Basic Techniques :sx Knotted Balls .sx Pamela Watts .sx One of the many delights of embroidery is piecing together the history of a technique , and the insight this gives into the lifestyle of the women who practised it .sx An understanding of our heritage of embroidery can enrich the creative interpretations we all seek in our own embroidery today .sx The only mention I have been able to find of knotted balls is in the Encyclopedia of Needlework by Th e r e-grave se de Dillmont .sx This book was first published for the Great Exhibition of 1851 , becoming the standard reference book on needlework until the end of the century .sx In the introduction it states that " needlework is a restful pastime for women whose nerves have become taut under the stresses and strains of modern " .sx It would appear , therefore , that 'taut nerves' are not a twentieth-century invention .sx The basic technique for knotted balls as described by Th e r e-grave se de Dillmont is to make knots along a length of thread , which is then cut into small pieces and threaded like beads to make round , tufted balls .sx These balls must surely be an example of Victorian creativity , a development of the much earlier knotting technique which became a craze in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries .sx For this a shuttle -rather like a tatting shuttle but larger -was used to make knots along a length of thread .sx The thread was made into fringing or couched down , between the knots , onto a fabric ground .sx It is easy to overlook the practical difficulties of embroiderers in the seventeenth century .sx For some , poor lighting often made simple repetitive work a necessity .sx Lettice Legh of Lyme , writing to her sister in 1690 , said that her embroidery was " knotted fringes or any other worke that may be done by candlelight with ease to the " .sx .sx There are several examples of this type of work to be found , dating from different periods .sx At Cotehele House , near Plymouth , for example , there is a set of upholstered chairs dated around 1725 , which feature knotted wool couched so closely that the fabric cannot be seen .sx In the Victoria and Albert Museum there is a white coverlet dated 1738 , which was made by two Irish sisters , Elizabeth and Isabel Foster .sx It shows the family coat-of-arms with an elaborate border of formalised leaves and flowers , all worked in couched white knotted thread onto white linen .sx Knotting gained royal patronage through Princess Amelia , the daughter of George II .sx A panel in Birmingham Museum worked by the Princess shows a design of leaves and strapwork in ivory thread applied to brown linen .sx Perhaps the most famous 'knotter' was Queen Mary , wife of William III .sx It is reputed that she hated being idle and , in the words of Sir Charles Sedley , .sx " For here's a Queen now thanks to God !sx .sx Who when she rides in a coach abroad .sx Is always knotting threads .sx " .sx There is no mention in the early accounts that the knotted thread was cut into short lengths to make balls .sx It was left to the imagination of some unknown Victorian who had obviously tired of couching down vast lengths and cut it up instead .sx The basic technique .sx Take a length of thread such as Perle No .sx 5 , approximately 45 cm ( 18in .sx ) long .sx Make a single knot in the centre and continue to knot the thread to the end , spacing the knots 6 mm ( 1/4in .sx ) apart .sx Work from the centre to the other end of the thread in the same way .sx It is much easier and quicker to knot short lengths of thread .sx With just a little practice , it becomes a simple matter to slide the knots along to the correct position as you work .sx The distance between the knots depends to an extent on the thickness of the thread used :sx with a thicker thread the knots can be further apart , while a finer thread requires closer spacing .sx Cut the knotted thread between pairs of knots as shown in the diagram , placing the pieces ( 'beads' ) on a soft surface .sx Thread a needle with the same thread , making a firm knot at one end .sx Pierce the centre of each 'bead' , between two knots , sliding them onto the needle and along the thread .sx About 20 'beads' will give a nicely rounded ball .sx Always make a sample ball with any thread you are intending to use , to make sure that the knot holds firmly , and to gauge the right distance between the knots .sx Variations The vast range of threads available to the present-day embroiderer makes for exciting variations on the basic theme .sx Try using narrow strips of chamois leather , chenille or fine ribbons .sx Ribbon yarn , sold for knitting , can be used with the loose ends unravelled to give a soft , crinkly tassel .sx Use strips of tights or stockings , cutting round and round a leg section , knotted and threaded as described above .sx The balls do not have to be a single colour , so try using various shades together , or use variegated or space-dyed threads .sx Whatever thread you choose , experiment by working knots at different spaces -this can completely alter the finished effect .sx It is tempting to use the shiny metallic threads and braids that are now available .sx However , many of these will not hold a knot securely , and tend to work loose , whereupon the whole ball falls apart .sx If this is the case , knot the threads as firmly as you can , but do not cut between the knots .sx Pick up the space between pairs of knots with a needle , making the resulting loops of thread part of the ball .sx A similar variation is to use many strands of a fine thread together -perhaps fine rayon or metallic machine embroidery threads .sx Knot along the length but , again , do not cut .sx In this instance you pick up the knots on the point of the needle , not the space between the knots , leaving most attractive loops of thread .sx Pick up every knot for a tight ball , or every other knot for a looser , flower-like effect .sx Uses Although Th e r e-grave se de Dillmont describes knotted balls as a fringing technique , so beloved by the Victorians , their uses today can be far more varied .sx A number of balls , grouped together , make an interesting alternative to a tassel , or use a knotted ball as the round head attached to a traditional tassel .sx These can be used to embellish home furnishings , curtain tie-backs , cushions , lampshades , and so on .sx Groups of different-sized balls could provide a texture focal point in panels and hangings .sx Jewellery -ear-rings perhaps -or fashion accessories are possible starting points for their use .sx It may appear from the early accounts of knotted balls that these were techniques developed to suit conditions of poor lighting and long hours of idleness .sx However , perhaps they still have a place in today's very different way of life :sx waiting at airports , train journeys , watching television -aren't these ideal moments to knot a thread ?sx Starting Points on Design-Borders .sx Gillian Hulse .sx For hundreds of years people have been inspired to adorn their homes , places of worship and books with that most attractive of art forms -the decorative border .sx Examples of beautiful border designs can be found all over the world , on painted murals , in churches , on palace floors and ceilings .sx Anyone looking for inspiration can learn much by looking at the many lavishly illustrated books on the subject .sx Themes for designs range from the simplest of geometric forms to complex stylised flower patterns .sx Virtually any subject can be made into a border design .sx Before embarking on a border design of your own , give a thought to how your design will repeat .sx Nearly all borders incorporate the repetition of that basic design or motif , so it is important to understand how the repeat device works .sx Another consideration is how wide the border is going to be .sx This is a matter of trial and error , and you will have to try various widths to see what looks balanced .sx Finally there is the question of the choice of colours .sx Is your border going to have a background colour that is different from the main picture ?sx Are you going to choose colours that blend in with the main work , or are they going to be in contrast to it ?sx It can be effective to pick out two or three colours from the main subject and then to use muted or darker tones of those colours .sx Once you have considered these points , you can get started on your design .sx The best way to begin is to do rough drawings using felt pens or coloured pencils .sx If you find you are stuck for inspiration , try using some simple geometric shapes and see how they look in different arrangements or colour groupings .sx When you have decided on your theme , and have worked out some rough ideas , then you can start on a more finished design .sx Find out the area of your border by measuring the length and width of your piece of work .sx You can then work out suitable dimensions for the repeat of your motif .sx For example , if your picture is 20 x 24 cm and you choose a motif measuring 2 cm then you will have :sx 20/2=10 repeats on the short side .sx 24/2=12 repeats on the long side .sx The next step is to draw out your basic motif onto squared paper ( 1cm square is a useful size ) , and then trace it to make a repeat pattern .sx The Art of Kurenai-Kai .sx Mary-Dick Digges .sx More than a thousand years ago the Japanese people were introduced to the art of Kurenai-Kai .sx It was brought to them , hand in hand with Buddhism , through the kingdom of Kudara ( modern-day Korea ) , from China .sx The oldest existing embroidered pieces are in the Tenjukoku Mandala Shuchitsu ( Tenjukoku Mandala Embroidery Album ) , which was made in the Asuka era ( late sixth century to 710) .sx There is no older extant work in China , in Korea or even in India , where Buddhism originated .sx Although a great part of this embroidery album has been lost , the fragments can be found in Chugu-ji Temple in Nara , Japan .sx Japanese embroidery received its impetus from religious devotion and the desire of the faithful to create representations of the Buddha .sx The Chronicles of Japan refers to an embroidered Buddha made as early as AD 604 .sx These works were not made as objects of veneration , as were the statues of gold , copper or wood , but were used to show the teachings of the Buddha in a way that could be easily understood by the masses , just as cathedral carvings served to instruct the illiterate in the West .sx The earliest works were stitched in knots , chain stitch , and back stitch .sx The chain stitch was used in much the same way that split stitch was used in Opus Anglicanum , to create contours in facial features .sx Knots were used on parts of the embroidery where it was too difficult to use split stitch .sx By the latter half of the tenth century , court dress for both men and women had acquired a distinctively Japanese character .sx The most elevated form of clothing for women of the nobility was the juni hitoe or twelve-layer dress .sx This costume consisted of from twelve to twenty layers of unlined kimono , worn in such a way that small amounts of each layer showed at the front opening , hem and cuffs .sx Themes , such as the turning of maple leaves , could be suggested by the juxtaposition of colours .sx The colour combinations were recognised by all of the courtly class , and one would lose face if an error was made in the order of layering .sx These kimono were not embroidered , but the colour combinations devised at that period remain part of the tradition in Japanese embroidery today .sx In the Momoyama era ( 1568-1603 ) embroidered costumes began to be made for use in the Noh plays ( classical Japanese drama in which the performers are masked and dressed in beautiful costumes) .sx The embroidery style established at that time has changed little and , indeed , is often deliberately imitated today .sx By the late sixteenth century people of wealth had begun to wear embroidered kimono known as kosode , or 'small-sleeved garments' .sx