What is Counted Thread Embroidery?

1. Assissi
2. Berlin Work, Cross Stitch
3. Blackwork (Spanish)
4. Drawn Thread
5. Hardanger
6. Huck Embroidery
7. Lagartera
8. Kasuti (Ethnic Indian Embroidery) 
9. Pulled Thread

Free Counted Thread Embroidery Books

The major source of embroidery books in the Public Domain is The Antique Pattern Library

Resource: Project Gutenberg's Beeton's Book of Needlework, by Isabella Beeton, pages 561-584

1. Berlin Work includes every kind of stitch which is made upon canvas with wool, silk, or beads. The principal stitches used are common cross stitch, Gobelin stitch, leviathan stitch, raised or velvet stitch, tent stitch, and others. 
2.  Before beginning to work upon a piece of canvas the raw edges must be hemmed or [560] sewn over with wool. 
3. Care must be taken not to crumple the canvas in the course of the work. It is best to roll one end of the canvas upon a round piece of deal while the other end is kept down upon the table with a lead cushion. Handsome artistic patterns should always be worked in a frame. 
4. When you undertake to work a large pattern begin in the centre, and complete one half before you commence the other. 
5. Always work the stitches in the same direction, from the top downwards--this is very essential to the beauty and regularity of the pattern. 
6. Edit in your own words

Swalm

 

I bought this book a couple of years back and found it worth the money I spent on it.

What I liked best about this book is - Christine Bishop has used different design details for each element- in effect, you get to work all the possible combinations.  Instructions are very clear and satisfactory.

The outlines are worked in chain stitch followed by a row of coral stitches - then embellished with buttonhole stitch variations.

The smaller design elements are worked in padded satin - the large ones with a combination of draw and pulled thread designs.

The edging is needle made lace -though it looks like crochet.



Needle made lace is more intricate and time consuming than crochet. But the finished product is always worth the effort.

Pouch For Cell Phone and Keys

This a craft from waste - sort of project from long aga.  My husband bought himself a lovely wine coloured kurta from Fab India. He wanted me to shorten the sleeves. I loved the colour and the texture of the material so much, that I did not want to throw away the 4" pieces. I put them into my scrap box and waited for something to happen.

Something did happen.  I was downloading some old tatting books from the Internet Archive (Public Domain Library) and found some lovely lace patterns. I decided to use one of them as an insertion. Here's the result.

Here's how I went about making this pouch.  Click on the picture to enlarge.

Once you are done with the sewing you can make a tatted lace and use it as an insertion. I am not done with this pouch yet. I've been going through some beading patterns I could use, to hang this pouch around my neck, and I plan to do some embroidery on what were the sleeves.

I haven't decided on a pattern yet. I want the whole thing to look elegant: with each of the design elements complementing the others rather than clamouring with each other for attention.

You'll find the instructions for the insertion in a previous post.