_Materials_--Corticelli Filo Silk: 2 skeins each 501, 502, 503,
616, 616.5, 678, 679, 680, 681, 725, 726, 727, 729, 757, 780, 781,
782, 783, 784. Dealers can furnish hemstitched stamped linen of
this design, 36 × 36 inches. See page 92.
Sweet peas grow in such a variety of exquisite colorings that the
utmost license is available in selecting the colors for each flower.
However, be careful to avoid startling combinations. The following
suggestions for a color scheme will be found to give a very pretty
effect.
Flowers.--Work solid, being careful to start the stitches in the
right direction. Begin the edge of the petal with a dark shade, shade
gradually lighter to the stem. The stitches should be taken in a
downward curve to the stem. Make some flowers pink on the edge and
yellow near the stem; make others shade from pink to violet; still
another flower violet and yellow, and again working some all of one
color, shading from dark on edge to light near the stem. Work the calyx
in Green, 781, 782, the darker shade near the stem.
Leaves.--Work solid, using Green, 781, 782, 783, 784, making the points
of the leaves light and shading darker near the center, using two
shades in a leaf. Make the larger leaves near the base of the spray in
the darker shades of green. Use 757 for the stems. For tendrils choose
780 and 781.
Carefully examine Colored Plate XXVII. This shows the proper stitch
direction and the shading of the flowers and leaves. Unless you
thoroughly understand "long and short" stitch and "feather stitch,"
make a study of the article on "Embroidery Stitches--Described and
Illustrated," especially of pages 11 and 12. (Difficult.)
[Illustration: CORTICELLI SWEET PEA DESIGN NO. 407 G.