Venetian Long Stitch Embroidery

Venetian Long Stitch Embroidery is an old-fashioned description of Worsted Work, in which the design is worked with colored worsteds or crewels upon open canvas, Aida Canvas, or upon net, or white silk canvas, the ground being left exposed.

To work: Select an arabesque or geometrical Worsted Work pattern, containing several colors, but with little shading. Frame the canvas or net in an embroidery frame to keep it well stretched.

Work the design upon it in Long Stitch. Let each Long Stitch pass over four, five, six, eight, or ten squares of the material one way, but only cover one square the other way (a square being two warp and two woof threads). Arrange the length of these stitches according to the space one shade of color has to cover, and make their greatest length either across the width of the material or perpendicular, according to the shading required.

In shading the designs, use the old-fashioned colors.*

*(Note: The above-accumulated information was written in the 1880’s. The authors did not state what years they considered as “old-fashioned.” The following colors were popular in the 1840’s and might possible fit the colors to which reference was made: gray, sea, pea and olive greens, fawn, black, white, cream, dark reds, browns, ochers, as well as pearl, delicate pinks and lavenders.)



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