Redwork Embroidery - Lesson Two

Miss Prim has been very busy as we can see below:

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

Part 1 – Preparing the Fabric

- Wash, dry and iron the fabric. Washing will pre-shrink the fabric and remove any sizing from the manufacturing proses. Sizing is what gives the fabric extra stiffness to allow it to be stored on a bolt. Pre-shrinking the fabric will ensure that the stitching does not pull in if washed after embroidering.

Miss Prim has prepared the fabric for the students and has provided a selection of motifs they can choose from for their embroidery.  

It seems most of the girls wanted to choose the butterfly!

1) In the centre of your piece of fabric, carefully trace around your square template with a pencil. This will be your cutting line when you have finished the embroidery.

2) For the next step you can use a window. Tape the paper with your motif on the window pane, using a small piece of masking tape in each of the 4 corners.

3) Place your fabric right side up over the top of the paper and centre your motif in the square you drew earlier on the fabric. Each side of the motif should have the same mount of space between it and the sides and corners of the square.

4) When you have your picture centred, have a friend tape the fabric to the window while you hold it in place. This way the fabric won’t move when you are tracing.

5) The light from the window will show through and you will be able to see and trace the lines very clearly. Using a 2H pencil, trace the lines from your picture onto the fabric.

6) Check that all the lines have been traced and are dark enough to see. Once complete, carefully remove the masking tape and take your fabric and picture off the window.

Part 2 – The Embroidery

Miss Prim will demonstrate the stem stitch and French knot stitch, and students will practice on the extra fabric outside their motifs. Miss Prim will discuss the nap of floss and how to pull the floss through so the nap will lie down and not fuzz up and fray. She will also show the students how to start and stop a line of stitching without a knot.

Miss Prim discovered that a few of the girls found stem stitch difficult so for those that did, they can use back stitch.

1) Cut a length of embroidery floss that is 18” long. For this project we are using only 2 threads or plies of the 6 plies that make up the strand of floss. To separate the strands, hold the main strand and gently pull out one strand. Lay it flat so it is facing in the same direction you pulled it out from. Keep hold of the main strand and pull out a second strand of floss. Lay it next to the first strand and then put the two strands together, matching up their lengths at the top.

2) Thread these 2 plies of floss together through the eye in your needle. You are now ready to follow Miss Prim and practice your stem stitch and French knots.

3) When Miss Prim has seen that you understand the stitches and can do them nicely, you can start embroidering with stem stitch on your motif. It is easiest to start on a longer line so you have a chance to get into the rhythm of stitching and making your stitches the same size before doing a more complicated curve or small detail.

Miss Prim knows EVERYTHING about little girls it seems...