A HANDBOOKOF

LeaeringFOR STITCHERS

About this book:

The Author has set out irl this bookwith three distinct aims. Firstly towite a concise history ofLettering,tracing the development from thesimplest markings to the elaborateand decorative monogtam. Sec-ondly to giv€ an illustated diction-ary of all stitches that are suitablefor carrlng out any lettering.Finally to display in an illustratedsection the great variety olletteringdesigns suitable for various stitchesusing every letter of the alphabetas examples.The result is a book which witlappeal to all those interested in em-broideryand the profusion ofdesignideas will help and inspire anybodywho enjoys monogramming.

A VAN NOSTRAND REINHOLD BOOK

HANDBOOK OF

LetteringFOR STITCHERS

A HANDBOOK OF

LetteringFOR STITCHERS

ELSIE SVENNAS

f f i r r l ' , t o . t p a t r D R L I \ H o L D ( o i , 4 P A N \l tJ lDl \Lw \oRK LlNcl tNAl l fo\DoN MtLBoLRNf

van Nostrand Rejnhold company RegionalOmces:New York Cincinnari Chicago Miilbrae Dallas

Van Nostrand Reinhoid Company International olfices:Toronto Melbourne London

This book was orisinally published in Swedishin two volumes, entitled n4arkbok and Markbok 2,by LC.A. Fdrlaget, Vasreras, Sweden

Copyrisht O Elsie Svennas andLC.A. Fijrlaget. Vesteras. 1966English translation O Van NoslrandReinhold Conpany Ltd. 1973

Library of Consress Catalos Card Number: 72 5278rsBN: 0 ,142 28085 8

A1l rights reserved. No part ofthis work covered by thecopyrigh! hereon may be reproduced or xsed in any formor by any means graphic, elecro.ic. ornechanical, includiig pholocopyinS. recording.taping or informalion storage aDd retrievalsystems withoul written permission oithe publisher

This book is prinred in Great Britainby Jolly and Barber Limited, Rugbyand bound by the Ferndale Book Conpanr.

Publ ishedbyVanNostrand ReinholdConpany, lnc.450West33rdSt.New York, N.Y. 10001 and Van Nostrand Reirhold Company Ltd.Egginlon House, 25 28 Buckinghan Cate, London S.W.l.

Published sinuhaneously in Canada byVan Noslrand Reinhold Lld.

1 6 1 5 1 4 1 3 1 2 1 l 1 0 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2

M a r k i n g

Evcn dur ingthe MiddleAgcs, bcforc theart ofwr i t ingbecame general. the well-to-do families ol Europeused 1o put a private 'mark' or mark of ownershipon their houses and possessions. h went \,!ith thefarm or the fanily and usually enjoyed legal pro

tect ion. Ih is 'mark 'was a s ign or somel imcs a let lcr ,It was made up of straight lines, circles and othefsinple heraldic devices. owing to the fact that thematerial was often stubborn to work in. (This typeof marking is still in use, for ex,rmpte, on timber andcattle.) Textile naterials, on thc othcr hand, wcrceasily worked, and there the mark was replaced at anearly stage by lettets or a manogrcm. which comesfrom the Greek word meaning a singlc leltcr. Theworked monograms had both a praclical and acsthcticlunction and were formed in the style and manner ofthe period. For somc inexplicable reason. however.textile marking has not developed over the past fiftyycars. All too oftcn the letters are still formed in styleswhich we now avoid in other contexts such as books,newspapen and other typographical products. Oninherited linen we iike to see thc old monogmms.ollen large and highly elaborare perhaps because itgivcs a nostalgic rcminder of the pas1. For the sakeof future generarions, however, we ought to build ontradition, and adapt the shape and size of thc mono-gmm to the taste and sty le of the day.

A well-worked monogram is nowadays oftcn thconly decoration on- lor example. a sheet. And torelieve the plainness of other texlile aflicles such astablemats,napkincases. b ibs,storagebags.handbags.rnd clothes ofvarious sorts. a monogmm is a suitabledecoration which at the same time makes the articlemore personal.

The monograms in this book are in many cases assimple as the old idiograph, but thereare also examplesof letters in various kinds oftype as well as fantasticand romanticised forms. Most ol them can beembroidcred in various stitches, some easy, somemore difilcult. Some are intcnded to be worked in'free style' embroidery, that is. following traccd lines,others are 1() be worked in cross stitch and other'counted thread' embroideries.

For a marking to be beautilul it must be well-execuled and take textile properties into conslderarion. Choice of letlers, material and embroiderytcchnique depend of course not only on thc articleto be marked and the time al your disposal, but alsoon yourskill. We aU nnd pleasure in havinga beautifulIinen store. and marking can be an enjoyable andexciting way of expresslng your personal taste andstyle. This book will show you how the wcrk is doneand the many techniques and forms ofletters at yourdisposal.

Cho ice o f l e t t e r s , en la rg ing and reduc ing

Nowadays a'single letter is often used for marking.The linen store is, after all, the property ofthe wholefamily, so that theinitial ofthe family nameis suitableas a monogram. The shape and size depends on theposilion wherc the monogram is to be placed. alsobearingin mind any pattern on the fabdc. To simplifythe choice of monogram there are several pages inthis book showing a collection of diferent styles olthe same letter. The letters are very close together,but when you have chosen one or two styles, tracethem on transparent paper. You will be able to seebetter how the letter looks alone and see whether it issuitable. Most of the letteG are intended to standalone, but just a few of the styles recur on diferentpages and can be used together.

If a number of letters are to be used togethea it isbest to choose them from an alphabet in which theactual letters are so shaped that they balance welltogether. Place all the lette^ on the same level forpreference. This is more up{o-date than standingthem on a slant or entwining them together. Thedistance between the letters must be carefully con-sidered. Experiment by drawing the letters on separatepieces ofpaper and bringing them closer together orfufther apart. The letters need not be intertwrned.There are examples in this book of a few suchcombinations, but the inexperienced worker will

6

ob r f i n bc lLe r r e ,u l l . b ) no r a l | e rp r ' ng rL ' .By all means include the date. lt is interesting to

have both da1€ and letters in order to check wear andtear and for the benefit of future generations. It willbe seen from the earlier monograms reproduced inthis book that the date often took up as much spaceas the letten.

The size ofthe letters in this book is not always thesize you will want. Sometimes the fabric or artrclewill demand a different scale. Many people like tohave all their linen unifonnly marked and then themonogram must be worked in different sizes. It mustnot look either too large or too small. On an ordinaryunpattemed hand towel about I inch high is areasonable size. The figurcs on the left show how toenlarge or reduce with the help of squared papers-This can either be bought in various sizes or home-made. Ifyou are going to use the monogram a lot, itwill save time if you have photostat copies made,enlarged or reduced.

The placing ofa monogram is also important. Findout the most pmctical place and remember thattraditionally a monogram should be seen and alsodecorate the article. On a place mat, lor example, itmust not b€ covered by the plate and on table cloths,napkins and towels it must be placed so that it willbe seen when the article is folded up.

Trans fer to the mater ia I

when the form and size of the monogmm has beendecided. draw it on a piece oflransparent paper with

a hard, sharp lead pencil. lfyou are going to work alot of identical monograms il is better to draw it in

lndian ink on tracing cloth. To help in placing it on

the material draw a vertical and horizontal line on

the paper. Then select the place for the monogram

and tack a cross on the fabric along the line of theweave (rcmember that nowadays monograms are

seldom placed obliquely over corners). On applyingthe paper, nt the two sets of lines exactly over the

tacked cross. Sometimes lines can be marked bydrawing a pin along the surface instead oftacking.

The transfer can then be made by any one offour

differenr methods. Theeasiest is by using r ar6on paper(dark or light according to the colour of the fabdc).

Lay the fabric on a hard, smooth surface and 6x thepaper with the monogram nrmly over it with pins or

tape orby lacking it down. Then lay the carbon paper

coloured side down between the fabric and the paper.

Draw over alllhe lines with a pen, steel knittingneedle

orcrochet hook, carcfully liftingtheedge ofthe paper

to make sure the impression is clear. You can ifyou

wish make carbon paper yourself by colouring the

back of the paper on which you have drawn themonogram with soft lead pencil or chalk.

The best results are usually obtained by the more

laborious method of pouncing. Lay the paper or

tracing cloth on which the monogram has been

drawn on a soft surface and prick along all lhe lines

with a sewing needle. Fix the pricked monogram over

the fabdc and with a piece ofcotton wool or a twist

of wool smear coloured powder all over the mono-gram so that it works through the holes. Thecolouredpowder can be ordinary talcum for dark fabrics and

talcum mixed with blue for light fabrics. After

removing the paper you will see the lines as rows ofpricks and can fill them in with pencil or Indian ink.

A simple method applicable in the case of light,

thin fabrics is transfer by hgrt. This involves making

the letter drawn on the paper show lhrough the labric

by holding bolh to a light. This can be carried out in

comforl by laying a sheet ofglass, for example. over

a suitably wide gap between two tables ofequalheightand placing a srrong lamp undemeath the glass. A

darkened room will facilitate the process. Whlle you

are drawing the letter on to the fabric this musl be

held taut with the left hand or be fixed in a frame.

The fourth method is by working small tunning

s/il.rer along the outiines through both fabric .rndpaper. The paper is then carefully torn away. This

method is excellent on all fabrics, and gives a fresh,unmarked final result. It is almost the only methodpossible for lowelling and similar surfaces.

M a te r i a l s

The thread you mark with should suit both thecharacter of the fabric and the types of letters youhave chosen. A very common mistake is to use toothick a thread, often with the idea of speed. Thismakes for a clumsy result: it is better to choose toonne a thread than too coarse a one. All unevemcsscsin the embroidery will be unnecessarily eniarged ifthe thread is coarse and the stitches large. Whitemarking thread is made in very fine thicknesses, butnot all shops supply it and correspondingly nnecoloured marking thread is probably unobtainable.However, ifyour thread is too coarse and a nner oneis unobtainable, it is always possible to draw outone or two stnnds ofthe thread you have, For raisedsatin stitch and in certain cases ordinary satin stitch.for which the stitches should form a smooth, evensurface, it is better to work with thread from whichastmnd or two has been removed. Very loosely twistedthreads and techniques that involv€ long, loosestitches should be avoided because they will not last.

Sometimes different thicknesses olthread must beused in the same monogram to obtain the bestappearance. For narrow outlining work mercerisedsewing thread is recommended. It is available in awide range of generally fast colours. With allcolouredfabrics or threads it is important to make surc thedye is fast by washing a sample in the ordinary way.

8

Once fastness is established contrasts can be made:for example, a white thread contrasts well with acoloured fabric. Hand-woven materials may besuccessfully marked with scraps of the spun warpthread. Coloured threads of a difierent quality anddifferent dye from the fabric may be the same colourwhen first used, but wjll possibly look quite diflerentafter a few washes. Unbleached lineD thread, forexample, has an attractive, warm gtey colour at first,butgmdually turns quitewhite. A grey marking looksgood against silver, stainless steel and wood. On linenfabric it is usually best to use twisted linen thread.which is available in both white and colours and issold in good handicmft and needlework shops.Certain special colours will only be found amongmoulinee yarns. Single{hread cotton, often used fortraditional embroidedes, with its attractive pasteltones is suitable for colgured marking. Wbite bedlinen edged with lace is best marked in white. Sheetswith coloured bord€rs look extremely effective ifthemonogram is worked in exactly the same colour asthe border. White monograms are the mosl practicalon plain coloured fabrics. The dimcult problem ofmarking striped malerials can often be solved byappliqueing on, e.g. a broad band of white colton,and then working the monogmm on that in colour.

Em b ro i de rv t echn i ques

Embroidery lcchniqucs have followed the tides of fashion in thesame \fay as forms of lelters- Many of them have a long historybehind them and have appeared at diffcrent periods in differentmaterials and combinations. The technique used should be adaptedto the quality and style of the article. Soirc of those described onthe following pages have not genemlly been used for marking. butthe illustrulions of the worked examples show how they can beeppl ied.

Cross stitch. The diagram above shows one ofthe most commonly-uscd sritches--the diagonal cross stitch on the lelt hand side. Thebottom siitch ls worked from left to right and the top stitch fromright to left. All the stitches in a piece of \'r'ork should lie in thesamedirect ion.Thethreadshouldalwaysbeattachedinthedirect ionof the stitching, never at right-angles. If you are working on aIoosely-\,r'oven fabric, take carc not to pull the stitches too tight.Thc righr hand diagram shows the straight cross stitch. This canbe worked in diferenl ways: the diagram shows the two stages ofr method in which the whole stitch is completed at once. Straightcross slitch must be worked over an even number of threads. A

monognm which is designed to be worked straight over the threadsof the fabric can also often be worked obliquely over the threads,bur then it will also stand obliquely on the fabric. The two cross.r i lche. can be combined In le l rerr and de. ign. .

Back stitch, four-sided stitch. The stitches shown in the diagramabove, back stitch (left) and four-sided stitch (cenrre and righr),can be used in conjunction with cross stitch and satin stitch forboth simple and more demanding monograms. They may often beappropriately used on tablecloths and place mats in combinationwithso-cal led 'b lack 'st i tch embroidery. Thiswasor ig inal iyworkedin black silk on white linen. Nowadays the same technique is oftenused in modern interpretalions, worked in red, pink or blue thread.Brown or greyyarn is also used for markingtablecloths and napkins.Most of the monograms on this page are taken from pages 50-4and worked in one thread of moulin6e yarn. lt is important thatthe thread should be nne. B in the middle ofthe nert page is workedrn two colours. ln lower case (see under B and on page 53)_ theseletters can be used for longer texts. as for example on presents such

,::.

I

Techniques for two-sided embroidery. Marking should alwals bedone very ncal ly . so that even the'wrong's ide looks nicc. Qui te anumber of the leltcrs of the alphabet keep their shape urlrangedon thc back. By tracing the inilial on a piece of transparent paper

Jou can test wheiher the \etler will \ook the same on the back.Thc illusrration on the Left shows the same lctters on the'right'and'wrong's ide. ln some cases combined let ters can also be readin lhe correct direction on both sides (see I E on page l,l).

A few cxamples of suhable stitches are shown in the diagrams.A narrow salin stilch will have more body if worked ovel a fewtrammed threads. Stem stitcb and in some cases herringbone stitchbecomes bdck stitch on the wrong side. This can bc worked o\rcrrvith a whlpping thread or otherwise dccorated. Seeexamples above.Herringbone stitch can also be worked so that lhc back becomessat in st i lch.

l l

Raised satin stitch. Raised satin stitch recall! thechefactenstrc sevenieerrrh century relicf embroidery.oltcn magnificcnil)' executed in gold and sil\'cr thrcad.At the middle of rhe nineleenth ccntury coi ton varncame into gener.r l use and wi th th is thc dcl icateeighieenlh century lincn thrcad embfoiderv evolvedinio . r heavier re l ief embroiderv. This inc luded theso-called tuohie dnglar. v,ith satin slitch and raisedr r r n . r i r L h \ r n . e t h e n . 3 e n e " r ' " _ d . r e c _ ( r d l i o rhas used these tcchniques for nrark ing. But you havepfobabl], olien noticed how the material tcars away.r t thc s idc ofheavy r . r ised sat in st i tch and at thc dccpimpressions lef l on mangled arr ic les. The so-cal led' f i l1 ing in ' ra ised sat in s i i tch is consequent ly usedspar ingly nowadays. ln ih is technique cven thc th inI ines of lhe lc l tcrs arc rvorked by ovefcasr ing at nghlangles ro the under lynrg f i l l ing . Raised sat in st i tchihen. l ike 'whippcd out l inc st i tches. is realh onlysui table for mater ia ls such as dl i l l , b i rd s eye weaveand damask. Ordina|v sat in st i tch and s lem st i tch arcnot sui table on these sel f pat tc cd labr ics.

Satin stitch. Satin stitch is suilable for work on lirm.smooth suf laces. I t ! r ,as thc lnosl usual suface-f i l l ingst i lch in thc c ighteenth centufy whi te embroideicsand occurs bolh as a s i rn ight sar in s l i tch, wi lh thcst i lches al r ight angles to thc out l ine. and also lv i th

the st i tches s lanl ing in order to fo l low thc shape ofthe pattem belter. lt is important to make sure thatthe stitches all slant the sameway. The outlines roundsatin stitch will be more raised and more even if youfirst work round the outline in back stitch or stemstitch. Another way ofmaking satin stitch more evenat the edge is to work round it aftcrwards in a fineoutline stitch. In many letters the satin stilch maybe allowed to merge graduallv into stem stirch.

Outline stitches. Of the outline stitches ,a.,+ riil(l](see page 18) ̂ nd stem stitch (see pagc 19) are rhesimplest. Rich embroidcries wirh Renaissance rypcomamentation and letters worked in red and blacksilk in lincs of stem stitch only go back as far as thesixteenth century. Thc stitch can beworkedboth righthandcd and left handed. A broader line is sirnplyachieved by working several rows ofstcm stitch closeagainst each other. F'or ncatness begin and end eachrow of stem stitoh with a smaller stilch.

'l:lthippd outlinc' sritch is a rclief stitch. lr originatcsfrom the outline stitchingin sixtcenlh.rnd seventeenthcentury applique work. In the rich and skilfullyexeculed eighteenth century white embroideries a'whipped outline' sritch was used for ourlining thepierced or lilled grounds charactcristic ofthe period.

l i

It is suitable for work on closely woven fabrics,particularly patterned weaves as it stands out enough

to make the monogmm conspicuous The stitch con-

sists ofvarious overstitched outline stitches and con-

sequently difers in thickness. The thinnest is workedover back stitch or stem stitch and the coarsest over

chain stitch. The whipping is done from right to left

except over stem stitch, for which the 'whipping' lies

in the opposite direct ion lo the slem sti tch.

Chain st i ! .h is another easi ly worked outl ini ' t r tch.

common in eighteenth century markings. Worked in

fine thread in small stitches it is suitable for ornate

letter folms. It is also used, like stem stitch, for

tramming,

Coucrig is used fi$tly as an outline stitch, whm asingle or double thread is laid on the fabric andfastened down with small stitches in the same or adifferent colour, secondly it is used as a 'filling' withits long tramm€d threads oversewn with smallslrrcnes.

Knot stirch is a r€lief technique usually worked by

winding the thread a certain number of times round

the needle. ln the eighteenth century white em-

broideries these knots covercd whole surfaces. In

modem monogmms knots are used as decorative

l 6

stitches in combination with other techniques. Theyshould be fastened very firmly to the fabric so as not

to be left hanglng on a 'stalk' and on articles to bewashed fiequently they are better replaced by small'laztdaisy' stitches. A kind ofoutline stitch, in which

small twisted chain stitches form the knots, is alsoknown as knot stitch.

Tambow stitch, Tambour stitch looks like chainstitch but is worked diferently. It gets its name from

the French word tambout (drtttr.'), and. refers to thefact that it is worked on fine fabric stretched over a

frame. The thread is held in the left hand as in ordinary

crochet, but it is held ,ndemeath the fabtia, ^nd theloops are drawn up with a crochet hook and worked

into a chain. This is a medieval technique which was

very fashionable in the eighteenth and nineteenthcenturi€s. lt is excellent for towelling and similarsurfaces where chaifl stitch is normally recommended.Tambour stitch is quicker to do and unlike chainstitch is easy to undo, if one should wish to change themonogram. On the wrong side the stitch looks like

back stitch, which can easily be made attractrve byoverstitching.

Split stitch. This can also in some circumstances look

like chain stitch. Most of the thread lies on the right

side ofthe fabric. The slitch takes its name from thel-ac1 that one pierces the working th.ead with theneedle on making the stitch. Split stitch is used bothas an outline stitch and for filling as a sort of'shaded'sUrcn.

Shadow stitch. Shadow stitch is on€ ofthe eighteenthcentury techniques. It is worked on thin fabric with afine thread (sewing cotton is quite suitable) in rhecolour ofthe fabdc. On the right side the work makesoutlines rcsembling back sti tch, but m ost of the threadlies onthe back as a lilling. It consequently appears asa shadow against rhe thin fabric. The lilling alsomeans thal the monogram is raised against the

Buttonhole stitch. One of the commonest lechniquesv]Jsed in broderie a glaise. It used to be employedfrequently with filling and as an edging to the work.Double buttonhole stitch is most suitable fur mono-grams. lt gives much the same effect as satin stitchoutlined with stem stitch. Feather stitch is an easystitch, closely allied to buttonholc stitch.

Shad€d stitch. This occu$ in one or two varrauons.It is a medieval technique which reached its highestpeak in the eighteenth century, during which it was

executed with great skill in silk- lt takes its name fromthe fact that it was usually worked in a number ofdillerent shades of silk, which gave a softly blendedcolour efect. In modern monograms it is worked inone colour only. On articles to be washed frequentlylhe stitches should not be too long nor lie too looselyon the surf-ace ofthe fabric.

The embroidery techniques described will be madeclearer by the following diagrams and photographsof worked monograms, all enlarged for the sake ofclarity. A certain number oftechniques, and possiblevariations not mentioned above are also shown_ Thediagrams often show the embroidery executed in twocolours. This is for the sake of clarity and does notnecessarily mean that the work needs contrasting

The most important thing for a good result is,however, accuracy in execution. On loosely wovenfabrics free style embroidery will be most successfulif the work is stretched in a frame. Do not use toocoarse needles. If the thread is coarse, use pointedtapestry needles, otherwise ordinary sewing needles.Do not leave the thread lying in long, loose loops onthe back. Work with reasonably long lenglhs ofthread and lasten ofcarefully.

Back sr i tch and whipped back strrch Laced back slitch Pekincse st i tch

Whippcd srem st r rc h Sten stitch worked to righland lef t and rar iat ionol lazy daisy stilch

Cable chain s l i lch Tambour st i tch crochclcdihrough ihe fabric

Chrin st i lch Whipped charn s l i tch Var ia l ion of !vhipped

chain st i lc !

Chain st i ich over Open chaln sritch { lth

st i tchcs rn groups

BuLlon holc str rch Doublc bul lonholcsl r tch

Two rows of but tonholcst i tch wi th chain

Slert ing buuonholestrtch

tsuttonhole st i tch

Smrl l chr ln str tchcsas knots. or doublechain s i r tch

Couching and( n o L s

Darning over ! tarJhrpcd lhreads

Smal l f ree stv lc st i lchcsas ofnamenr ins ide

oul l ine \ t i tch

Knottedir but to

Knol ted st i tch. f lowerin but tonhole st i tch

Knotted stitch andvariation on twistedchain stilch

Feather stitch Chained feather slitchFIy sri tch

Straighr sarin st i tch.outlincs in running

Satin stitch ovcrseu n

in back s l i lchSat in sr i lchand back st i tch

Sarin sri tch wirhstcn sl i tch oul l ines

satin stiich slal1tingto r ight a.d to lef t

Sat in st i tch Raised satin stitch.stem stitch or backstitch filliDg

Raised satin stitch.split stitch orchain st irch i i l l ing

Raised satin sthch

running st i tch

Looped holes

Closed herfnrgbonc st ' tch

$i1h stem st i ich oulhnc

Shadow sl r tch (as

cdging ibr c losedhef ingbone s l i tch)

Appl jque work wi th Trammccl threads overscivnwith stem st i tch

Trammed thrcads overscwn

with snla l l back st i tch

. , t , . , '

D a r n i n g s t c h Double darning st i tch on!hreads ln id crosswise

Shaded str tch wi thoulr h ipped s lcm st i lch

Shaded st i rch wi thstem st i tch out l ine

Spl i l s t i tch in out l inesand filled sufaces

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If you wish to make a thin letter. trace the black line, otherwise trace the grey surface. suitable stitches are whipped outline stitch. stem sritch,

AE=,KffiGEHI Hmsatin stitch, back stitch, chain stitch. two rows ofwhipped outline stitch, outline slitch filled with decorative stitches.

J KL6 1

M can have sloping or vertical sides. Stem stitch wit}l buttonhole stitch (M) and chain stitch (N), whipped outline stitch, feather slitch, satln

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Ifthe round letters ofthe alphabet appear too large, they can be made oval (see bottorr rowl.

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ABED E FGIA/\ \,] OPQRS-[I.-J VYt\E@6 B M H(CQM O RAIG KT NI

KL

simple monograms resembling ideographs. Below and right, variations on mirror monograms which can also be turned upside down

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E F GLetlers suitablc lor sheets. table cloths and towcls. They can be worked in outline or fillcd as shown. DoubLc buttonholc slitch chain slitch'

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slanted satin stitch. raised satin stitch. satin stitch. stem stitch, salin stitch. shadow stitch or split siitch.

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O P O R S T UL€tters can either be filled in or left open.

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Bultonhole stilch, stem stitch, satin stitch with oulline. iealhcr stitch. filling wirh small stitches.satir stilch.

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&ffiffiffiffiwffih-vThe central lines of the letters are worked in stem stilch or narrow whipped outline stitch and the leaves as small .lazy daisyl or chain stitches.

M . 1 , & , V d oV V V " d f VV V V € V

V# V'h*V*- ruffiffiffiThe leaves can be filled wilh two or threc stitches lengthwise. A simpler version of the alphabet can be worked in 1lv stitch.

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These lerters arc most easily worked in outline stitch along the black lines. Slem slitch. chain stitch. or whipped oulline stilch may nlso be used

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, / - 1( u lsutir, "tit"h - .uir"a .udn stitch along the swellings marked in grey is morc dimcult and will takc longer' twinings. It

The middle row shows a few examples of how these sinuous lette$ can occasionally be linked togcthcr in a natural way. Avoid obscure inter-

twinings. It is better to put the letters side by side on the same level.

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a@bcdefgghrttkil mil1 @pqrsTLilvwxYzThe alphabel above and the figures on the left hand side are worked in the s21me way as the letters on pagc 72. The remaining figures and the

t254s678902 3 4 5 6 7 B 9 0alphabets below are worked in a thin thread in very narrow and even $'hippcd outline slitch

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About the author:

Elsie Svennas is a well-knownauthority on all aspects ofstitcheryand embroidery. She is the authorof many books on the subject, thelatest being PATCHCRAFT inthe Reinhold Craft PaperbnckSeries.

VAN NOSTRAND REINHOLD COMPANYNEW YORK CINCINNATI LONDON MELBOURNE