Materials: Coloured filoselle, cloth, velvet, cashmere, or silk.

These medallions can be alternated for ornamenting small covers, cushions, borders, &c. They are worked with coloured filoselle in point Russe, herring-bone st.i.tch, coral st.i.tch, and knotted st.i.tch, on cloth, velvet, cashmere, or silk. The middle oval of both medallions contrasts with the colour of the ground, and must therefore be worked in applique on the latter with herring-bone st.i.tch, before working the outer border.

The wreath on No. 211 is worked in coral st.i.tch; the knots, which imitate small blossoms, in knotted st.i.tch. The choice of colours is left to the personal taste of the worker.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 210.--Medallion in Point Russe.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: 211.--Medallion in Point Russe.]

212.--_b.u.t.terfly for Handkerchief Corner_.

Materials: French lawn or cambric; fine black silk.

This b.u.t.terfly is worked in the finest black silk procurable, in order more closely to imitate etching. It is worked in point Russe and scallop st.i.tch; the dark shaded scallops are worked in b.u.t.ton-hole scallop st.i.tch, the st.i.tches being taken very closely together, but not raised by the usual method of placing chain st.i.tches beneath the b.u.t.ton-hole st.i.tches. The outlines and flowers are worked in point Russe, the dot in knotted st.i.tch (see No. 73, _Embroidery Instructions_.)

[Ill.u.s.tration: 212.--b.u.t.terfly for Handkerchief Corner.]

The initials are embroidered in raised slanting overcast st.i.tch, and should be worked with great regularity.

213 _to_ 215.--_Pattern for a Couvrette in Applique_. (_see pages 576-7_.)

Materials: Messrs. Walter Evans and Co.'s embroidery cotton Nos. 24 and 30; cambric muslin; Brussels net; flesh-coloured silk; sewing silk of the same shade; 1 skein of a darker shade; blue silk; brown silk; gold thread.

This style of work is most effective for couvrettes or bed covers. It is worked in cambric muslin and silk, over Brussels net.

The arabesque patterns are worked in cambric muslin, the outlines are embroidered in overcast, and the material is cut away all round. The medallions are made of blue silk; the figures upon them are cut out of flesh-coloured silk, and are gummed first upon tissue-paper, then upon the blue silk; the figures are further fastened upon the medallions in overcast st.i.tch with fine silk of a rather darker shade of flesh-colour.

The scarfs are cut out of bright rose-coloured silk; the quiver and arrows and all the other attributes are worked in gold thread; the hair in fine brown silk. The edge of the blue silk medallions is worked round in b.u.t.ton-hole st.i.tch, but so as to be easily unripped when the couvrette has to be cleaned. A border in open ladder st.i.tch is worked round them (see No. 81, _Embroidery Instructions_). The openings in the centre pattern are also filled in with lace st.i.tches.

CROCHET

INSTRUCTIONS.

[Ill.u.s.tration: A Crochet-Needle]

Cotton or thread, wool or silk, with a crochet-needle, are the materials required for working crochet. The needle, whether it be steel or bone, must be smoothly polished. The long wooden and bone crochet-needles are used for wool; for cotton and silk work short steel needles screwed into a bone handle are best. The beauty of the crochet-work depends upon the regularity of the st.i.tches, as is the case with every other style of needlework. The st.i.tches must be elastic, but if too loose they look as bad as if too tight. The size of the needle and that of the cotton or wool must correspond; work only with the point of the needle, and never move the st.i.tch up and down the needle. The cotton with which you work must be of the very best quality; for borders, insertions, rosettes, imitation of guipure, use Evans's crochet cotton; for couvrettes, counterpanes, covers, &c., use knitting-cotton. All crochet-work patterns are begun on a foundation chain; there are three kinds of foundation chains--the plain foundation, the double foundation, and the purl foundation chain.

The plain foundation chain consists of chain st.i.tches.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 216.--Plain Foundation Chain.]

ILl.u.s.tRATION 216.--Form a loop with the cotton or other material with which you work, take it on the needle, and hold the cotton as for knitting on the forefinger and other fingers of the left hand. The crochet-needle is held in the right hand between the thumb and forefinger, as you hold a pen in writing; hold the end of the cotton of the loop between the thumb and forefinger of the left hand, wind the cotton once round the needle by drawing the needle underneath the cotton from left to right, catch the cotton with the hook of the needle and draw it as a loop through the loop already on the needle, which is cast off the needle by this means and forms one chain st.i.tch. The drawing the cotton through the loop is repeated until the foundation chain has acquired sufficient length. When enough chain st.i.tches have been made, take the foundation chain between the thumb and forefinger of the left hand, so that these fingers are always close to and under the hook of the needle. Each st.i.tch must be loose enough to let the hook of the needle pa.s.s easily through. All foundation chains are begun with a loop.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 217.--Double Foundation Chain.]

ILl.u.s.tRATION 217 (_The Double Foundation Chain_).--Crochet 2 chain st.i.tches, insert the needle downwards into the left side of the 1st chain st.i.tch, throw the cotton forward, draw it out as a loop, wind the cotton again round the needle and draw it through the two loops on the needle, * draw the cotton as a loop through the left side of the last st.i.tch (see ill.u.s.tration), wind the cotton round the needle, and draw it through both loops on the needle. Repeat from * till the foundation chain is long enough.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 218.--Purl Foundation Chain.]

ILl.u.s.tRATION 218 (_Purl Foundation Chain_).--* Crochet 4 chain st.i.tch, then 1 treble st.i.tch--that is, wind the cotton round the needle, insert the needle downwards into the left side of the 1st of the 4 chain st.i.tches, wind the cotton round the needle, draw it through the st.i.tch, wind the cotton again round the needle, and at the same time draw the cotton through the last loop and through the st.i.tch formed by winding the cotton round the needle. Wind the cotton once more round the needle, and draw it through the 2 remaining loops on the needle. The 4 chain st.i.tches form a kind of scallop or purl. Repeat from *. The following crochet st.i.tches require foundation chains like Nos. 216 and 217; they are all worked in separate rows excepting the two Nos. 222 and 234. Make a loop at the beginning of every row, as has been described (No. 216), and take it on the needle.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 219.--Slip St.i.tch.]

ILl.u.s.tRATION 219 (_Slip St.i.tch_).--Draw the needle through the back part of a foundation chain st.i.tch, or in the course of the work through the back part of a st.i.tch of the preceding row, wind the cotton round the needle, and draw it through the st.i.tch and loop on the needle. The ill.u.s.tration shows a number of slip st.i.tches, the last of which is left quite loose; the arrow marks the place where the needle is to be inserted for the next st.i.tch.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 220.--Double St.i.tch.]

ILl.u.s.tRATION 220 (_Double St.i.tch_).--These are worked nearly like the preceding ones. Draw the cotton as a loop through the back part of a st.i.tch, wind the cotton round the needle, and draw it through the two loops on the needle.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 221.--Double St.i.tch.]

ILl.u.s.tRATION 221.--These double st.i.tches are worked nearly like the preceding ones; the 1st row is worked like that of No. 220; in the following ones insert the needle into the two upper sides of a st.i.tch of the preceding row.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 222.--Ribbed St.i.tch.]

ILl.u.s.tRATION 222 (_The Ribbed St.i.tch_).--This st.i.tch is worked backwards and forwards--that is, the right and wrong sides are worked together, which forms the raised ribs. Insert the needle always into the back part of every st.i.tch. Work 1 chain st.i.tch at the end of every row, which is not worked, however, in the following row.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 223.--Slanting St.i.tch.]

ILl.u.s.tRATION 223 (_Slanting St.i.tch, double st.i.tch_).--This st.i.tch is worked like that described in No. 220; the cotton is not wound round the needle the first time in the usual manner, but the needle is placed in the direction of the arrow, above the cotton. Draw the cotton through as a loop; the st.i.tch is finished like the common double st.i.tch.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 224.--Cross St.i.tch.]

ILl.u.s.tRATION 224 (_Cross St.i.tch_).--This st.i.tch is worked like No. 223 on a foundation like No. 217, only insert the needle through the two upper sides of a st.i.tch.

[Ill.u.s.tration 225:--Long Double St.i.tch.]

Ill.u.s.tration 225 (_Long Double_).--For this st.i.tch wind the cotton round the needle, insert it into the back part of a st.i.tch, draw the cotton out as a loop, wind the cotton again round the needle, and cast off together the two loops and the loop formed by winding the cotton round the needle.