How to Embroider & Stitch Linen

Now about linen marks that have only their attractiveness as their reason for being, and about some ways of making these decorative markings. To work the monogram or initials on the cloth and napery for formal dinner service, only the satin-stitch is sanctioned. But for the personal mark on the cloth for less formal occasions and on luncheon or breakfast sets there are a number of simple stitches (nearly every woman knows how to do them) that can be combined with good effect on either letters or monograms. They are featherstitch, the buttonhole embroidery-stitch, outline or Kensington stitch, and catch-stitch. They are applied in different ways to such a variety of domestic articles that as a group they have been named the Household Stitches.

A sampler is illustrated suggesting some ways of combining them. The L is outlined in featherstitch and Kensington, with unpadded satin-stitch for filling the space between the two outlines. The G in the opposite corner is Kensington outline only and the satin-stitch filling. Kensington-stitch is always used with this type of letter in order to make the fine stroke. The combination is more effective if worked in two 3 tones, either white and a color or two shades of the same color.

A letter worked in this way on one of the colored damask luncheon sets that are among the new linens would be a particularly happy combination. They come in delft blue or yellow. The cloth has a plain damask center, but just inside the two-inch-wide hemstitched hem is a deep border made of satin stripes that are lighter than the center field. The serviettes are similarly hemmed and bordered, but, of course, narrower.

Old-English type, like the illustrated A, worked in two tones, might be used instead of script if the former type of letter is preferred. The broad stroke with checkered filling has a buttonhole-stitch foundation. The buttonhole-stitches should be done close together, in fact touching, across the width of the stroke. Their purling will form the outline of the stroke on one edge, and Kensington-stitch finishes the opposite edge. When this much is done, the checkered effect is got by weaving, with a lighter color, over two and under two of the long buttonhole-stitches at a time, back and forth, until the whole band is filled in. Be sure to use double thread in the needle for the weaving and keep the threads of each stitch parallel.

Coarse, hard-twist embroidery cotton is better for any of this work than linen floss. It must be the hard-twist kind in order to make the stitchery clear and definite and give character to the letter. A set of breakfast linen for porch use might be inexpensively made of unbleached damask toweling, either a plain weave or one of the small diapered patterns. The runner and toast-cloth only should be marked, using either two or three letters, and centering them on one end. Old-English letters worked in long and short button- hole-stitch like the G in the upper right-hand corner of the sampler wotdd not mean more than one afternoon's work. Instead of the usual hemstitched hem any one of the linear stitches illustrated in the diagrams on pages 31 and 32 will give a finish that is a "little different" also they take less time. Unbleached damask marked in dull green or red stitchery is especially good with a crackle-ware service or the gay-patterned Russian dishes.

The stitchery of the Q is the only other letter on the sampler that is not obvious. The entire outline of the Q is Kensington-stitch. When this is done the space between must be covered with catch-stitch, worked from one outlined edge to the other edge opposite, but catching into the linen, not into the outlining. Then with a lighter - colored thread a zigzag line is woven over the catch-stitching.

The Italians make use of the stitch known as Italian hemstitching in a simple and decorative way. They usually apply it on the ivory-toned Italian linen. This linen is woven of a coarse but smooth, round thread that gives it a firm and even texture, a quality that is required for most needlework. A tea-cloth of this linen, that was made in Florence, measured a yard and a half square. It was crossed in both directions at intervals of twelve inches by two rows of the hemstitching done close together. This divided the whole cloth into large squares. The edges of both cloth and serviettes were finished with two rows of the hemstitching. The first row was worked on the edge and covered the narrowest rolled hem that it was possible to make. t From each corner of the cloth hung little drops made of linen thread. That is a favorite way of ornamenting among Italian needlewomen.

The Italian hemstitching is diagramed with needle in position below.

Among the dress linens one can sometimes pick up very reasonably odd lengths that would make admirable tea or luncheon cloths if they were only wide enough, especially in imported goods. Round-thread Italian linen is often only a yard wide, and the Russian crashes both fine and coarse are even narrower. There is, however, a way to adapt these.

The linen a yard wide would be quite wide enough for a tea-cloth if six inches were added to both selvages. And that is exactly what can be done in the way of hems. The hems across the ends may, of course, be allowed for in the length, so the cloth, to begin with, will measure sixty-two inches long (allowing thirteen inches at each end for hems) and a yard wide. Then two strips each thirteen inches wide and sixty-two inches long must be basted to each selvage of the cloth, lapping strip and cloth one-quarter inch. They are permanently joined with the buttonhole-stitch in Venetian ladder form. An illustration of this stitch is given in the section on lingerie finishes. The buttonholing is done just outside the quarter-inch lap both on the cloth and on the strip which is being added. The bars are carried across and buttonholed as the work proceeds. The "ladder" must continue to within six and a quarter inches of the edge on the four sides. When entirely finished the material underneath the "ladders" is cut away close to the buttonholing. Then the hems are turned up six and a quarter inches (the quarter-inch being allowed to turn in) and hemmed to the wrong side of the buttonholing.

The cloth may be lettered with this same Venetian-stitch, graduating the width of the ladder to give grace to the strokes of the letters. This is also a novel and simple way of hemming and marking a guest towel. The stitchery should be made with round linen thread of a weight suitable to the stuS upon which the work is done.

The narrow crashes may be joined in the same way, or using one of the other variations of the ever-useful buttonhole-stitch suggested in the chapter on lingerie finishes. Not only table linen is widened in this manner, but practical bedspreads may be made from the heavier crashes. Strips of the crash of a length required for the bed might be decorated and dyed in Batik-work and then held together with one of the joinery-stitches done either in white thread or thread that was dyed in the same bath with the crash.

A novel way of using any odd bits of real lace is to insert them, outlined with narrow lace beading, into fine linen for a centerpiece and doilies. The beading should be Cluny, or other Hnen pillow-lace, not more than one-quarter inch wide. With this insertion a conventional pattern is outlined on the linen foundation and the lace bits worked in the pattern as medallions.

However, the work cannot be so quickly nor so easily done as the telling sounds. It must be carefully planned by first tracing the design for the beading outline in pencil on a piece of stiff paper. Then place the pieces of lace on the pattern and study the effect. It will no doubt be necessary to shift and rearrange the bits a number of times before the best placing is found. Badly torn laces or scraps that are not quite large enough to fit the designed spaces may be mended or pieced out with fine net.

When the laces are arranged in their final places they must be basted down with small stitches that follow the outline of the pattern. If the foundation linen is sheer enough to allow the penciled pattern of the paper to show through it, the sewing in place of the lace medallions will be possible without transferring the pattern directly on to the linen. After basting the medallions the Cluny insertion is basted on the linen, following the entire pattern, including the outline of the lace. And then the work of fastening them both permanently is ready to start. The nicest way to do this is with a "whip-stitch," done very close together over the edge of the insertion. This finish allows the linen to be cut away from under the lace close to the edges without danger of the latter pulling away. The centerpiece and doilies should be edged with an inch-wide lace matching the insertion.

The bits of lace for the medallions need not be of the same pattern or even the same kind of lace. Point de Venice, Milan point, Guipure, old-rose point, and Valenciennes all may be applied to the same luncheon set. The outlining insertion unifies the design.

Continue: Sewing Linen.