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Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Volume 6 Number 8 1965 Article 9

1-1-1965

Royal Show

O Evans Scott

Follow this and additional works at: https://researchlibrary.agric.wa.gov.au/journal_agriculture4

Part of the Family, Life Course, and Society Commons, and the Leisure Studies Commons

Recommended Citation Evans Scott, O (1965) "Royal Show needlework," Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4: Vol. 6 : No. 8 , Article 9. Available at: https://researchlibrary.agric.wa.gov.au/journal_agriculture4/vol6/iss8/9

This article is brought to you for free and open access by Research Library. It has been accepted for inclusion in Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4 by an authorized administrator of Research Library. For more information, please contact [email protected]. ROYAL SHOW

NEEDLEWORK

By O. EVANS SCOTT

WOMEN are stealing the "man" out of craftsmanship. Some of the best craftsmanship in this highly mechanised age is the work of women who can feel proud that their creative skill with the needle continues while factory production has largely replaced the craftsmanship once devoted to timber, and metal.

There is deep satisfaction in creating previously in that show is eligible again an original piece of work in any material before entering something you entered and the fine needlework displayed at the last year. Royal and country shows merits the admiration it draws. Presentation of Work It also deserves greater attention to Work should be clean. It is an insult preparation and presentation than is to the judges and the show society to given in some cases. The points made in enter a grubby, worn garment or soiled this article could help raise the standard and creased work. Keep work clean by of Show entries. holding it over a clean wrapping cloth, and folding it loosely when putting away. The Schedule Wash hands frequently when — Firstly, study the schedule, to make whenever the needle starts to feel "sticky" sure you know the conditions of entry. —and use only a little talcum as too much Work must not have been laundered, nor dulls the sheen of fabrics and threads. should it carry any identification label or If the threads become fluffy and grubby, mark except the Society's entry number use shorter lengths. Avoid rusty needles, . Read the classes carefully—you risk and take needles out when leaving aside disqualification if you do not have the for any length of time. Keep correct type, or number of pieces, or in a screwtop jar, with the include a machine sewn article in a coming through a smooth hole in the lid handwork section, and so on. Sometimes This will prevent soiling through the the judges and stewards may transfer an cotton rolling on the floor. incorrectly entered article to another Work should be well pressed for exhibit­ class, or they may just disqualify it. Find ing. Press plain on the right side, out whether work that has won a prize then the and or crochet 496

Journal of Agriculture, Vol 6 No 8 1965 on the wrong side over a soft pad, so Fastenings should also suit the size and that it stands out. Linen and cotton need style of garment and type of fabric. Use a hot iron over a slightly, evenly-damped dainty press studs or and narrow pressing cloth. ribbon on lingerie fabric and baby wear; Small articles should be mounted— and more sturdy, larger fastenings on or doyleys, duchesse sets, on to a thicker fabrics, play-clothes and bigger piece of cardboard or firm . Besides garments. making the stewards job of displaying Choose practical designs too. Long work much easier, the work looks more loops of single chain crochet on an edging, effective. This is especially so with or large areas of open work, drawn thread work, and other types which will catch and tear during use and of "holey" embroidery, also small crochet laundering, are best avoided. Avoid and tatted articles. Try different colours putting a synthetic fibre lace or insertion behind your cut work pieces and choose on a garment that needs ironing— the most attractive and effective. similarly don't use a cotton lace which needs ironing on a non-iron fabric gar­ Practical Considerations ment. Do not buy a small doyley in thick Always keep in mind that your time is linen—choose fine linen for small articles valuable, and if a thing is worth doing at and use the thicker fabric for all it is worth doing well. But we must and so on. be practical about this—in this day and Embroidery is the art of enriching a age it is doubtful economy to spend many fabric. It depends on— hours making by hand an item which can • regular stitches, be bought very cheaply. Good hand sew­ • good colour schemes, and ing is better than machining, but if you've • pleasing designs. not the time nor patience to do good hand work, use the machine, particularly on large articles. Quality of Stitches Some stitches are more effective and of Consider the intended use or wear of better quality than others. All should be the article or garment, and the "wash- regular in size unless for special effect. ability" of the fabric and the hand work. A line , to be effective, must be It would not be worthwhile doing good finely done, though not too tightly as it embroidery on cheap, shoddy material—if can cause puckering or curves. If a very it is worth your time and good work, it narrow line is required, use back stitch. is worth a good quality fabric. Similarly, A slightly thicker line is obtained by do not de-value a good quality fabric with using stem stitch, or cording. For a wide poor sewing. Also, do not de-value a good line use either a sloping or linen and embroidery with a hurried, filling stitch. (The latter gives scope for poorly done edging. Always choose good shading in coloured work, too). In all of quality embroidery threads, and for these the stitches should be the same coloured work see that they are boil-fast. size. Such articles as cushion covers, shop­ ping bags, kitchen aprons and so on need Avoid single straight stitches (called to be made in a firmly woven, washable spoke or stroke stitch), also simple and material. The embroidery and crochet, if whipped running stitch in good quality any, would be done in thicker gauge embroidery. Avoid "lazy daisy," too. Use threads or more strands than for fine instead two or three bullion stitches articles like baby's pillowcase, babywear, (commonly called "grub" stitch) or satin handkerchiefs, and so on. Any ties, , stitch. If you must use "lazy daisy" keep bindings and trimmings should all be in the stitch fairly short, and do two or keeping with the size, type and use of the three, one inside the other. These will article, and the quality of the material. wear better than the single loop, and will (Articles such as aprons should be com­ be more effective, as well as giving scope plete—that is straps sewn on; cushion for colour shading. cover with backing and opening; floor Surface threads on both sides should rug with webbing or backing). not be so long that they can be caught 497 Journal of Agriculture, Vol 6 No 8 1965 and broken with normal use and launder­ effective colours. Baby wear and other ing. If the area is too wide for satin small, dainty things should be worked in stitch, divide it with vein lines, or use pale colours—either three or four pastel one of the filling stitches, either the shades, or a toning of two colours, or Indian filling stitch which completely even a monotone. Pram sets, handker­ covers the fabric, or a scattering of small chiefs, and throwovers should have pale stitches like seed stitch, or small dots, colours. Keep the bright colours for stitches, and so on. cushions, , kitchen aprons, pictures Stitching should never be so tight that and so on. work puckers and is prevented from Natural floral designs and landscapes sitting flat. Watch this particularly with should be embroidered in natural colours. satin and filling stitch, The more stylised or conventional designs and the line stitches, and any open or can be done in more conventional or even punchwork. unnatural colours—the further away from Never use a knot to secure a thread— nature the design, the further can be the darn it in and cover it with subsequent colours! stitching, also hide all ends of threads Keep to traditional colours for special under the back of embroidery. It is better — Richelieu, Renaissance to end off and start again than to "jump" should be white, cream or ecru; Spanish across to another piece of the design, black work is always done in black or leaving a loose thread on the back. (These white; peasant work in bright colours remarks on quality of stitches do not with primary colours separated by their apply to needlework pictures or needle- secondary colours; Assissi work in only painting, in which the sewing is for effect one dark and one light colour. Study only and the work enclosed, as in a framed colours carefully, and choose a few used and protected tray, screen or picture). to good effect rather than many colours Raised stitching is more effective than used haphazardly. flat work, particularly on white or all one colour embroidery. It is suitable for Designs narrow or small areas. Pad the area with If you are not completely satisfied with lines of long or whipped the stamped designs available, try draw­ running stitch, then cover with satin ing your own. Ideas for designs and stitch or blanket stitch. Small areas like colours can be taken from greeting cards, dots can be padded with satin stitch at illustrated books, magazines, encyclo­ right angles to the covering satin stitch, paedias, postage stamps, chains, and and very high padding on thicker lines furnishing fabrics, and from nature. can be obtained by down some Original designs are most refreshing soft thread or leftover embroidery among a host of commercial designs, and strands to the thickness required. count more points too. Avoid uneven outlines on satin stitch If your article is circular see that the (a bent or blunt needle can cause these). design has a circular or flowing outline Sometimes an attempt is made to disguise while a more angular design suits a the uneven outline with a line stitch, but rectangular piece. Keep in mind suit­ in most cases this spoils the effect, ability of design to size and style of the particularly in padded work. piece of work, and draw the (or In ordinary coloured embroidery, use compile it from something else) on paper as wide a variety of suitable stitches as the same size to determine the placing or you can. All else being equal, the number fitting in of motifs. Consider the amount of stitches decides the winner. However, of work you will be giving yourself—don't the stitches must be suitable and used be too ambitious! It is better to have a effectively, and in a piece of traditional simple well done design than a compli­ embroidery use only the traditional cated, over-fussy one. A pleasing design stitches. depends on good arrangement of the fancy part and its contrast with the Colour Schemes plain fabric. Too great an area covered Consider the piece of work and the with fussy design spoils the effect. Do style of the design then choose the most not cover large areas with a pattern 498 Journal of Agriculture, Vol 6 No 8 1965 which will be obscured when the article wider—on large cloths in firm linen. is in use (or which would be uncomfort­ There should be two d.c. in each space, able)—notice that most doyleys, place- and more if going around curves and mats, and baby pillowslips have the corners. Many a piece of embroidery has pattern around the edges or in corners. missed gaining a prize because only one On the other hand articles of which the d.c. was worked into each space, and over centre or whole is seen, like aprons, bags, a single raw edge—not very practical. rugs, and quilts usually have the most The size of the used important part of the design in the centre. should suit the gauge of the thread. To test it, do a short length of chain or even Edgings a section of the pattern—there should be A hand-made edging is the perfect no open loops in the chain. If in doubt compliment to a piece of good hand choose the finer hook. embroidery, and always counts more than Crochet edges should suit the size of the the bought machine-made edging. The article—a narrow edge for handerchiefs edgings most commonly used are and doyleys and a wider edge for supper stitching, with or without a and table cloths. It should also be in or hedebo , and crochet. keeping with the pattern—use a pretty, Hem stitching is a suitable edge for dainty edge on a floral design, and a filet handkerchiefs, tray cloths and other rec­ or fairly plain pattern on a conventional tangular articles, and cloths done in or geometrical design. drawn thread or drawn fabric work. See The gauge of the crochet thread should that the hem width is in keeping with the match the threads of the fabric—fine weight of the fabric and size of the article, crochet thread on fine linen, coarser on and that the hemstitching thread is about heavy cloth; and or a mercerised the same gauge as the threads of the thread on and other shiny fabrics. fabric. Always mitre the corners for a The colour of the thread should match neat finish. If the hem stitching is meant the colour of the line—an ecru cloth with to be ornamental, work in colour from the a cream edging or a white cloth with right side, otherwise use a matching cream just do not look right—compare thread on the wrong side. them carefully in a good light and work Cutwork edges—close blanket stitch a section of the edge if necessary before worked firmly then material cut away— deciding. are used on all types of cutwork em­ Crochet edges should be neither too broidery and most pieces when a hem­ tight nor too loose and frilly. The units stitched or crochet edge is not desired. of the crochet design should be evenly It can be padded for extra firmness spaced around corners and into indenta­ Complete all the edging, then cut away tions. If the unit of the design has a the surplus material, cutting close to the multiple of several spaces it is advisable stitching with sharp to avoid to count the spaces along each edge, giving a fraying, ragged look to the edge. starting from the centre and working to The cutwork edge can be embellished each corner and marking the unit mul­ with hedebo roses or half roses and leaves tiple or the centre space with tacking (see Farm and Home, August, 1962, or thread as you go. Adjust it so that the Bulletin 3036) or needle made picots. To pattern unit occurs exactly on the corner make a picot, take a short stitch back­ or evenly each side of it. Extra stitches wards then blanketstitch over the loop may have to be added or a smaller unit thus formed. designed especially for the corners, and this adjustment must be made in the first pattern row. Crochet Edges When working a crochet edge on to a machine-hemstitched article, trim the fabric to allow a turnover before doing DISTINCT VARIETIES the double chain. The width of this turn When one of the classes in the schedule 'and thus the depth of the double chain) says "Doyleys, three varieties" or "Collec­ should be quite narrow on fine linen, up tion of Fancywork, six distinct varieties," to almost a quarter of an inch—never do make sure that you have the required

Journal of Agriculture, Vol 6 No 8 1965 number of definite types of embroidery. Hedebo work, Roman cut work, Richelieu, Unbeatable Value! Renaissance and Venetian work are described in "Farm and Home," August, 1962, or available as Bulletin 3036. Some other types are , peasant work, Jacobean drawn thread, drawn WW fabric, eyelet, Rumanian and Assissi work (different types of cross stitch); Har- danger, and other national embroideries, needlepointing, lacework, , ­ ing, beading, faggotting, , shadow-work, punchwork, applique, and others. If the schedule says "fancywork" instead of "needlework" or embroidery, others such as , macrame and tricot could be submitted, but as a general rule work done with an ordinary needle is required. Keep these classes in mind and when starting a new piece of embroidery, make it a distinct type.

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Journal of Agriculture, Vol 6 No 8 1965