Friday, August 25, 2006

Hardanger Sachet Design - Pillow



Hardanger is a Swedish form or embroidery, traditionally done white on white. Many years ago, I learned to do this technique through a group correspondence course I took with the Bucks County Chapter of the Embroiderers Guild of America. I fell in love with it because it is a counted thread technique, goes fairly quickly, is very rhythmic, and is quite portable. A few years ago, I started teaching a 4-part series on hardanger, relying on the Basics and Beyond book by Janice Love. This large sachet design , mounted on a custom-made, blue moire pillow, is the class model.

2 comments:

Gina E. said...

I admire Hardanger work and would have loved to learn how to do it, but when I see something like this, I am completely intimidated by the sheer perfection of that stitching! Guess I'll stick to being an admirer, not a doer!

Stash Queen said...

Gina,

This is the final product. The class starts with a series of motifs through which you practice the basic stitches. It is a counted thread technique and, if you can do cross stitch and read a chart, you can do hardanger. It would be easier if you could take a class, in my humble opinion, although the Janice Love books are very good.