LilyCompass I: Embroidery - Amethyst

Dark Amethyst Point - Checkerboard Filling

Work foundation in silk - Midori #150.  

Note on Midori thread:  This is 16 Suga silk.  Today's Japanese Embroidery Center silk is 12 Suga so the thickness is slightly less.  This is important to understand to ensure that you are using the proper thickness of thread required.  I have worked the foundation in 1.5 or 24 Suga.  

Begin and end your foundation threads by just nipping the outer line of the design.  This will leave enough room between the two foundations for a line of gold couching.

Put in grid lines at 4 mm intervals.  Use 1:2 twisted silk in the same color of the foundation.  First lines will run the length of the foundation or along the weft. Accuracy is VERY important as it will determine the size of each block and how straight the checkerboard appears.

Tie down the intersections with a short holding stitch.  Go back and do another holding stitch along the warp grid lines halfway between the two intersections.  When I placed the middle holding stitches, I was very concerned about the foundation threads separating slightly in the middle of the blocks but this problem disappeared as the checkerboard went in.

Lay in the checkerboard filling by basically satin stitching every other box.  On LilyCompass I Dark Purple Japan Plus 2732 #1 metallic was used.  I found that the best way to achieve a square box was to actually pierce the corner holding stitch on the outer lines.

Monday:  LilyCompass I: Embroidery - Ruby
Friday:  LilyCompass I: Embroidery - Emerald


Have a great weekend!
Christa, Lilystitch
www.lilystitch.blogspot.com and www.lilystitch.com