Cape Town South Africa Tel +27 (0)21 671 4607 Fax +27 (0)21 671 4609 e-mail: di@dicraft.co.za Website: www.dicraft.co.za P O Box 461 Howard Place 7450 Cape Town South Africa LOVE by Di van Niekerk 2010 Print or trace the heart pattern (above) onto a block of white cotton fabric. Note: Detailed instructions on how to print the design onto fabric would be found in Monograms and Words in ribbon embroidery and Embroidered Alphabets with ribbon embroidery by Di van Niekerk or go to this page on my website http://www.dicraft.co.za/hints.php#q16 for hints on how to print onto fabric. Alternatively, trace the design onto your fabric with a sharp HB pencil or blue water-soluble marking pen. Embroider the heart and the word Love and use the embroidered piece to make a lovely card, sew the block onto a teddy bear, make a lid for a trinket box, turn it into a pincushion, use it in a quilt, whatever takes your fancy! Di van Niekerk 2010. www.dicraft.co.za e mail di@dicraft.co.za Page 1
You will need: THREADS a) Maxi Mouline: 6 stranded cotton: Red no. 234 b) Maxi Mouline: 6 stranded cotton: Green no. 663 c) Maxi Mouline: 6 stranded cotton: Orange no. 214 d) Any white stranded cotton to secure the embroidered square onto your chosen piece. Use one strand of thread unless suggested otherwise. RIBBON 1) Di van Niekerk s 2mm silk no. 58 Red 2) Di van Niekerk s 2mm silk no. 27 Green 3) Di van Niekerk s 4mm silk no. 58 Red WHAT ELSE? Besides the LOVE design on page 1 that you would have printed or traced onto fabric, you will also need: NEEDLES Crewel size 8 or 9 for threads Chenille mixed pack size 18/24 for the ribbons. Use a size no 20 or 22 for the 2mm ribbon, size 18 or 20 for the 4mm ribbon. A tapestry needle size 20 or 22 is handy for the whipped back stitch. Backing fabric Use a block the same size as the printed cloth. Choose any white poly cotton, muslin or silky fabric, and place it at the back of the printed design. Insert both layers into a 6 inch hoop. This fabric will server as a stabiliser. 6 inch (15 cm) hoop Stitches used Back stitch Blanket stitch Detached chain-stitch Fly stitch Fly stitch Rose French knot Ribbon stitch Ribbon stitch rose Running stitch Straight stitch Whipped-back stitch Please note: Diagrams of these stitches would be found on page 52 to 58 in my book: Monograms and Words in ribbon embroidery Embroidered Alphabets with ribbon embroidery Di van Niekerk 2010. www.dicraft.co.za e mail di@dicraft.co.za Page 2
Method Step 1: Form the letters Note: Use two strands of thread for the letter L and one strand of thread for the remaining letters: ove. Use thread a) and form the letters in back stitch about 3 to 4mm (1/8 in.) long. Whip the back stitches with one or two strands of thread. Insert the needle under and over the foundation back stitches. To form a dense, rounded letter, insert the needle under and over each stitch several times. For a more delicate effect insert the needle under the stitch only once or twice. Refer to photo on page 1. 2. Make the green stems Use thread b) and make small back stitches about 4 to 6 mm (1/8 to ¼ inch) in length. Use the same thread and whip the back stitches to make the thicker stems. The very fine stems are not whipped at all. Make a few straight stitches to form the small stems that branch off the main stem. Add a few French knots (wrap thread twice around the needle) to make the thorns. 3. Add some colour Use thread c) and, with a loose tension, whip some of the back stitches again to add the orange detail on the stems. Refer to the colour picture on page 1. Use the same thread and straight stitch to form the straight orange stems. 4. Make the red heart Change to ribbon 1) and use whipped back stitch to outline the red heart. Make the foundation row of back stitches about 3 to 4mm (1/8 in.) long and whip each stitch once to form a raised heart. When whipping the back stitch to form the heart, use the tapestry needle instead of the chenille needle as it has a blunt tip. Di van Niekerk 2010. www.dicraft.co.za e mail di@dicraft.co.za Page 3
5. Make the leaves Use ribbon 2) and make the green leaves in detached chain stitch. Work from the red roses outwards. Use fly stitch for the green v-shaped calyx of the bud and add a two-wrap French knot alongside. 6. Make the red roses Use two strands of the orange thread and make French knots to form the centre of the rose. Wrap the thread three times around the needle. Change to ribbon 3) and make the red roses with three or more fly stitches formed alongside each other. Make some roses with fly stitch, others with ribbon stitch. Use the orange thread and French knots to form the orange centre, before making the red petals of the rose. 7. Make the red bud Use ribbon 3) and ribbon stitch to form the red bud. 8. Stitch the embroidered heart onto your project The idea with this kind of embroidery is to stitch or to glue the embroidered design onto a towel, teddy, handbag, journal, card or any other project that you have planned to personalise. Before the design is removed from the hoop, use blanket stitch along the outside border. In the example on page 3, I used blue thread and blanket stitch for a baby blanket. For this project, thread up with two strands of thread d) and use blanket stitch along the outside border. End off at the back. Remove your design from the hoop, cut it out along the edge of the blanket stitch and sew or glue it onto your chosen piece. I hope you had fun! Please feel free to contact me di@dicraft.co.za with any queries that you may have. Di van Niekerk 2010. www.dicraft.co.za e mail di@dicraft.co.za Page 4
Till next time, take good care. Kindest regards Di van Niekerk 2010. www.dicraft.co.za e mail di@dicraft.co.za Page 5