often possible to
make use of it in embroidery work for all kinds of purposes. It makes a
very good background if there is sufficient space to show the pattern,
if there is not, the irregular darning might be used instead, for it
would in that case be just as good and much quicker to work. To
pattern-darn the ground with the ornament upon it left in the plain
material, perhaps not worked upon at all, is a very effective method of
carrying out a design, see fig. 106 for example. Again it might very
well be used for the conventional carrying out of draperies in the same
way as in _point couche rentre ou retire_.[6] The draperies on the
figure in the frontispiece could easily be carried out with silk thread
in the darning stitch, in fact this method of decoration more closely
resembles the early couching than any other; it is not quite as
satisfactory because the single threads of the background that are
picked up prevent the ground showing nothing but silk. Bands of this
work may be seen ornamenting needle books or work cases; it shows to
best advantage when worked finely with floss or filosel silk, the coarse
twisted silks are too thick for the purpose.

OPEN WORK FILLINGS

[Illustration: Fig. 107.]

[Illustration: Fig. 108.]

Patterns can be carried out in line, they can be worked quite solidly,
and there is a method that lies between these two known as open filling.
The open and solid fillings are often used together in the same piece of
work; examples of this can be seen on the XVIIth century wool-work
curtains, the large scrolling leaves are sometimes partly worked openly
and a portion, possibly reflexed, filled in with solid stitches in
gradating colour; see for an example Plate VIII. This has a very good
effect, it prevents the work looking too heavy, shows up the form more
clearly, and allows of more variety in the stitching. With open fillings
the outline surrounding them must always be some firm decided line, such
as is made by a band of satin or long and short stitch, or, in the case
of larger forms, by several rows of different line stitches worked
closely together, one inside the other, most likely in different shades
of colour. A filling of open work can be carried out in a variety of
ways; it may be a decorated trellis, a regular dotting of some kind, or
some geometrical pattern in outline, or some light stitch such as an
open buttonhole (see fig. 107), which would be treated each as a
diapering over