A Butterfly Pincushion.
This cushion case can be made of white Hardanger Canvas and embroidered
with J. & J. Baldwin’s Beehive Shetland Wool in a blue shade, but you
must first make a little calico case and stuff it with bran, then the
embroidered case can be taken off and cleaned when it gets dirty.
[Illustration: THE BUTTERFLY DESIGN FOR COUNTING THE CROSSES.]
Cut two squares of calico 4½ inches wide each way, run them together
along three of the sides then turn the little square bag you have made
inside out, and stuff it with bran. When you have put in as much bran
as you can possibly manage to squeeze into the bag, turn the edges of
the open side in and oversew them together.
Now cut two squares of canvas the same size as you cut the two calico
squares, for the case. The butterfly and the border are worked in
cross-stitch. This stitch was described on page 26.
[Illustration: The Cord gives the Pincushion a pretty finish.]
Make your first row of crosses 8 threads in from the edge of the
square, going over three threads of canvas for each cross and leaving
three threads between each. Then put the second row of crosses above
the open spaces of the first row. A cross is then added at each corner
three threads in from the border.
To get the butterfly right in the centre of the square, count the
crosses on the design and place the centre cross of the butterfly even
with the centre cross of the border each way. Now sew your two squares
of canvas together along three of the edges on the wrong side, taking
a seam of four threads of canvas. Turn on to the right side, pull the
case over the stuffed cushion, and oversew the edges of the fourth side
together.
[Illustration]
Finish the cushion with blue cord, making a loop at each corner; the
cord should be hemmed on along the seam all round. The oversewn seam
can be opened a little way and the ends of the cord tucked in and sewn
securely to make a neat finish. Three-quarters of a yard of cord will
be sufficient to go round the cushion.
This little butterfly would also look very pretty on a cushion for
Dolly’s chair or couch, and you could make the cushion in exactly the
same way as the pincushion, only you would not need to stuff it so
full, but leave it loose and soft for Dolly’s head.
Or, if you can knit, you could knit her a woollen bedspread, using J. &
J. Baldwin’s 4-ply Beehive Fingering. Knit it in plain garter stitch,
the length and width you require. Then work a cross-stitch border all
round, and the butterfly in the centre. It is easy to work cross-stitch
on plain knitting.
The Farmyard Curtain.
Isn’t this a pretty curtain? It has quite a farmyard of animals on it.
First, there is the stately cock; then two rabbits, one running along
and one sitting down; and then quite a group of ducks and ducklings.
Perhaps if you were to ask mother, she would let you make some like it
for your own bedroom.
Cream Congress canvas was used to make the curtain, and it was lined
with sateen of the same shade. The animals and border are worked in
green “Star Sylko” thread, No. 5, Shade 754. The curtain in the picture
is about 18 inches wide and 21 inches deep, but you would, of course,
make it the right size for your own window.
First cut your canvas to the size required, allowing about 6 threads
of canvas extra all round for turnings. Turn in a single turning of 6
threads all round and tack securely.
[Illustration: The curtain looks like this when it hangs at the window.]
Working the Border.
Now look carefully at the border and see how this is done. You have an
illustration showing how to make the various stitches used. You first
work slanting up-and-down stitches all along the side edges and across
the bottom of the curtain, going over 4 threads of canvas.
Commencing from the top of the right side edge of the curtain, count
4 threads from the top edge, and put your needle up through the hole
right on the edge; go over 4 threads to the right and 4 threads up, put
your needle in and pick up 8 threads; make a slanting stitch back again
down to the edge of the canvas, and put your needle into the hole you
first brought it out of, pick up 8 threads along the edge, and repeat
this up and down all the way round three sides of the curtain.
I think the little picture will best show you how this is done; you
will see that two slanting stitches meet at the corner. In picking up
the lower threads only take up the single canvas, so that no stitches
will be shown at the edge on the other side.
[Illustration: A CORNER SHOWING THE BORDER.]
Now to complete the edge, buttonhole stitches are worked around.
Directions for making buttonhole stitch are given on page 6. One stitch
is placed at each point of the slanting stitches, putting your needle
down through the fold of the edge of the curtain. How this should look
can be seen in the second specimen in the illustration of the stitches.
You will notice that three stitches are made into the one hole at the
corner.
You have now to work the rows of stars around to finish the border.
These are worked as shown in the third specimen in your illustration of
stitches. All the stitches of the star start from the centre hole, the
four long stitches being worked over four threads of the canvas, and
the four short stitches over 2; one thread of canvas is left between
each star. There should also be four threads left between the points of
the first row of stars and the stitches round the edge of the curtain.
One row of stars is worked all round, a second row and a row of half
stars being added across the bottom.
[Illustration: SHOWING SOME OF THE STITCHES USED ON THE CURTAIN.]
The Animals.
The animals are worked in cross-stitch, going over 2 threads of canvas
for each cross. If you are not quite sure how to work cross-stitch,
you can find out by looking at page 26. You will be able to count the
crosses from the diagrams given. Of course, if your curtain is to be
much larger than this one, you will have to leave more space between
each animal.
Also, you might like to make your curtain of some other material
instead of the canvas, and if you are using a plain material, without
even threads to count, you can first tack Penelope canvas where you
want your animals, and work over this, pulling the threads of canvas
away after, as you see explained on page 27. For instance, the curtain
would look quite nice made of unbleached calico in this way. You have a
set of pictures on page 111, showing the animals worked over Penelope
canvas, and these will help you, if you are using calico, or casement
cloth for your curtain.
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
[Illustration: From these diagrams you can easily count the crosses for
the animals.]
The pictures on this page show the animals worked over Penelope Canvas.
You would do them this way if you make your curtain of sateen or
unbleached calico.
[Illustration]
[Illustration: You can see that this is the Swimming Duck. On the left
is the Cock.]
[Illustration]
[Illustration: This is the Running Rabbit. The one on the left prefers
to sit still.]
[Illustration]
[Illustration: Here are the Duck and Duckling. On the left is the
Duckling flapping his wings.]
Lining the Curtain.
You now cut out a piece of sateen exactly the same size as you cut the
canvas, turn in a narrow single turning, and tack the sateen to the
wrong side of the curtain. The stitch used for sewing the lining to the
curtain is shown at the bottom of your illustration of stitches. In
working this, you hold a strand of your embroidery thread along just
in from the edge of your work, and sew over this, with small slanting
stitches, putting your needle in just above the line of thread, and
bringing it out just underneath. The coloured thread is used for this;
a white thread is used in the specimen, just to show you how the
stitches should look.
[Illustration]
When you are doing this part of the work, be careful that you do not
take your stitches through to the right side of the curtain, but only
pick up the turned-in edge of the canvas with the sateen.
Sew 7 bone curtain rings to the top of curtain at even distances apart,
and the curtain is complete.
[Illustration]
You will need two curtains, or even three, if your window is a very
wide one. But each curtain is made in exactly the same way. And when
they are finished, you will be very proud of your needle-work I am
sure. And all your friends will be able to see it, without any showing,
every time they come into your room.
Index.
PAGE
Alphabet, A Cross-stitch 52, 53
Amiable Pussy Cats, The 47
Apron, A Handy Work 3
Backstitching 88
Bag, The Orchid Flower Stocking 50
Bag, A Knitting 102
Bag, The Lambkin 11
Bag, Making a Macramè 43
Band, Putting Gathers into a 4
Bead Work 97
Bed, For Dolly’s 55
Bedspread for Victoria, A 71
Berlin Wool Work 100
Binding Seams 58
Blanket Stitch 58
Butterfly Pincushion, A 105
Buttonhole, Making a 6
Button, How to Sew on a 88
Carpets and Hearthrugs 76
Cats on a Chair Back 29
Cats, The Amiable Pussy 47
Cloth, A Peacock 95
Chain Stitch 75
Chair Back, Cats on a 29
Cosy Cover, Making a 47
Cottage Window, For Dolly’s 74
Covering Squares for Patchwork 64
Cross-stitch Alphabet, A 52, 53
Cross-stitch over Penelope Canvas, How to Work 26
Cross-stitch on Hardanger Canvas, How to Work 95
Cross-stitch, A Feeder in 25
Cross-stitch Designs 12, 16, 27, 32, 48, 51, 95, 105, 110
Curtain, The Farmyard 107
Cutting Out your Doll’s Clothes 83
Doll’s Clothes, Cutting Out your 83
Dolly, A Frock and Coat for 90
Dolly’s Underwear, Making 85
Double Featherstitching 23
Draw-strings in a Bag, Threading 13
Dressmaking 46