Don’t you love it when a plan comes together?
Sometimes, when I’m planning embroidery projects, I don’t know if the finish I have in mind is going to work. And I had a few moments of hesitation when approaching the finish work on the needlebook from this embroidery project we chatted about on Monday.
But it came out ok, I think! Better than I expected. And that always makes me happy!
I had quite a few questions through email, comments on the blog, and social media about the beaded edge on this project, so I’ll share some tips with you below as I show you the final results.
This is the finished needlebook.
The edge on the front of the needlebook is a combination of Palestrina stitch worked on an edge and beaded Palestrina stitch.
If you want to know how to go about stitching this kind of edge, all the tutorials you’ll need to learn the technique are available on Needle ‘n Thread already.
First, you’ll want to know how to do the Palestrina stitch, and this video tutorial right here will help you learn it. Practice it on a regular piece of fabric in a hoop. Once you get the hang of the stitch, it stitches up quickly with a very comfortable rhythm. Spacing is often the greatest problem with a knotted stitch like this, but a little bit of practice and familiarity with the stitch will help you overcome any spacing difficulties.
On this edge, I worked the Palestrina stitches close together. You can space them farther apart, but the finished edge won’t be as solid. The farther apart you space them, the longer the “bridge” (the single thread between each stitch) will be.
Second, you’ll want to know how to add beads to Palestrina stitch, and you can find a photo tutorial for beaded Palestrina stitch here.
Finally, it’s a matter of stitching the Palestrina stitch along an edge, and yep! I’ve even got a photo tutorial for Palestrina stitch on an edge here. While that tutorial demonstrates the Palestrina stitch worked over the edge of two joined pieces of fabric, for my needlebook above, the same concept is applied but it’s only over the turned edge of one piece of fabric. It’s a great edging stitch!
The inside of the needlebook is fairly simple, with plenty of room for a variety of needles.
The edge on the back of the needlebook is not beaded. Two beaded edges in this format would conflict with each other, I think.
The back is a small stitch sampler of sorts.
And for those asking about the size of the finished embroidery, it is 3.5″ square.
Want to Read More about This Project?
You’ll find more information about the voided monograms that I’ve been working on in the following articles. If you’re looking for tips or answers to questions that may have already been addressed, feel free to browse through these:
Some Call it Poison – Don’t Underestimate Color! This article is the beginning of one of the colored voided monograms, wherein we discuss threads and color.
Stitch Progress & Tips – This article shows progress on the colored voided monogram and shares a few tips.
From Color to Whitework: Same Design, Two Approaches – This compares the designs worked in color on white linen and in white threads on natural colored linen.
Finishing Progress: Sometimes You Have to Quit – This is where I broke off on progress before traveling. But I got back to it pretty quickly!
Whitework with a Touch of Blue – Decisions on finishing this whitework-on-natural version of the voided monogram.
Coming Soon!
The designs for my voided monograms – the whole alphabet, plus some non-monogram ideas – and the stitch and materials guide, along with finishing instructions, will all be available on Needle ‘n Thread in the nearish future. I’m working on a few extras for you, including some helpful design transfer options, which I hope will work out. Once I get the designs finished, all the models stitched, everything photographed, the instructions written, and those other options ready, I’ll let you know!
It might be a wee tiny little while yet, as there’s always that thing we call Life that tends to interfere with our best-laid plans. Oh yeah, and taxes. It’s that time of year!
If you have any questions about the project in the meantime, feel free to chime in on the comments section here!
