How to do Elizabethan Blackwork
Fascinated by Elizabethan blackwork embroidery? Learn how to do it at home.
Things You'll Need:
Black thread
Low count Aida cloth
Embroidery hoop
Book of patterns
Embroidery snips
Step
1
Look online or in a local
hobby
store for a book of Elizabethan blackwork patterns.
Step
2
Stretch a piece of low count (big square) Aida cloth on a relatively small embroidery hoop. It doesn't matter where, as this is your practice piece.
Step
3
Start one of the patterns that appeals to you wherever you like on the cloth with the black thread. Do not make a knot in the end of the thread, keep about two inches on the back side to weave into the threads. Blackwork embroidery does not use knots.
Step
4
Practice the patterns you like repeatedly on the large square fabric, weaving the end of the thread into the back side of the pattern whenever it gets too short. As you get better and more confident, move to smaller and smaller square fabric until you are doing it on even count linen.
Step
5
Congratulations! You can now do blackwork trim for any of your costumes or clothing. It does not always have to be done in black, either, that's just easiest to learn with. Feel free to get creative with your clothing, just remember that this embroidery has to be done on an even weave fabric.
Step
6
Blackwork patterns come in many varieties, from open and lacy to very dense. Any picture can be plotted out to take advantage of this in monochrome, putting the open and lacy patterns where the light areas are and the denser patterns in the shadows to create modeling and three dimensional effects.
Tips & Warnings
Be patient with yourself. Blackwork is intricate, and mistakes happen to everyone.
Get good quality thread to work with, even practicing with bad quality thread is a nightmare, and the cost difference is not enough to worry about.
BE CAREFUL when washing your embroidery. It cannot often stand up to the beating of a washing machine, so hand washing and flat air drying is usually the best method of cleaning.
http://www.ehow.com/how_2111057_do-elizabethan-blackwork.html
Fascinated by Elizabethan blackwork embroidery? Learn how to do it at home.
Things You'll Need:
Black thread
Low count Aida cloth
Embroidery hoop
Book of patterns
Embroidery snips
Step
1
Look online or in a local
hobby
store for a book of Elizabethan blackwork patterns.
Step
2
Stretch a piece of low count (big square) Aida cloth on a relatively small embroidery hoop. It doesn't matter where, as this is your practice piece.
Step
3
Start one of the patterns that appeals to you wherever you like on the cloth with the black thread. Do not make a knot in the end of the thread, keep about two inches on the back side to weave into the threads. Blackwork embroidery does not use knots.
Step
4
Practice the patterns you like repeatedly on the large square fabric, weaving the end of the thread into the back side of the pattern whenever it gets too short. As you get better and more confident, move to smaller and smaller square fabric until you are doing it on even count linen.
Step
5
Congratulations! You can now do blackwork trim for any of your costumes or clothing. It does not always have to be done in black, either, that's just easiest to learn with. Feel free to get creative with your clothing, just remember that this embroidery has to be done on an even weave fabric.
Step
6
Blackwork patterns come in many varieties, from open and lacy to very dense. Any picture can be plotted out to take advantage of this in monochrome, putting the open and lacy patterns where the light areas are and the denser patterns in the shadows to create modeling and three dimensional effects.
Tips & Warnings
Be patient with yourself. Blackwork is intricate, and mistakes happen to everyone.
Get good quality thread to work with, even practicing with bad quality thread is a nightmare, and the cost difference is not enough to worry about.
BE CAREFUL when washing your embroidery. It cannot often stand up to the beating of a washing machine, so hand washing and flat air drying is usually the best method of cleaning.
http://www.ehow.com/how_2111057_do-elizabethan-blackwork.html
