BERLIN WORK AND CANVAS EMBROIDERY.
It being one of the chief objects of the Proprietors of this little work, to present to the reader, in a very portable form, the clearest and most accurate elementary instructions for every kind of fashionable Needlework, I have selectedBerlin WorkorCanvas Embroideryas the subject for explanation in this part.
Berlin work is the general term for what might perhaps be more properly termed embroidery on canvas; a material with which, doubtless, most of my readers are well acquainted, although they may not be familiar with the names of the different kinds and sizes.
The French Canvas, (sometimes calledPatent) is the one which I prefer for all ordinary purposes. The open squares are very exact, and the threads and selvage usually firm and strong. It is the only kind that is suitable for large pieces, or for wreaths, or any thing else, in fact, in which squareness and strength are essential.
Penelope Canvashas the threads placed two and two in both directions; and took its name, I presume, from the appearance it presents of having been worked, and the work picked out again, like that of the faithful wife of Ulysses. As all trouble of counting the threads is saved, it is very easy to work on, but can only be worked in cross-stitch.
German Canvasdiffers from the French in having every tenth thread a different color, and not being so true a square in the mesh.
It is altogether inferior to the French (or patent); and, (amongst other disadvantages,) has that of showing the colored thread through any light wool. Still, as it obviates, in some degree, the trouble of counting, many people like to work on it.
Silk Canvasis a very expensive article; but it saves much labor, as designs worked on it do not require to be grounded. I should never advise any but white silk canvas being used, as the colored ones do not wear well. There are so many different qualities of silk canvas, that none should be bought without careful examination, by laying something of an opposite tint underneath it, and thus detecting any irregularities, roughnesses, &c., good silk canvas should be perfectly even.
Canvas is made of almost every variety of width; the narrow silk canvas being the proper size for braces.
Canvas is chosen according to its size, being numbered much like cotton, according to the number of threads in the inch. We seldom require a coarser size than No. 8, which contains 11 threads to the inch—10 has 13,—and so on to 24, which has 27 threads. The next number, 30, has 31 threads, 40 has 35, and 50, 37. We seldom use any finer than this.
There are not so many sizes manufactured of either silk or Penelope canvas; and the former is never made so coarse as the cotton article.
The surface of canvas is covered by being worked with various substances, of which silks, wools, chenille, and beads, may be considered the principal. Beads are now very much used, intermingled with silks and wools. For grounding large articles a new and very beautiful kind of wool has lately been introduced, termedfiloselle. It works in admirably, and imparts a very rich effect to a design. It is about the size of Berlin wool which is fresh and good. For finer articles floss silk is common, and chenille may be worked on silk canvas with excellent effect.
Berlin wool may be used for almost any purpose; for, if too coarse, it can be split without injury; and if the reverse, two or three threads may be worked together. It should never be wound, for however lightly done it is certain to be injured.
Fleecy wool has been greatly improved both in texture and dye of late years, and may now be used for groundings and those purposes for which, formerly, it would have been quite unsuitable. It is much cheaper than Berlin wool.
English, or Embroidery wool, is a much stronger substance than Berlin; the dark shades are excellent for the ground of large pieces, but the lighter tints are not equal to those in the Berlin wool.
The chenille used for embroidery is calledchenille a broder, to distinguish it from thechenille ordinaire, which is much coarser. The effect of flowers, birds and butterflies, worked inchenille, is rich and beautiful in the extreme, but the pile so easily attracts dust, and is so liable to injury, that it should be used only for articles which will be defended by glass. The needle used for chenille should have round eyes, and be sufficiently large to prepare a passage in the satin or canvas through which the chenille may pass without injury.
There are but five stitches for canvas work, although many others are enumerated; for they are but varieties of the following:
Cross-stitch,Tent-stitch,Irish-stitch,German-stitch,Gobelin or Tapestry stitch.
Cross-stitch,Tent-stitch,Irish-stitch,German-stitch,Gobelin or Tapestry stitch.
Cross-stitch,Tent-stitch,Irish-stitch,German-stitch,Gobelin or Tapestry stitch.
Cross-stitch,
Tent-stitch,
Irish-stitch,
German-stitch,
Gobelin or Tapestry stitch.
Cross-Stitchis worked by bringing up the needle on the left hand, crossing two straight and two perpendicular lines, and putting in the needle on the right; bring the needle up on the right again, in the space which forms a right angle with the two already occupied; cross the first thread, and bring the needle under on the left hand again.
When grounding is done in this stitch, take care to avoid all appearance of lines and joins by using unequal length of wool, finishing each stitch before the next is begun. Grounding should be begun at the left hand lower corner and worked upwards.
THE LADIES OWN BOOK, AND COMPANION TO THE WORK TABLE. PART III. DICK & FITZGERALD, NEW-YORK
Four tent-stitches, just occupy the space of one cross-stitch a tent-stitch being taken diagonally from one space to the next above itto the left.
Tent-stitchandCross-Stitchare distinguished among the French by the names ofPetit pointandGros point.
Irish-Stitchis extremely simple, and very rapidly done. It consists of a series of upright stitches which cross the horizontal lines, and areworked betweenthe perpendicular ones. For the first line, (beginning at the left hand corner,) bring up the needle in the lowest vacant space, and put it down in the fourth above it, allowing it to cover four bars of thread; bring up the needle on the line with the first stitch, with one upright thread between, and down on the third space, the wool covering two threads. Repeat these alternate short and long stitches, throughout the line. The next and following lines,every stitchmust cover four threads; and as you bring out the needle in the space in which you brought it down in the last row, the stitches are still alternately two threads higher than the intermediate ones.
German Stitchis very similar to the above; but the stitches are taken diagonally. The first stitch is taken from one space to the next diagonal one; in the second, one space is missed; so that the stitches are alternately long and short. All the following rows are worked like the first, care being taken that the long stitches of one row shall join the short, andvice versa. This stitch is only used for grounding.
Gobelin Stitchis that which is more peculiarly fitted for delicate and beautiful picture working; but the needle requires a really artistic hand to direct it in forming patterns in this stitch. The wool crosses two threads in height, but only one in width; two tapestry stitches therefore, are equal to a cross-stitch, remembering that the square so formed is not a true one.
Some writers enumerate other stitches on canvas; but the best authors reckon the above named only, all others being merely varieties of them.
You will observe that any pattern may be made larger or smaller than the original when worked, simply by selecting the canvas that will effect the requisite alteration. When you chooseyour Berlin pattern, consider what size you will desire your work to be, and calculate by the scale I have already given you, what canvas will be needed; and also whether it will require to be worked in tent-stitch or in cross-stitch. If for the former you may reckon a thread of canvas for every square. For the most part, Berlin patterns are intended to be worked in tent-stitch; but some have each square in the more delicate parts divided into four. When this is the case, the massmustbe worked in cross, and the fine parts in tent-stitch; otherwise it is quite optional.
I must repeat my previous caution not to attempt Berlin patterns on German canvas. Figure pieces especially, would suffer materially in the effect from the want of squareness in the canvas. It is not advisable to attempt reducing very materially a pattern crowded with subjects; nor, on the other hand, to enlarge one that has few. The reason of this is obvious.
There is considerable art in doing this properly; and if negligently arranged, it is certain that the work will be distorted when complete.
Turn down the canvas and herring-bone it at each raw edge: then sew it to the webbing of the frame, thread by thread. When the first end is sewed, take care that the other end shall be as nearly as possible opposite it. If too large for the frame, wrap some clean silver paper several times round the roller, before the canvas goes round it.
The part where the pattern is to be begun is the only part to be exposed in the frame. The sides must then be tightly braced with fine twine; and the canvas is then ready for the work. Berlin work is often done on canvas, with cloth, satin or velvet underneath it: this saves the labor of grounding, as the pattern being worked, the superfluous canvas is cut away, and the embroidery appears on the solid material. Some people draw out the threads of the canvas: this is not only very troublesome, but it also spoils the effect of the work. Small intermediate spaces of canvas, not covered with embroidery, are usually grounded with wool exactly the color of the cloth.
In framing cloth and canvas together, it must be borne in mind that the former stretches considerably more than the latter. If therefore, they are intended to be the same size, the cloth must be cut rather narrower, and (the edges being turned in,) must be firmly tacked to the selvages of the canvas. This will, of course, render the edges thicker than the centre; and to equalize the height, paper should be wrapt round the roller.
All patterns should be commenced at the left hand corner, unless they are intended for acentre; when the work must be begun on the centre stitch.
Delicate grounds should never be attempted on any but perfectly white canvas; and black grounds should always be avoided, if practicable.
The last direction I can give is to ensure a proper quantity of wool to begin with; as there is often great difficulty in matching shades, especially for grounding.
The needles principally used aretapestry needles, which are thick and blunt and have a long open eye,—Sharps, which are similar needles with sharp points, and are used for working on thicker substances than canvas,—as cloth, &c.; andshort long eyes, which are used for the same purpose, and are like common needles, but very short, and with long eyes.