would love to see your finished results.

Getting started

In order to produce this stunning piece of work, you will need the following items:

• 28 count evenweave fabric 10" by 12” inches (the original model was stitched on Brittney) • Perle no 8 thread in white - 1 ball • Size 24 tapestry needle • Small Embroidery hoop • Sharp pointed embroidery scissors

It is important to have sharp pointed scissors, as in band 2 you will need to cut the fabric threads and they will be necessary! I have had people turn up to classes with dressmaking shears (!) when I told them to bring embroidery scissors, so please do try to use the right tools for the job. It will make it so much easier for you.

Before commencing You may also benefit from a quick visit to the www.needlework-tips-and-techniques.com website to brush up on the background of the techniques and the stitches that will be used throughout this project, however the ‘How to’ on the following stitches will be included within this eBook:

• Whitework techniques • Pulled Work • Drawn Thread Work • Single Faggot Stitch • Hemstitching • Satin stitch • Pulled double back stitch • Diamond eyelet stitch • Double backstitch • Pulled Satin stitch • Honeycomb stitch • Three sided stitch • Ringed back stitch • 4 sided stitch

Eager to get going? Assuming now that you have all your supplies, let’s get going and start on that first band...

Oh and remember, should you get stuck, you are not alone. I will be on hand to assist you, all you will need to do is access the website, and use the “contact me” form. It would be most helpful if you title the message: "Help with whitework sampler", and remember that I live in the UK, so I may well be sleeping when I receive your message. I will of course, come back to you as soon as possible.

If your particular query is stopping you from progressing, though, do have a look at the forum section of the site, as you may well find help or assistance there. Band One Measure 4 inches down on your fabric to find the top of our first band of pulled work. Count 36 threads left from the centre (found by folding the fabric in half lengthwise) which will be the beginning of stitch 1 on the diagram below. You will find it easier to execute the stitches if you pop your work into an embroidery hoop; a 7 or 8" hoop is ideal.

Single Faggot Stitch Single faggot stitch is worked in diagonal rows and I have coloured each of the first four rows differently to make it easier to follow. Please note that you will be using white thread throughout, not coloured!

I have also shown the direction the thread will follow on the back of the fabric, behind the grid, by similarly coloured lines for the first two rows.

As you work pull firmly on the thread to "scrunch up" the fabric threads and create small holes at the beginning and end of each stitch. For this band each stitch is worked over 4 fabric threads.

You will see that the fourth "square" in the top row of the chart has a small green dot inside it. This is where we are starting in the diagram above. Bring the needle up at the left hand side of stitch 1 and go down over 4 fabric threads in the direction of the arrow. Bring the needle back up four threads lower and to the left to start stitch 2. Then reuse the first hole to finish the second stitch. The thread carried behind will be in diagonal lines.

Bring the needle back up to work stitch 3, again in the direction of the arrows (remember to pull firmly) and reuse the same hole from which stitch 2 emerged.

Continue in this manner until you reach stitch 8. After stitch 8 you will carry the thread diagonally across to begin row 2 (shown in pink) with stitch 9. Then continue in the same way up row 2, with vertical and horizontal stitches on the front of your work and diagonal ones on the back.

Begin row 3 in the same way following the numbered stitches on the diagram.

The beginning of row 4 is a little different. When you have completed stitch 25 turn the work over and slip your needle through the back of stitch 24. This prevents the thread carried across the back from showing behind the hole at the end of stitch 25. Bring the needle back up in position for stitch 26 and then carry on as before.

When you reach the right hand end of the band, you will finish each row as shown on the chart to give a straight edge to the band.

Then turn your work upside down and rejoin your thread behind the back of existing stitches to work the "missing" stitches in order to square up that end of the block as well.

Congratulations, you have finished the first band of the white work sampler which should look like the photograph below.

Band Two We are doing drawn thread work in this band. You should then be able to appreciate the difference between this and pulled work (or drawn fabric needlework).

In drawn thread needlework we actually REMOVE fabric threads and then gather the remaining ones together into decorative bands. In pulled work, no threads are removed they are just pulled into a new arrangement to give a lacy effect.

Now don't worry about cutting the fabric threads and pulling them out, it won't make everything fall apart! First we will secure the ends of our band with buttonhole stitches.

Drawn thread work technique – securing the fabric threads Start by counting down 8 fabric threads from the left, bottom of your first band and mark with a pin.

We will remove the ninth to twelfth threads in due course, but first thread up with perle 8 to work the buttonhole stitches.

Work five buttonhole stitches vertically, with the corded edge to the centre of your work, directly below the left hand edge of the first band, as shown on the chart below. Then repeat at the right hand side of your sampler. I have drawn these stitches in blue on the chart to make them easier to follow, but you will use the same colour thread as for the rest of your sampler.

Drawn thread work technique – removing the threads Once the fabric threads are secured at each end you can start to cut and withdraw them. Snip each of the four threads once, in the centre of the row. Then, using your needle, gently pull them free of the fabric, working back towards each side of your sampler.

Once you reach the buttonholed edges you have two options. You can just snip the fabric threads close to the stitches or you can thread them into a needle and run them underneath the buttonhole stitches for extra security. Try to weave them into the fabric itself going over and under the remaining threads right out to the edge of your fabric then cut them.

You should be left with vertical fabric threads only throughout your drawn thread work band. The next step is to gather those up into groups of four threads by way of hemstitching.

Drawn thread work technique – Hemstitching Secure your thread behind the buttonhole stitches ready to hemstitch along the bottom of your band. Following the numbering sequence in the diagram below, bring the needle up two fabric threads below the open space at the right hand side of the row in order to start stitching.

Take the needle into the gap (1) and behind the first four vertical fabric threads (2), then bring it back to the front. Take the needle back down where you started (3), forming a wrap around those four threads. Bring it to the front again four threads to the left and two threads down (4). Repeat along the row, pulling firmly to draw the fabric threads into a tight bundle.

Repeat this sequence, to secure the top edge of your drawn thread work band also, making sure to collect the same four threads together to form the ladder effect, as shown in the photograph below.

Well done that's the second band complete.

Band Three Pulled thread work is used for the third band and we will combine two stitches, the satin stitch and the pulled double back stitch. This will then create an effective wider band within the sampler.

Satin stitch border Put your fabric in a hoop with the previous row visible.

Thread your needle with white Perle no. 5... about a 24 inch long piece will work well. Tie an away waste knot and then take your needle down near the top of your hoop.

Start by counting down 7 fabric threads from the row above, directly underneath the left hand edge of the previous row. Bring your needle up in this hole to begin the first row of satin stitch, then take it down over two threads to create the first stitch.

DO NOT PULL. These stitches will just lay on the surface, they are not worked with a tight tension. Following the chart below, continue across the row lengthening and shortening the satin stitches where shown. Make sure you always bring the needle up on the straight edge, don't take short cuts, or the stitches won't lie smoothly.

NOTE: the green line at the top of the chart below, is the bottom of row 2, you do not need to stitch that again, it is just there to help you count.

Pulled double back stitch If you have done pulled thread work before you will know that the charts and diagrams bear little resemblance to how the finished stitching will look.

This is true for this stitch, as you may expect from the diagram that your stitching will result in octagon shapes, but in fact this form of double back stitch will look like distorted rectangles when complete.

This time you will need to pull your stitches tightly to get the desired effect.

Following the numbers in the diagram below, and using the chart above for placement, come up at the straight end of each arrow and go down at the pointed end to create the stitches.

You will have threads criss-crossing on the back of your work as shown by the grey and coloured lines behind the grid. I have added arrows to the first few reverse side stitches to show their direction. They are worked in colour order... blue, green, pink, purple.

Stitch 12 will complete each shape, with another stitch being worked on top of it for the second shape.

Continue to alternate octagons across the row as shown in the chart.

To complete your band, repeat the satin stitch row, with the straight edge of the triangles to the bottom of your sampler, following the chart.

Band Four As you can see from the photograph below, this band is made up of individual pulled motifs. In the centre we have a diamond eyelet. For the leaves on either side, we will revisit double back stitch, a versatile stitch that can be used in many ways.

Diamond eyelet stitch We are going to leave 6 clear fabric threads below the third band. The eyelet will eventually cover 16 fabric threads and is worked in the centre of the row. Each stitch will start on the outside of the shape and the needle will be taken down in the centre, pulling away from the centre to enlarge the hole in the middle.

It is always best to start an eyelet 1 stitch away from a vertical or horizontal stitch. Follow the diagram below, coming up at the number and going down in the centre. Pull firmly. To fasten off, pull the final stitch towards the centre and slip the needle behind the stitches at the bottom right of the stitch a few times to secure.

Double backstitch leaves Once the diamond eyelet stitch is completed, we will next work on stitching the little leaves.

We will start off at the point of the leaf and by alternating our stitches on either side. Then we will change to working from one side to the centre, so as to create the vein. After working up the other side of the vein we will then complete the leaf. Follow the numbering on the diagram carefully.

Keep a reasonable tension on the thread, in order to make the outline and vein show up, and to pack the fabric threads close together inside the leaf shape. The contrast of solid stitches in the eyelet and solid fabric in the leaves creates an interesting counter balance.

To work the leaf on the other side of the diamond eyelet stitch, turn either your work or the diagram upside down.

Band Five The photograph below shows the band we are going to stitch this time around. It consists of four rows of pulled satin stitch and a section of honeycomb stitch.

When starting work on this band, make sure that you are able to line things up. Now I know that the chart does not look like the photograph above! I assure you it is correct, the honeycomb stitch is worked as shown and with the right tension on the stitches will resemble the photo above.

Pulled Satin Stitch We are going to commence with the pulled satin stitch rows. These stitches are worked over 3 fabric threads and are pulled tightly, each row in the alternate direction, to create a ladder effect in between the rows. So for the top row pull up, when you complete each stitch, and for the 2nd row pull down towards the honeycomb stitch section. The direction of pull can be important in white work embroidery.

Please use the diagram below to work the top two rows of pulled satin stitch, continuing in the direction of the arrow.

Honeycomb Stitch After the top two rows we will work the honeycomb stitch area. This stitch can be worked in vertical rows but as we are only working a narrow band we will work it horizontally this time.

The grey stitches in the diagram above relate to the 2nd row of pulled satin stitch that we worked. They are there so that you can see where to position your honeycomb stitch row.

Follow the letters in the diagram. Although this stitch may seem a little complicated from the diagram, you will soon get into a rhythm with it. Pull firmly to draw the fabric threads into the right positions.

Complete the band by stitching a further two rows of pulled satin stitch, as above.

Band Six This band uses two stitches, the three-sided stitch and the ringed back stitch, in combination.

Three sided stitch

This is a really useful stitch to have in your library as you can also use it to finish the edges of your work. It makes a solid line with large, well-defined holes. We are using two rows, top and bottom, in this band.

We will work this stitch from right to left following the diagram below, pulling each stitch firmly to ensure the holes are really visible in the finished band. This row begins 8 threads down from the previous band.

*Start by bringing your needle up at (a) and take it down again at (b), four threads down and two to the right.

Repeat this stitch and bring the needle back up at (c), which is four threads to the left of (b). Reuse hole (b) to make the first stitch in this position, and then repeat, bringing the needle back up at (c). Take your needle down at (a), back up at (c) and repeat. Next go down at (a) and back up four threads to the left at (d).

Work two stitches from (d) to (a) to complete the second triangle of the row. To continue repeat from *, where the next stitch (d to c on the diagram) is the same as from (a) to (b). Carry on in this manner across the row.

Ringed back stitch Between our two rows of three sided stitch we will add a more delicate pulled work stitch. Ringed back stitch produces a wider line, which can also be used for borders. There are a number of different ways to stitch this, the instructions below show my favourite method.

Again we are working from right to left, with each stitch going over two fabric threads. We will complete half of the first "circle" and then the alternate half of the next.

Start by coming up in hole (a) and going down, two threads lower, in hole (b). Repeat.

Bring the needle back up in hole (c), two threads above and to the left of hole (a). Take it down again in hole (a). Repeat.

Come back up at (d) and down at (c). Repeat. Can you see that we are basically doing back stitches? The dotted lines on the diagram above show where the thread is carried across the back of the fabric. These threads help to make the centres of the rings more dense. Note that they are not carried behind the holes we are creating.

Continue following the diagram, each time working the stitch in a backwards direction, to complete the first half of the row. At this stage you will have a wavy line, which is made into rings when you change direction and work your way back again, completing each ring in turn.

Remember to stitch the second row of three sided stitch and then this band of the sampler is completed.

Band Seven Using the 4 sided stitch has been covered on the site before, and you may wish to refresh your memory of this stitch. However, for our sampler we are going to work it diagonally, to create the final band.

Diagonal 4 sided stitch

The zig-zag line in the diagram below is the section of chart we will be stitching. The triangle row is part of the previous band, included to help show you where this band is positioned on our sampler.

This band is stitched with perle 8 thread in white or ecru (depending on the colour of your fabric). We will put tension on the stitches to form tiny holes in each corner of the stitch.

Each stitch is worked over 3 fabric threads as shown in the diagram below. Work each stitch in the direction shown by the arrows. This will form the squares on the front, and crosses on the back of the work.

Completed work Congratulations, you have finished your white work sampler, I am so proud of you!

You may well have embarked on this project, knowing where you’d like to hang or display your completed piece of work. If you haven’t, or are not too sure on how the sampler should be stored or looked after, then you may well find these following tips of assistance:

Storage Keeping the sampler, safe, in a dust free environment is vital, due to the essence of this being in white! I would suggest an air-tight container until a time that you wish to utilise the sampler or frame and display it.

Frame it! I’m a big believer in displaying your hard work, and this sampler has no exception. You may wish to consider where you’d hang this, for instance I wouldn’t place in or near a kitchen or somewhere where candles are lit, as the residue smells and debris that float into the air, could mean that your sampler will be affected, detrimentally.

If you are framing the piece yourself, you might find my instructions on the site helpful here…. http://www.needlework-tips-and-techniques.com/framing-cross-stitch.html for framing and here… http://www.needlework-tips-and-techniques.com/washing-cross-stitch.html

…for washing it, if necessary.

Alternatively, you can of course take it to a professional to be framed.

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