Page:Embroidery and Fancy Work.djvu/39

Rh be taken to only dampen, not wet, the material. I have generally found it most satisfactory to wring a thin cloth very tightly out of clear water and pin it over the wrong side of the work. If an iron is used great care must be taken not to have it too hot, so as to scorch the work.

Couching or laid embroidery is chiefly used for ecclesiastical or conventional designs, and must be worked in a frame. The leaf or petal is first covered with lines resembling satin stitch, but lying almost entirely on the right side. Over this, lines are laid at regular intervals and caught down by a few small stitches from the back.

Couching can be varied in many ways, either by laying the couching lines at different angles, or omitting them altogether; the fastening threads can be made to form numerous figures, such as diamonds, squares, zig-zags, etc. This is called diaper couching. Gold thread is used with great effect in this style of work. When the couching lines are made of a heavy material, such as cord, ribbon, or coarse wools, a stiletto must be used to make the holes through which the lines are taken to the back of the work.

Couching must always be done in a frame. Convenient patented frames can be procured in many cities, but very satisfactory ones are made of four pieces of wood fastened together at the corners by pegs. The work is fastened to the end pieces by sewing it to strong linen securely attached to the wood. These end pieces are then fastened in place by means of the pegs, and the sides of the work tightly and evenly fastened to the side pieces of the frame. The work must be very tightly stretched or it will soon become difficult to work it nicely. Should the material be too light to admit of stretching it firmly, stretch a piece of strong linen, and pin the work firmly on it. Both hands are employed when working in a frame, one above and the other below the