battenburg lace to white work

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ideas for converting Battenburg lace designs to White Work





Battenburg lace is also known as tape lace.
Tape lace evolved from white Renaissance cutwork like Reticella
so you can use still the Battenburg stitches as filling stitches

#1 Using a Battenburg lace pattern as a cutwork pattern.
In the areas where the battenburg tape was placed.
 Sew  the inside edges  with button hole or some stitch
similar to that used hardanger embroidery. the outside edge
can be a whipped running stitch or made the same as the inside edge.
Use traditional battenburg stitches as The filling stitches
see Herrschner catalog
http://www.flickr.com/photos/23170389@N03/4330959472/in/set-72157622706091910/
and the 1898 Priscilla Needlework book
http://www.flickr.com/photos/23170389@N03/sets/72157622766007157/

#2 Converting a Battenburg lace pattern to regular surface embroidery with no cutwork
in the areas where the battenburg tape was placed a ribbon or braid can be used
or a couched stitched cord.
I think I would do the filling stitches first so that the edges would be neater
(this is similar to those cross stitch patterns where you do the cross stitch first then a back stitch outline of the pattern.)  then applique in my braid (ribbon) or couch stitch in  cord.

if using a braid (or ribbon) see embroideries stitched with braid
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cactus_pearl/4158006115/

If using a couch stitched cord or thick yarn

if my cord is thick enough to cover both edges I would draw a guide line down the center between the other two lines.
then i could either couch my cord directly along the center line or do a back stitch in the center then with a variation of the whipped back stitch couch my cord in place.

if i had a thinner cord I'd would couch it following the inside line then couch a second cord following the outside line this makes sure the traced lines would be hidden.
I could also just do a whipped back stitch or running stitch along the lines for a rope outline.


if you have a good stitch dictionary such as Mary's Thomas's Dictonary of Embrodery Stitches ( i like the new Jan Eaton revised edition)
you can find most of the Battenburg stitches under more common names or you can find other stitches to substitute.
when choosing stitch subtitutions decide if you want them grounded or detatched (grounded means needle goes through fabric with each stitch)

look for examples of detatched stitches, buttonhole stitches , filling stitches and grounding stitches

some grounded substitutions -combinations to think about
Point turque - cloud filling stitch worked over a horizontal bar
point de Brucelles - loose button hole pick up fabric where thread goes under previous thread.
Point de Filet - Knot stitch or coral stitch overlapping previous loop.
Point de Reprise - satin stitch or long and short or a Romanian Stitch


in a minute ago (aka pin tangle)  has a good stitch dictonary inaminuteago.com/stitchindex.html
on some of her stitch examples she will put links to related stitches in the case of button hole stitches this is very useful.
btw somewhat off topic but another stitch book I like
Mary Elizibeth McNamra embroidery stitches (1912)
(not really useful for how to stitch but has some unique combinations)
http://www.archive.org/details/embroiderystitch00wilkiala