French knot

                   French knot, most of us know how to work french knot. Yet i am sharing this post with some tips and tricks to get a perfect knot. French knot can be worked firmly i.e, getting firm knots and also bit free ( loose) knots also. Observe below picture, center circle worked with red color and also two heart shapes are firm knots, where as to its right and left side triangles are freely worked knots. Both knots has its own charm and can be worked according to one's requirement or pattern requirement.

French knot flower

                      Simple method to work french knot, observe below collage. Here i have worked with two strands of thread. Bring thread out, place needle below thread as shown in picture, wrap thread firmly (not too tight) two or three times as shown, holding thread firmly with left hand pierce needle close to the point where you started, and positioning of needle should be 90 degree (vertical) while pulling back thread. By holding needle vertically, you get perfect knot with small dent in center presenting the effect of bud.

French Knot

                     In same way lets work free french knots and not firm as above. Bring thread out as shown below. Wrap loosely , two or three wraps.

French knot

                   

             Holding one end of thread with left hand, pierce needle closely where you started. 

Tip: Here while pulling down needle towards backside of fabric, keep needle slant towards yourself with an angle of 35 degree and other end of thread exactly opposite to needle, by this way the loops formed will fall to one side and knot holding loops will fall opposite side.

French knot

French knot

  

                  Tips: To vary with size of knot, to get bigger or smaller knot, instead wrapping too many times to get bigger knot or don't warp few times to get smaller knot. Always warp two or three times not more than that. Instead of increasing number of warps play with number of strands .

                 Observe below picture, here is small exercise where french knot is worked with 2 strands to 6 strands of thread and simple comparison is shown. 

French knot comparison

               French worked in pink color are firm knots and where as knots worked with green color is freely worked. As mentioned in picture, first one is worked with 2s of thread both firm and loose knot, it goes so on till 6 strands of thread.

French Knot

                Observing above exercise and applying on a pattern in above picture, here tip of pattern is worked with single strand of thread and gradually number of strands increases as the pattern goes down.  So to achieve perfect French Knot warp two or three times while playing with number of strands.

Couching, Couching Simple Couching

                  I think all of  us know couching !!!!!. There are various way to couch, some use herringbone stitch to couch a thread, some buttonhole stitch .... so on.

                 Basic couching, have a look at below picture, lay a thread or cord, then run simple stitch to hold thread at regular intervals as shown in picture.

Couching

             Here i have used 6 strands of thread for laying and 2 strands of thread for couching.

Couching

Couching

                       

                    Simple exercise, i have taken a circle to work couching.

Couching

                 

                 Observe above and below picture, to start couching, come out and while ending go down the fabric. 

Couching

Couched Circle

                   Like this geometrical motifs can be worked to create interesting patterns. Below is the example how couching can be used to create beautiful texture following a pattern.

Couched Pattern

Couched Pattern

                Happy Couching !!!!!!!

Pachis Work Pattern

                Pachis work pattern. Hope you all enjoy it.

Pachis work Pattern

Pachis Work

                    "Pachis work", Its very simple and gives rich effect. So in this post let me talk on Pachis embroidery. It is same as, base stitched worked in kutch work using herringbone method. Here instead of filling base stitch, cross stitch is worked. Observe below picture.

Pachis work

                     Start at point 1 then go on 2,3,4,5,6,7 and 8, as shown in above picture. Once herringbone stitch is worked, later work cross stitch on herringbone stitch as shown in above picture starting at point 1, then go on 2,3 and 4.

                One tip to remember is, while working continuously, each tip should match exactly to each other as shown in below picture.

Pachis work

                Earlier in my post i had worked " Mantap" kutch design. With same design with little alteration, i have worked pachis embroidery.

Pachis work

                   

Pachis work

Pachis work

                     Now bit comparison, same design but different work. Kutch work and Pachis work.

Kutch work and Pachis Work comparision

                  Even backside of worked fabric has beautiful pattern.

Backside of work

Advanced Kutch Design

               
                                One more kutch design, again inspired by "Karnatak Kashida". You can get this pattern here.
       Hope you enjoy working this pattern. I call this pattern as "Mantap" kutch design.

Mantap Kutch work

Kutch Basic Design

Earlier in my post, i talked about kutch embroidery basics, lesson 1, lesson 2, lesson 3 and lesson 4. Today i am providing its designs "basic design ". And also two practice designs. Hope you all enjoy it !!!!

Kutch embroidery basic designs