Today the turn has come to study the means of artistic representation in embroidery - various stitches. Be patient, read the article to the end, motivation and inspiration await you!
I will say right away that with such an incredible variety of stitches and techniques in embroidery, we will consider only the most important and interesting, in my opinion, my favorite ways of embroidery.
Cross. I'll start with the simplest, but at the same time with the most significant element and method of embroidery. We have already spoken about his connection with the rituals and beliefs of the ancient Russians in the first part of our conversation about embroidery. The cross was considered protection from dark forces and any evil. It is still used for the same purposes now. The cross is laconic and beautiful, but its most magical and incredible property for me is that thanks to the small prickly hedgehog "pictures are obtained. It's all about the size and number of these "hedgehogs", of course. The crosses are like pixels: the more there are, the clearer and more realistic the image is.
The thread consumption will be less, the work will progress much faster, the embroidery will look neater if you first sew the lower diagonals of all the crosses (for example: from right to left from bottom to top). And then you will already end the crosses with a perpendicular crossbar (for example: from left to right from bottom to top). Note! The figure shows a way to save time: it is not necessary to pull the needle out under the hoop and then return it to the right side of the embroidery. You can make a stitch in one move and immediately be in the right place! ? Here's a little trick.
When they talk about cross-stitch embroidery, it immediately seems simple cross or "Russian cross", but there are still many types of cross stitch.
I will dwell briefly on a complex (double) cross and on the counting surface.
Double cross or the "Bulgarian cross" is a bit like a snowflake and consists of two crosses superimposed on each other with a shift.
Cross stitch also includes counting surface. Let me remind you that this surface is called "countable" because the stitch length is determined by the number of threads in the warp (canvas).
Now it will be logical to get acquainted with the namesake of the counting surface - with uncountable stitch … In Russia they called her "Atlas". The surface of the finished embroidery is flat and smooth like satin. The satin book differs from the counted surface in that the length and direction of its stitch are determined only by the outline of a particular embroidery detail.
For atlas it is important to prepare "flooring" - it is like a skeleton for musculoskeletal tissue, as a foundation for a future home. The flooring can be the contour of an embroidery detail (leaf, petal, etc.) "circled" with a chain stitch or other seam (we will consider a chain stitch later).
If the embroidery detail is large, then flooring (as I call it) is needed over its entire area, which is often done with threads to match the background. Flooring stitches can be quite sparse, they do not need to cover the entire area of the part, but it is important that they are perpendicular to the future main satin embroidery. Such a "foundation" will support the upper embroidery, make it voluminous, and give it a neat and even look. The front (top) stitches of the surface itself will not fall through or sag. Also pay attention to the thread tension while embroidering so that the stitches fit snugly without pulling the fabric together.
For extra volume, the detail can be embroidered with satin stitch in two layers, the stitches of which will be perpendicular to each other.
The next number of our program will be chain stitch. A "chain" or "tambour" seam is a continuous chain of loops extending from one another. The loops can be small or large, depending on the thickness of the thread and the length of the stitch to be sewn. A tambour chain is used to embroider various patterns along a free contour or cover the entire plane of the motive in rows. This seam also has its own variations and complications.
"Loop with attachment" can be considered a kind of chain stitch or rather a separate element of it.
And now on our stage "French knot" - the sweetest pictorial means in embroidery! With its help, you can easily add volume and charm to the work. You can see for yourself what different images can be created using this small but remote knot. ?
Meanwhile, it is done very simply: the needle is wrapped in two circles of thread, stuck into the fabric near the exit of the end of the thread from the fabric and pulled through these loops. The knot is ready!
The next seam is rococo. This name is not like a chicken. ? And if the “French knot” is a chicken, then Rococo is its mother, because Rococo is a complicated interpretation of the French knot, in my opinion. For rococo, the needle needs to be injected at a distance from the exit of the thread from the fabric, and when the end of the needle appears next to the thread coming out of the canvas, a little more thread loops need to be wound around it than for a knot. After you pull the needle and thread through the loops, you will have a "caterpillar" or "smile" as you like. We put it, as required by the idea and composition of the embroidery, and fix it by sticking a needle into the fabric in the right place. Pay attention to the fact that the thread should be completely covered with loops: the "caterpillar" should be tight. To do this, the number of turns of the thread around the needle must correspond to the distance between the exit of the thread from the fabric and the subsequent entry of the needle into the fabric. You can tighten and tighten the loops on the thread a little, but not indefinitely.
Rococo is most often used for embroidery of flowers and leaves.
And now … my beloved hemstitch … When my mother taught "workshops" (labor) at a pedagogical school, she voluntarily mastered this type of needlework, although she already owned and possesses an impressive set of creative skills. In the evenings, I watched with gusto as my mother conjured over the embroidery frame and does wonders with strings …
In my opinion, the most unpleasant thing about hemstitching is the boring and rather time-consuming process of pulling threads out of the fabric (pulling) to create a "springboard": for further creativity. And then you need to arm yourself with some kind of optics and provide good lighting (as for any kind of needlework). If you have patience, then you are guaranteed a masterpiece! Merezhka is the spirit of folk embroidery! It is incredibly beautiful, original and tender! See for yourself:
There are different stitches. There are types of hemstitching, designed to work with "tracks" (as I call for myself leaky extended striped spaces on the fabric). And there are types of hemstitching suitable for decorating and processing the corners of the future pattern.
To avoid disappointment, you need to start with a "short run" - a simple kind of hemstitch and a short "run." When the positive result inspires you, you can tackle the more difficult options for this cross-stitching. Go for it!
In my opinion, the hemstitch is a sister of weaving and a relative of macrame.
I admire the beauty and nobility of another type of embroidery. Meet! The magnificent Richelieu himself. As well as hemstitching, this method of embroidery is bordering on other types of needlework. Richelieu is very similar to lace. Cutwork is also close to knitting and macrame, because it contains "hanging" (as I call them) elements over the pieces of fabric, which will later be cut out. These strands, woven from threads, resemble rope bridges over an abyss, like the Atlanteans, holding the entire composition and central fragments of openwork, through embroidery.
The next seam that we will consider is - stalked. With your permission, I will end with it. But take your time to leave. ? At the end of this article, you will find the most interesting!
This was our last "exhibit" for today. But please, read the publication to the end.
If you have been admiring the products of the masters all this time, admiring the pictures and photographs, and sadly thought that the creation of such masterpieces is too much for you … Here are some reasons that can inspire you.
1. There is a woman in China who was born without hands in the truest sense of the word. The most amazing thing is that she is a talented embroiderer!
Agree that after this it is simply a sin to talk about yourself full and healthy: “armless” or “hands are growing out of the wrong place”!
2. The modern world offers to help so many different devices that facilitate the process of creativity and help you get one sheer pleasure from embroidery.
Comfortable lamps with magnifying glasses are at your disposal to preserve your eyesight. Embroidery hoops of various sizes, shapes and models have been designed, as well as entire installations for securing fabrics during embroidery.
3. We have much more opportunities, time and energy for creativity. for pleasurethan our great-grandmothers, who had subsistence farming with pets and birds, a garden-garden, as a rule, large families and hard physical labor in the field.
4. You can not only enjoy the process of creativity, but also use the result (the product of your activity). It can be a wonderful gift for family and friends, a talisman for your home, an adornment for yourself. Someone also receives material rewards for their hobby, like the masters of the Fair, for example.
5. And finally, the most important thing, in my opinion! Creativity gives a modern woman the opportunity to feel like a little fairy, a kind sorceress, creator of comfort and a kind atmosphere in the house. Embroidery or other kind of creativity can make you even more “kind and happy” woman, wife, mother, sister, girlfriend … Any handicraft is many times more useful for mental balance and health in general than watching TV series or gossip with neighbors. Creativity helps relieve stress, find inner harmony and peace.
Therefore, be creative and be happy, dear sorceresses!
