“ The stitches used in modern embroidery are not productions of this age. They belong to the art of to-day through adaptation. They have a value because of their antiquity far above any value which new inventions in this line could possess. Their application has been tried without limit and the extent of expression and delineation through them is well known. The science of embroidery is established ”

“ Often the most difficult task for many women is choosing the proper shades of silk to embroider a certain stamped linen. Usually the dealer from whom you purchase your Corticelli Silk will advise you in regard to this, but when one lives in one of the smaller towns no store will be found which carries a good stock of embroidery materials from which to make a selection. In this case the best thing to do is to send six 2 cent stamps to the Nonotuck Silk Co., Bridge Street, Florence, Mass., for a Corticelli Color Card, showing over 325 different shades in which Corticelli Wash Silk is made. ”

“ Many ladies who embroider frequently complain that wash silk does not work smoothly, that the silk snarls or ravels, making a bad-looking piece of work, without saying anything about trying one's patience.
"Now, what makes my silk snarl?" is heard only too often. They frequently assign the cause of the trouble to the silk, when, in reality it is the fault of the needle they are using. ”

“ Feather stitch should never be attempted on an unframed fabric. A certain degree of excellence may be attained in embroidery by working such fabrics as linen in the hand, but perfect stitch direction and proper tension cannot be secured unless the fabric is stretched.
Embroidery stitches hold a certain definite relation to each other and may therefore be classified into groups. ”

“ Many do not understand the great difference in embroidery silks, and often inferior kinds are sold them by unscrupulous clerks. Corticelli Silk is smooth working, of high luster, and is free from imperfections in stock or finish, while the dyes used are remarkable for brilliancy and absolute fastness of color. Magnificent mills, modern machinery, and sixty years experience in manufacturing silk enable the Nonotuck Silk Company to produce as perfect embroidery silk and floss as can be made. ”

“ That is, the forms of the design are not filled in entirely; the stitches are carried round the outline and such space as they do not cover within the form is allowed to remain in a low relief. This is known as "half work," sometimes as "half solid Kensington," while the solid "opus plumarium" is often called "Kensington." While it is true that the Kensington school revived this ancient embroidery it is doubtful if this is sufficient reason why it should give [Pg 11] to it the name. The history of art will be better preserved if we adhere to the old terms. ”

“ Corticelli Bicycle and Golf Silk is made of specially selected stock dyed in fast colors, and will be found easy to knit. Fleisher's German Knitting Worsted, Golf and Cycle Mixtures, is just the right size to use in connection with the silk. To identify this yarn look for the name "Fleisher's" on the ticket attached to each hank. The colors of silk to go with the different colors of yarns harmonize perfectly. Ordinary yarn, no matter of what kind or color, will not do to work these patterns.
Those who do not care to knit the complete stocking can make the tops alone. ”

“ The "Tambour Stitch" is the chain executed with a small hook, which is pushed up and down through the fabric. It is a Turkish embroidery and very like machine work. There are various other modifications of these chain stitches.
VIII. Darning Stitches.
Darning is a very satisfactory sort of embroidery. In this work the greater part of the silk is laid on the right side of the material so that it carries large [Pg 21] masses of color. Darning is generally considered a filling embroidery and is often used in background work. Backgrounds darned around a design may be made very artistic. ”

“ While we guarantee the dyes used for Corticelli Wash Silk are fast in color when ordinary care is taken in the laundrying, we cannot be held responsible for the result when even so small a quantity as a single skein of some other kind of silk has been used in connection with Corticelli Wash Silk to embroider any design. ”

“ Flowers.—In working the flowers use the ordinary long and short stitch, keeping each petal with the stitches tending towards the center of the flower; let the darkest shading be at the edge of the petal, shading gradually to light at [Pg 71] the base; and in several of the flowers let the two upper petals be quite dark. More than this will give too heavy an effect; therefore work the other blossoms in the lighter shades, letting the veinings only, be dark. One large French knot of Yellow, 504, will be needed in the center of each pansy. ”

“ A. Simple Darning Stitch.—The simple darning stitch is a short stitch on the back and a long one on the face "running" on a straight line, the second row alternating with the first in the positions of the long and short stitches, and lying parallel to it. Care and practice are necessary to make these rows of equal tension. They should keep their straight direction and terminate where they meet the outline. There are ways of accommodating them to the outline when they are used within the design. ”

“ A. Kensington Outline Stitch.—Outline stitches, especially the one known as "Kensington outline," form a very prominent part in the work on linens. When the lines of designs are close very satisfactory results are obtained by outlining alone. This embroidery is very serviceable, and a housekeeper needs an ample supply of the simple linens to insure freshness in the dining room and about the toilet tables. Linens outlined in all white are very dainty, and all blue or delft green monochromes are pretty for summer. The outline is a hand embroidery stitch, so that the work is very convenient. ”

“ As a matter of fact no two needleworkers will use the same quantity of silk to work the same centerpiece or doily. One will require nearly or quite twice as much as another, perhaps, owing to the method of treatment or the way the shading is done. ”

“ It will not do to economize material and expect a rich result. This is likely to be the fault of American embroidery. The preceding rows of stitches must be solid under the succeeding ones. There may be as many rows as are necessary to cover the form, and these should all lap deep over each other so that the under rows show only because of the difference in length of the stitches of the upper edge of the over rows. In this way one shade passes into the next as tones in painting, perfectly clear in themselves yet, because they are distinct, making a luminous and unbroken whole. ”

“ Owing to its fine size and loose twist a skillful worker can blend the shades with the utmost nicety, so that flowers, leaves, fruits, or other objects are most faithfully reproduced.
Corticelli Persian Floss is a silk of two strands, loosely twisted and of high luster, for work where two threads of Filo would ordinarily be required. Persian Floss is used extensively for the buttonhole edges of doilies and centerpieces, first padding the scallops with a few stitches as shown in Fig. VI a, page 17; or the buttonhole edge may be worked without padding as desired. ”

“ The jewels are put in with satin stitch. (See article on Stitches.) They should be raised a little by filling. This can be done in two ways, either by filling one way in satin stitch and crossing the filling in the opposite direction in finishing (see engraving) , or by working a circle in stem stitch and following the circle inside until quite filled in, then covering with satin stitch. When covering the filling, always start in the center and work out each way. It will then be found easy to preserve the form. It is hardly worth while to use a different kind of silk for the filling ”

“ The next is fastened to the fabric only at the beginning and end of the row; between these points the loop stitches are caught into the loops of the first row, and so on with the succeeding rows, fastening through only where the rows terminate against the outline. It is necessary to keep the stitches very loose, as each row has a tendency to narrow. When the form is covered draw the last row in place and fasten it by a row of buttonhole stitches taken through the fabric like the first. It is possible to work back and forth. ”

“ If you do not want to purchase a ready made frame, any good stationer will mount your embroidered linen, or you can do it yourself and then have it framed by a stationer. A small gilt beading made to order will increase the beauty of the frame. ”

“ Care must be taken to knit the top of stockings quite loosely, allowing plenty of slack in the thread especially when changing from silk to yarn and vice versa. Without this slack the tops of Patterns B and C will not give or stretch, making it difficult to draw them on and off. ”

“ Continue these stitches long and short. This is the way to work round the circumference of a circle. Curved tendrils are very effective embroidered in the overlap stitch. See Fig. I c.
Fig. I d. Tapestry Stitch.
D. Tapestry Stitch.—A stitch similar to feather stitch except that its lines are all in one direction. The stitches do not slant to accommodate themselves to a form but are all straight and in all cases parallel and terminate abruptly as they come against the outline of the form whether they are within it or are used to fill the background. ”

“ If you are in doubt as to how much material you will want, you can order from your dealer one skein of some shades, and two of others, even if the instructions called for three or four skeins of a shade, and then order again when you find you will require more. However, it is always safer to buy at one time all the silk necessary for one piece, and we cannot too strongly recommend this plan.
Points for Beginners.
Embroidery is very fascinating work, but to attain perfection one must study the subject. We have been fortunate in securing so well known an authority on Art Needlework as Mrs. ”

“ The work should proceed from left to right. The needle should be brought up in the outline, drawn out the full length of the thread, then sent down in advance and carried out on the outline again a short distance in front of the point at which it was put in. Again the needle should be sent through in advance on the line, thus forming an unbroken, partly double line on the face and a series of short backstitches on the wrong side of the fabric. The thread must be kept always on one side of the needle. It is more convenient to some workers to throw it back. See Fig. IV a.
[Pg 16] ”

“ This [Pg 15] embroidery has many uses in modern work. (See article on Bulgarian Embroidery.) Circular forms within conventional flowers may be covered with satin stitches as long as the forms require, then cross-barred with stitches placed at a decided angle from the satin work. This set of cross-bar stitches should be recrossed with another at the opposite angle, thus forming little squares over the first work, which should be couched down at their intersections. This diapering over satin embroidery may be done in a variety of designs and color combinations. ”

“ Border.—Buttonhole the scalloped edge in blue and gold brown Corticelli Etching Silk, using shades 626 and 645 alternately for each scallop. One connecting scallop should be blue and the next one yellow. The inner edge [Pg 24] of scallops should be outlined in Black Etching Silk, 612, also the straight lines enclosing the scroll and the bars of the doilies. The same Blue, 626, in Corticelli Filo Silk with Brown, 526, may be used for the scroll. Keep the blue on one edge and the brown on the other. ”

“ Great care must be taken, however, not to allow the strands to twist around each other. They should lie side by side, giving their full value. Even when [Pg 26] working with a single strand great attention should be paid to keeping it from twisting. ”

“ Materials—9 inch Size: Corticelli Filo Silk, 1 skein each of above shades. Corticelli Persian Floss, 2 skeins 780. Dealers can furnish stamped linen of this design in 9, 12, 18, and 22 inch sizes. See page 92.
It has been aptly said of Japanese designers that they know how to occupy a space without filling it, thus producing very beautiful effects with little labor. This remark applies well to this design, since it can be quickly worked, and it will prove very charming and effective for either a centerpiece or doily. ”