Carving Small Characters in Wood. Renee Mery

each stitch with a different color floss, without stitching into the fabric.

Creation No. 1

      Vase covers

      Practice the running stitch

      STITCH USED

      Running stitch (see lesson on page)

      SUPPLIES

      × DMC milled cotton floss: green, turquoise, red, aqua green

      × Recycled bottles

      × White cotton canvas cloth

      × HB pencil

      × Erasable fabric marker

      INSTRUCTIONS

      Collect bottles of different sizes. Trace their outline twice on a white cotton canvas with the pencil while paying attention to their thickness.

      Using the erasable marker, draw the enlarged pattern freehand on both sides of the bottle cover, or trace it with carbon paper.

      Embroider with running stitches using six strands of the DMC milled cotton floss. Vary the colors, taking inspiration from the photo. Erase the markings and iron the embroidery.

      Cut the pieces out, leaving a ⅜" (1cm) border. Stitch them together, right sides facing, ⅜" (1cm) away from the edges. Press open the seams and turn right side out. Fit the cover on the bottle.

      

Creation No. 2

      Simple tulip pillows

      Practice the Point de Sable stitch.

      STITCH USED

      Point de Sable stitch (see lesson on page)

      SUPPLIES

       For each cushion

      17¾" x 17¾" (45 X 45cm):

      × DMC Pearl Cotton: 3864, 3348, and 3816 for the cushion with 3 tulips; 470, 318, 712, and 524 for the second cushion

      × Special embroidery carbon paper

      × Tracing paper

      × Sewing kit

      × 2 fabric squares of 18½" x 18½" (47 x 47cm)*

      × Synthetic stuffing*

      × Sewing thread*

      × Sewing machine*

      × (* or 2 cushions)

      INSTRUCTIONS

      Trace the diagrams.

      Trace the tulip and the butterfly on one square (or a cushion), three tulips on the other.

      Embroider each motif with two adjacent lines of Point de Sable stitches of the same color: 3864 or 3348 or 3816 for each of the three tulips, 470 for the tulip with the butterfly, 318, 712, and 524 for the butterfly.

      To make the cushions: place an embroidered square and a blank square right sides facing. Sew a seam, ⅜" (1cm) from the edges, leaving an opening in the middle of one side. Turn right side out, iron. Fill with synthetic stuffing. Hand stitch the opening to close.

      

Creation No. 3

      Elegant tea towels

      Practice the stem stitch.

      STITCH USED

      Stem stitch (see lesson on page)

      SUPPLIES

      × DMC milled cotton floss: 2 skeins fuchsia pink 3805 and eggplant purple 3802

      × Carbon paper

      × 2 white linen tea towels

      × 1 box textile dye for 9 oz (250g) of fabric, colors: baby pink 07 and lilac 02 (Dylon).

      INSTRUCTIONS

      Dye each towel according to the manufacturer’s instructions and add other pieces of cloth to achieve a dry weight of 12½ oz (350g) in order to lighten the shade.

      Enlarge the embroidery design. Trace the design on the towel using the carbon paper (or a light table), being sure to center it.

      Embroider using the stem stitch with six strands of purple for the pink tea towel or fuchsia for the lilac.

      

      LONG STITCH VARIATIONS

       THESE ARE FORMED FROM DIFFERENT COMBINATIONS OF STRAIGHT STITCHES. THESE LOOK BEAUTIFUL EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE EASY.

      Pull the needle out at the bottom of the stitch then insert it above. Pull it out through the bottom of the following stitch.

      Embroider stitches of the same length, staggering their positions and embroidering each row alternately.

      Long stitches of the same length are embroidered at an angle one after the other to form a line or rows to draw a ribbon.

      Alternate the vertical and slanted stitches.

      Embroider three vertically adjacent long stitches of the same length and regularly spaced. Pull the needle out to the left, mid-height, then pass it twice around the long stitches, without stitching the fabric. Tighten, and push the needle through the fabric to the right.

      It is embroidered from top to bottom. Embroider three long stitches of the same length, starting from the same base point.

      It is embroidered from left to right. Take the needle out on the left then stitch on the right at the same height, leaving the floss under the needle. Take the needle out a little lower,