[Sidenote: Position in Overhanding]
In sewing this seam, the goods should be held between the thumb and first finger of the left hand parallel with the chest, not over the end of finger. Point the needle towards the left shoulder, thus giving a slanting st.i.tch. Care should be taken not to pucker or draw the seam.
When the seam is finished, it should be opened and pressed flat.
[Sidenote: Overcasting]
(7) Overcasting is a slanting st.i.tch used to keep raw edges from ravelling. This st.i.tch, like oversewing, may be worked from right to left or from left to right.
The hem st.i.tch and blind or slip st.i.tch will be considered under hems.
ORNAMENTAL St.i.tCHES
Never use a knot in any embroidery, but start by running a few st.i.tches along the line which is to be covered.
[Sidenote: Outline St.i.tch]
(1) The outline st.i.tch is the simplest of all embroidery st.i.tches. Take a long st.i.tch on the surface, with the needle pointing towards the chest in the line to be covered, and a short back st.i.tch on the under side of the material. The effect of the under or wrong side of the material is exactly that of an ordinary back st.i.tch. The beauty of this st.i.tch depends upon its regularity and in always keeping the thread on the same side of the needle.
[Ill.u.s.tration: ORNAMENTAL St.i.tCHES
_a_--Outline; _b_--Chain; _c_--Cat; _c"_--Catch; _d_--Single Feather; _e_--Double Feather; _f_--Tripple Feather; _g_--Modified Feather; _h_--Double Feather with Knots; _i_--French Knots and Outline; _j_--Herring Bone; _k_--Fancy Feather; _l_--Cat St.i.tch with French Knots.]
[Sidenote: Chain St.i.tch]
(2) The chain st.i.tch when perfectly done should look like the st.i.tch made by a single-thread machine. This st.i.tch is made by taking the thread toward the worker, and before the needle is drawn out of the cloth the thread is held by the thumb under the point of the needle, as in a b.u.t.tonhole, making a loop. The needle is inserted in the last loop for the next st.i.tch. The chain st.i.tch is used in modern embroidery as an outline and for darning, but in old embroidery, the outline and chain st.i.tches were used for filling as well. They are found in Persian, Indian, and Italian Renaissance work. Like the feather st.i.tch, the chain st.i.tch is worked towards the worker.
[Sidenote: Cat St.i.tch]
(3) The cat st.i.tch or herringbone st.i.tch is an alternate slanting back st.i.tch, the needle being placed first to the right and then to the left.
This st.i.tch must be worked evenly to be effective. It is used to finish flannel seams and hems, fasten down linings, opened seams, and canvas facings and featherbone, in millinery--in fact, this st.i.tch is one of the most useful in sewing. The _catch_ st.i.tch is a variation of the cat st.i.tch. Instead of pointing the needle towards the chest, the st.i.tch is taken parallel with the chest. It is used for about the same purposes as the cat st.i.tch. As with the outline st.i.tch, the cat st.i.tch is worked _from_ the worker.
[Sidenote: Loop St.i.tch]
(4) Blanket or loop st.i.tch, used to ornament the edge of blankets, etc., and for finishing the edge of stockinet or web material, is worked from left to right, the edge of the material being held towards the worker. Start with three or four running st.i.tches along the edge so the line of st.i.tching will cover them. Insert the needle the desired width from the edge, draw it towards you down over the thread, being careful not to draw the thread too tightly over the edge of the flannel. Fasten the thread by taking running st.i.tches under the last blanket st.i.tch on the wrong side.
[Ill.u.s.tration: _HEM St.i.tCHING_
_a_--Position of Needle; _a"_--Finished Hem St.i.tch; _b_--Ladder St.i.tch; _c_--Example of Drawn Work Finished with Loop and Cat St.i.tches.]
[Sidenote: Feather St.i.tch]
(5) Single, double, and triple feather or coral st.i.tches may be made very ornamental and are used in all kinds of sewing and on all materials. They are always made towards the worker, the st.i.tches being taken alternately to the right and left of the line of the design. The thread should always be carried under the needle as in a b.u.t.tonhole st.i.tch. The design may be varied by taking the st.i.tches diagonally or straight, by making them close or separated, etc.
[Sidenote: Hem St.i.tch]
(6) Hemst.i.tching is used for ornament in making hems and tucks. The first step in hemst.i.tching is the drawing of threads. Rubbing the cloth along the line of threads to be drawn will make the drawing easier if the cloth is sized. After the threads are drawn, the hem is turned and basted even with the lowest edge of the drawn s.p.a.ce. Insert the needle into the edge of the hem and material, taking up a cl.u.s.ter of threads bring the thread under the needle to form a b.u.t.tonhole st.i.tch or make a simple st.i.tch in the edge of the fold. The number of threads drawn and the number in a cl.u.s.ter must be determined by the coa.r.s.eness or fineness of the material, the greater number being drawn and taken in fine material. There are several methods of hemst.i.tching, but the results are about the same.
[Ill.u.s.tration: EMBROIDERY St.i.tCHES
Eyelet Embroidery, Embroidery b.u.t.ton Hole, Flat Satin St.i.tch.]
[Sidenote: French Knots]
(7) French knots are used in connection with other st.i.tches for borders enclosed in outline and chain st.i.tches, in initials, centers of flowers, and as a filling-in st.i.tch. The simplest method is of taking a small back st.i.tch, bringing the thread from the _eye_ of the needle under the point from right to left and drawing the needle perpendicularly from the cloth. Place the needle back of the knot and bring the point out in the place where the next knot is to be made. The size of the thread will determine the size of the knot.
[Sidenote: Embroidery b.u.t.tonhole]
(8) The embroidery b.u.t.tonhole st.i.tch has many possibilities and many variations. It is worked from left to right instead of from right to left as in a b.u.t.tonhole. The thread from the work is carried under the point of the needle from left to right, just the reverse of the b.u.t.tonhole. This st.i.tch is used on flannel and in embroidery of all kinds; it may be padded or worked flat and the st.i.tches may be taken a distance apart or near together.
[Sidenote: Cross St.i.tch]
(9) The cross st.i.tch is worked on linen, scrim, canvas, or any open-meshed material. If done on a flat, smooth surface, it will be necessary to work over canvas, afterwards drawing out the canvas threads. The canvas should be well basted on the material, the warp threads of the canvas lying _perfectly straight_ on a line with the warp threads of the material on which the pattern is worked. The st.i.tches should always run the same way. If the first ground st.i.tches are made from left to right, from bottom towards the top, the cross st.i.tches should be made from right to left from the top towards the bottom. All the ground st.i.tches run one way and the cross st.i.tches in the opposite way.
This st.i.tch is used for marking table linen, underwear, and embroidery designs. When marking linen and unlined work, make the under side very neat by running the thread under the st.i.tches already made, instead of taking a long st.i.tch when beginning in another part of the letter or design.
[Sidenote: Satin St.i.tch]
(10) The satin st.i.tch is an over and over st.i.tch and is used on materials of all kinds for marking linen, etc.
The _padding_ is the first step and should be done in long even st.i.tches placed closely and over one another in the center. The size and proportions of the figure or letters determine the size of the thread.
Fine thread gives the best results. The outline should be run twice; this keeps the edge firm. An even darning or basting st.i.tches, chain st.i.tches or outline st.i.tch may be used if the s.p.a.ce is not too small.
The padding may be worked in an embroidery hoop to keep it smooth and even. Scallops may be padded in the same way or worked flat.
[Ill.u.s.tration: EMBROIDERY b.u.t.tON HOLE AND BLANKET St.i.tCHES
Scallops Outlined and Padded.]
In large figures the st.i.tches are laid closely and exactly parallel the entire length of the form. They may be straight across or at an angle, but the one slant must be maintained throughout. In small curved figures, the st.i.tches may be placed more closely at the inner edge and spread slightly at the outer edge. In flat work where the leaf or petal is large, two or three st.i.tches taken in the cloth, back of the face st.i.tch, holds them even and prevents misplacement in laundering. (All embroidery should be ironed on the wrong side.)
[Ill.u.s.tration: ARROW HEAD, DOUBLE ARROW HEAD AND CROW"S FOOT.]
[Sidenote: Eyelet Embroidery]
Eyelet embroidery is a simple over and over st.i.tch forming a smooth, round edge. Like satin st.i.tch, all outlines are run with an even darning st.i.tch, except the very small eyelet holes, made with a stiletto. Long or oval openings must be cut through the center.
[Sidenote: Shadow Embroidery]