Hemstitching?

Hello everyone!

I've decided to make myself a traditional trousseau, but with this
difference: that I shall make it now that I'm married. I want to make
hand-embroidered and hand-finished table linen, sheets and so on.

I've started quite modestly, by embroidering a couple of place mats -
pink fuchsias for me and bluebells for my husband. A friend of mine
suggested that I simply fray the edges and oversew them to make them
both decorative and functional. Then I made a couple of companion
pieces - little scraps to balance our wine glasses on, decorated with
the same colours, but with geometric patterns. For these little
"coasters", I learnt how to make mitred corners. It wasn't a great
success, as I could only mitre them with one fold, not two. Still,
they can be used.

Now I'd like to do something more fancy when I make the serviettes to
match. I'd like to do the pulled-thread thing, making sheaves of the
remaining threads. Is this called hemstitching? Where can I find a
guide to it? Could someone point me in the right direction? I've seen
a few pictures of how it's done in a basic embroidery book, but it is
not very clear on things like how to pull out the thread up to a
certain point and no further. Does one cut it there, and if so,
wouldn't it fray? Nor is it very clear if the edges can be stitched
down at the same time that one makes the sheaves or whether they
should be done separately. Any help would be appreciated.

All my sewing is done by hand, as I've never learnt to use a sewing
machine. I imagine that I shall have to learn pretty soon, if I want
to make up table cloths and bed sheets myself!

Thanks.
Shanti.

wrote in message
ups.com...
Hello everyone!

I've decided to make myself a traditional trousseau, but with this
difference: that I shall make it now that I'm married. I want to make
hand-embroidered and hand-finished table linen, sheets and so on.

I've started quite modestly, by embroidering a couple of place mats -
pink fuchsias for me and bluebells for my husband. A friend of mine
suggested that I simply fray the edges and oversew them to make them
both decorative and functional. Then I made a couple of companion
pieces - little scraps to balance our wine glasses on, decorated with
the same colours, but with geometric patterns. For these little
"coasters", I learnt how to make mitred corners. It wasn't a great
success, as I could only mitre them with one fold, not two. Still,
they can be used.

Now I'd like to do something more fancy when I make the serviettes to
match. I'd like to do the pulled-thread thing, making sheaves of the
remaining threads. Is this called hemstitching? Where can I find a
guide to it? Could someone point me in the right direction? I've seen
a few pictures of how it's done in a basic embroidery book, but it is
not very clear on things like how to pull out the thread up to a
certain point and no further. Does one cut it there, and if so,
wouldn't it fray? Nor is it very clear if the edges can be stitched
down at the same time that one makes the sheaves or whether they
should be done separately. Any help would be appreciated.

All my sewing is done by hand, as I've never learnt to use a sewing
machine. I imagine that I shall have to learn pretty soon, if I want
to make up table cloths and bed sheets myself!

Thanks.
Shanti.

You should find some help with hemstitching he
http://www.victoriasampler.com/VS_Club/Animations/

The stitch animations are very good.

good luck, Mavia

You should find some help with hemstitching hehttp://www.victoriasampler.com/VS_Club/Animations/

The stitch animations are very good.

good luck, Mavia

What a wonderful website! Thank you very much.

Shanti.

Shanti wrote:
You should find some help with hemstitching hehttp://www.victoriasampler.com/VS_Club/Animations/

The stitch animations are very good.

good luck, Mavia

What a wonderful website! Thank you very much.

They do have great animations, but they don't show
the stitch I use most often for hemstitching. I don't really
even know what it's called, but it doesn't show anything on
the right side. It's similar to their basic hemstitch, but
you sort of create a knot on the backside as you go around
the bundle of threads. I'm sure there must be directions on
that somewhere on the net--probably easier to find if you
know the name of it ;-)

Best wishes,
Ericka

wrote:
Hello everyone!

I've decided to make myself a traditional trousseau, but with this
difference: that I shall make it now that I'm married. I want to make
hand-embroidered and hand-finished table linen, sheets and so on.

I've started quite modestly, by embroidering a couple of place mats -
pink fuchsias for me and bluebells for my husband. A friend of mine
suggested that I simply fray the edges and oversew them to make them
both decorative and functional. Then I made a couple of companion
pieces - little scraps to balance our wine glasses on, decorated with
the same colours, but with geometric patterns. For these little
"coasters", I learnt how to make mitred corners. It wasn't a great
success, as I could only mitre them with one fold, not two. Still,
they can be used.

Now I'd like to do something more fancy when I make the serviettes to
match. I'd like to do the pulled-thread thing, making sheaves of the
remaining threads. Is this called hemstitching? Where can I find a
guide to it? Could someone point me in the right direction? I've seen
a few pictures of how it's done in a basic embroidery book, but it is
not very clear on things like how to pull out the thread up to a
certain point and no further. Does one cut it there, and if so,
wouldn't it fray? Nor is it very clear if the edges can be stitched
down at the same time that one makes the sheaves or whether they
should be done separately. Any help would be appreciated.

All my sewing is done by hand, as I've never learnt to use a sewing
machine. I imagine that I shall have to learn pretty soon, if I want
to make up table cloths and bed sheets myself!

Thanks.
Shanti.


I have instructions for knotted hemstitching (which Erika pointed out)
that is available on pdf at this URL:
http://heritageshoppe.com/heritage/stitches/primer.html

Look for Section Four

The Victoria website that Mavia posted is very good. I buttonhole over
the edges after the threads are cut, not before. You can only do this
"before" if you are working on coarser fabrics with threads that are
readily viewed. Same for the instructions to wind the threads back in.

On finer cloth, you really need to start somewhat about one third of the
way into the drawn thread area and pull back the threads to a marked
spot. Leave the threads dangling, then trim and buttonhole. Then
remove the cut threads to the other side up to a marked spot.

Knotted hemstitching is my favorite, works up quickly, is better in
finer materials, is almost invisible. It's a little slow going until
you get the knack. Then it speeds right along.

Dianne - who hopes that was clearer than mud.

--
Embroidery Discussions at http://www.heritageshoppe.com/forum

Dianne - who hopes that was clearer than mud.


Oh yes, that was very clear indeed. Thank you all for your suggestions
and websites.

I have succumbed to an attack of Designeritis, unfortunately, and the
hemstitching project is going to be shelved for a while. I want to
make a sampler of homoeopathic plants, complete with Latin names, as a
present to my father. This is to be freehand embroidery, rather than
cross-stitch. Those familiar with homoeopathy will instantly spot the
problem - too many plants come from the same families (Asteraceae and
Solanaceae) and there are some pretty obscure plants for letters like
J, K, X, Y and Z. Well, the remedies are obscure, not the plants.
Still, I've designed the sampler with the homoeopathic maxim in the
middle, and perhaps (just perhaps) it will be ready by November for my
father's birthday!

Shanti.