2012 Advanced Filling Stitches

The 2012 Award Winning Designs in Hardanger Embroidery came out earlier this month. The creativity is awe inspiring. Roz has done a magnificent job in charting these intricate designs. Today I am going to take a closer look at some of the intricate stitches and combinations that make up the motifs. Please note that the following instructions are from my observations and available resources. You may do the stitch in a different manner that works for you with the same results.

The table topper with the butterflies (pages 2-8) has several diamond motifs that are filled with "Dove’s Eyes with Spokes".

Dove’s Eyes with Spokes »

The nutmeg stitch used in the design on pages 20-24 has a similar appearance to the one just mentioned.

It is also done in two passes. Weave the bars until you have three and a half bars. Be sure to be weaving so you come up through the center of the woven bars. I make my Dove’s eyes working counter clockwise which matches the photo. However, you may work clockwise when stitching your Dove’s eye. That is fine. It is important that you are consistent in the direction you stitch. The second pass must be done in the same direction for the stitch to work out.

Finish weaving that final bar. Now you are in the corner. Do a second pass going from corner to corner. Again, I am working in a counter clockwise direction. Come up in your first corner and go over the first thread of the Dove’s eye, then under the second thread of the Dove’s eye. Come up from the bottom of the next corner. As you work towards the third corner, go under the thread coming from the corner, over the first Dove’s eye thread, under the second Dove’s eye thread and up into the third corner. Repeat the process for the third and fourth sides. Before ending your final corner take your needle over the first corner thread before going to the underside of the first corner.

This next stitch is known as the Struvor or Rosette because it looks like a Scandinavian rosette treat. It is used in the doily on pages 40-45.

Rosette Filling Stitch »

The next motif is similar to the Struvor. This motif is used in the design on pages 46-49.

For this motif all four of the bars are woven together rather than separately. A picot is added on each side, but notice the picot is placed closer to the satin stitched edge rather than centered on the bar. A divided branch is added; however, this time it originates from the center and branches out to the satin stitched edges.

Also on this piece is a stitch I am going to unofficially call the Extreme Spider Web.

The stitch is done with wrapped split bars, wrapped spokes and a whipped spider web in the center. Beginning in the center, wrap the two bars on the left side out to the satin stitching. Then wrap the two bars together on the right side which brings you back to the center. To help establish a solid foundation, wrap all of the pairs of bars. Once all the pairs are wrapped, add a spoke into each corner, wrapping the spoke as you worked back towards the center. Again, you should finish up in the center of the motif.

This spider web is whipped rather than woven. Beginning in the center, working counter clockwise, pass your needle under the first spoke or wrapped bar. Bring your needle up and go over the top of that spoke and then back down and under. You have wrapped your thread completely around that spoke or bar. Go under the next spoke or bar, back over the top, and under working towards the left. Continue to do that to every spoke or bar. Make as many rounds as you would like.

As long as we are talking about wrapped bars, here is a close up of other wrapped bars used in the design on pages 20-24.

There are several very interesting motifs created with a combination of stitches. The first motif is in the design on pages 34-38.

The basic framework consists of woven bars. In the very center and outside corners are woven spider webs over four spokes. The next round is a series of adjoining wraps (partial Greek crosses). Buttonhole bars have been added to each side. Create a buttonhole bar by coming up through the woven bar, going through the next woven bar and back through your first woven bar. That gives you a two-thread frame to work on. Do the buttonhole stitch around your frame, working across to the second woven bar.

A slightly different arrangement of these elements is used at the ends of this same piece.

The last motif we have time to look at is on the design on pages 25-29.

This motif starts with the Dove’s eye in the center with a picot on the opposite side of the woven bar. To do the weaving in each corner, start at the inner corner and wrap the outside pair of bars and return wrapping the inside pair of bars. Add the twisted spoke. Then wrap the inside pair of bars on the other side returning to the center by wrapping the outside pair of bars. Now you can weave in and out of the inner wrapped bars and center spoke. Buttonhole bars complete the outside of this motif. Notice how the bars are placed so it creates a swag look.

The piece on page 15-19 has a very unique stitch repeated around each diamond.

Roz has called this the "Kerrie Stitch" since it is on Kerrie’s design. Several steps are required to complete this stitching. Here is a tutorial with instructions and charts.

I had better stop here so I can get this to Ryan or she won’t have time to get it coded and on the web for you.

---

We hope this guide makes your stitching easier and more enjoyable!

For those interested in using this article or others published by Nordic Needle, Inc., please use this copy when referencing the information:

“The following article was written by Debi Feyh of Nordic Needle and published in their weekly e-mail newsletter. Permission was granted by Nordic Needle to share this article in (name of your publication). For information on subscribing to their weekly e-mail newsletter, visit www.nordicneedle.com. A free mail-order catalog is available to you upon request if you live in the USA or Canada.”