I've been working everyday on Wendy Schoen's Vintage Whitework Etui. A little each day and I get closer to finishing the kit!
After finishing the Shaded Eyelets I moved on to the Padded Satin Stitch, basically the larger branches of the grapevine motif. Each branch has to be outlined with one strand of cotton floss in split back stitch using a #10 sharp needle.
Then the padding begins with side-by-side rows of tiny chain stitch, also in one strand of cotton floss.
Then another side-by-side row of chain stitch on top of the first rows. Then a last single row of chain stitch goes on top of the other two layers, but in the center of the branch in order to achieve a domed look. This branch has a division in it to look more realistic. The bottom right branch is coming off of the main one and is 'separately' padded and satin stitched.
After that the satin stitch covers all of the padding using a fresh strand of the cotton floss in the #10 sharp needle. The stitches have to be angled to look life-like and give dimension. Sometimes I use a blue washout marker to mark the angles (which will get soaked out later). Below you can see the center of the bowed branch is a little yellowed, done in class 14 years ago! The left and right are what I just completed with barely visible blue washout marker designating the angles.
Even though it takes time to do all of the preparation I like padded satin stitch. What are you doing to keep yourselves busy during our stay-at-home duration?
Hi Susie. Etuis are one of my favorite things to stitch. I particularly like the ones with parts and pieces. And tho I've done lots of Wendy's projects, I haven't done this one. Yours will be lovely. I am currently working on Gawthorpe Neeldecase by Jenny Adin-Christie. Not relaxing, sit-in-front-of-the-tv stitching but fun with lots of new and different threads and stitches. The kit is pricey, but one of the most well organized and complete kits I have ever seen.
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