Turkey Knots

Hello Readers,
This is my good old project for cushion covers with wool using tongue cleaner. This is called Turkey work. First one is uncut turkey work and the second is cut(trimmed) Turkey work. Hope you liked it. One set is even there in my moms home which I have done 23 years back before my marriage :). My friend R.S Umadevi taught me this when we were in college.
I will you give you the tutorial soon in my next post.

Ring knots...the other method

This is the paper clipping about challah work in vaartha daily on 3rd july 2003.. I tried my best to translate(not included about the leaf stitches) what all Vanaja Reddy has wriiten here for the news paper. Thank you Vanja Reddy garu. :)
Among all the knot stitches challah work is something special. In English it is called 'knotted cable chain stitch'. The sttich looks more filled, make us to feel as though there is a real flower. We use 6 to 8 strands of silk thread for this stitch. According to the design we select, we have to make an outline with stem stitch or chain stitch. Fill the design with challh work. It should be done in a order very and very close. Rings must be uniform. The stitch needs more practice for perfection. The flower looks beautiful when worked with 2 colours of thread . The leaves can be done with 'open fish bone' or 'leaf stitch'.

To see how this finishing looks like look at these sarees done by karigars and chudis, on a top done by me but I have used this procedure of ring knots.





The stitch will be easy when worked from right to left. Take the needle at pointA and insert at pointB and pass the needle through the cloth. Now wrap the thread around the needle and pull the thread. Then at pointC pass the needle(not through the cloth) just next to the knot and pass the needle though the fabric at pointD like in picture losely so that a ring is formed. And again make a knot (like in the extreme right picture). Here completes one ring knot. Hope you understand.
Below are the pictures of my trials. I have not yet tried this stitch using silk threads.. But I feel french knot method is easy than this.
What do you say frens. Leave your critics and comments please. I would be more happy if you could send your trials too.















Enjoy learnign...:)

PS: I come across the name knotted cable chain stitch only when i pick this clipping from my collection. so googled and find this link which will be helpful to you.
http://www.fruncesybordados.com.mx/Knotted%20Cable%20Chain%20Stitch.htm
and see how Elizabeth of quietermoments played with this stitch. http://quietermoments.wordpress.com/category/chain-stitch/

I always goes to her site whenever I came across new stitch after refering to sharon's and Mary corbet's sites.

Ring Knots Tutorial

At last I completed my project which was long pending and able to give much awaited tutorial for ring knots. Friends hope that you have followed this method of doing french knots. Ring knots aslo done by the same method but you have to wrap the thread twice the needle. This is the method I find out accidently while doing french knots :) when we were in madanapalli, my designer didn't give the tutorial for this stitch. so I have to buy one saree blue from her ( but no regrets for that it is more worth the cost) and get another pink saree done. Since then I was so much interested to learn this stitch. I was doing french knots project for my friend's daughter and i made a mistke of not holding the thread and pulled the needle. But in one or two mistakes I didn't notice but when the loop was appearing big I said Eureka. Immediately I pulled out my sarres and compared the one on my saree and the one of my mistake of french knots. Both were the same. Then when I went to tirupati I enquired the karigars here and they too said the same procedure( after my repeated requests ofcourse).
But there is another method also which was given in vaartha paaper. I will give that one also in my next post..Hope You get the stitch and enjoyed. Please leave your comments..:)


Bring up the needle at point and hold the thread under your left hand thumb like in pic1

Like in pic2 twist the needle twice around the thread which is tightly hold under the left thumb and insert at the same point.

keeping tight the thread in your left hand thumb, leave the needle in your right hand so that the second loop around the needle get loosened. you can see here in pic3 the first wrap is tight and second wrap is loose.

Now hold the loosened loop under your thumb in the left hand as in the pic 4 and pull down the needle.
Here goes your ring knots!!

Tips
#use blunt needle preferably the needle used for kamal work.
#The more thick is the needle the bigger are the rings.
#start stiching the ring knots from top to bottom.
#your rings look beautiful only when you have worked them with more than 12 starnds of silk threads.
# so practice well with cone thread before you got the stitch perfectly.
#and ofcourse some prasctice is needed to get the uniform loops.

Navar work: paper clipping from Vartha Telugu daily

Still there are many queries coming on navar work from friends. As I told you it is a weaving technique using 2 colours of thread. But friends it is very intricate work , all you need is patience. I have already given the tutorial for weaving technique called kamal work. And how the same stitch is called with other names called matwork and navar work, when used different size of threads. I could not give better tutorial so thought to post the picture of clipping from vaartha telugu daily on Thursday 1st may 2003.There are so many stitches still I couldn’t put in my projects. Hope some day I can.
Am sorry for the people who don’t know telugu..hope you can understand the diagrams.

Ring knots: first project

One evening my daughter came and told that all her friends are started buying new cloths for their 10th class farewell function.They all buy gaghras, half sarees. I started thinking that she cont wear them after the school function. I didn't wanted to waste money for those dresses. I convinced her that i will do better dress different from them She agreed. But the time was very less, only 15 days. Luckily I find good material ie semi crepe and finished stiching. then the mission of selecting matching dupatta(chunni) for it. To my luck I find it too easily and she was very happy with it. I tried only 2 colours for ring knots(time factor). And for stem and leaves used rimzim thread( less time taking :)). I have used the beads which I have bought to use as a chain for me and also devdas chamkis(sequins) with french knots. But to be honest my ring knots are not as perfect as the karigars did. You can see my sarees in my earlier post. But it is her favourite.





Im trying to take the the procedure pictures. I know you want to learn the stitch. Please bear with me. Need some time, I will send the tutorial asap.