There is a saying that you "learn something new everyday", well last Friday I learned quite a few new things. Jacobean style crewel work was the order of the day for me and my lovely sewing friends, with Viv leading the session and Marjorie contributing a wealth of books on the subject. It wouldn't have been my first choice but it has a surprising charm in its simplicity.
We started by practising the basic stitches on a piece of calico and this was where I learned my first trick. I discovered that crewel wool (and probably other wool for that matter) must be used in the correct direction: if you run your fingers down the length of the wool it should feel smooth in one direction and rough in the other. When you thread a needle the wool should be pulled through the cloth in the smooth direction. Clever eh?
The stitches are fairly common place, stem stitch, chain stitch, seed stitch, French knots and a new one for me, split stitch which produces a very fine chain effect. But by using wool, the overall effect is of more substantial cloth rather than merely decorative (it's also more forgiving!)
I chose a stylised daffodil motif that looked quite contemporary but was actually taken from a 16th Century design. I drew it onto a coarse linen fabric and then worked the outline with a mixture of green wools. Outlines in stem stitch or split stitch for the finer curves. Infilled with seed stitch and French knots. Chain and split stitch for the stem.
I can't say that I'll be decorating my curtains with crewel work but it's definitely something that I will try again
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