Design transfer

Design transfer

Pouncing is a technique whereby the outline of a pattern is pricked on paper or card. This is done with a pin. Afterwards the pricked page is attached to a ground material and then rubbing soot or ground charcoal (on a light ground cloth) or chalk (on a dark ground cloth) is spread over the pinned paper and forced through the pin holes so that when the page is removed, a series of dots are left in place, facilitating the embroidering

A printing block is a tool used for producing a repeat pattern on textiles, felt, leather, etc. The blocks are closely related to paper printing blocks and embroidery blocks. Printing blocks have been used for decorating textiles throughout the world. Traditional textile printing blocks can vary in size from a few centimetres to c. 40 cm.

The Textile Research Centre in Leiden, The Netherlands, houses a remarkable set of a printing block and two embroidery samples. The printing block and the samples (one of which is a sari band) and the other a test piece) originate from India and they date to the early 21st century. The printing block, illustrated here, measures about 4 x 3 cm.

Quadrille paper is a nineteenth century English term for a type of paper that was marked out in small squares, which were filled in in different colours to make embroidery charts. Quadrille paper was especially used for Berlin wool work. It is also known as point paper, or nowadays as quad paper or graph paper.

Stamped cross stitch is a fabric with a printed design for embroidery. WV

A template is a design or shape, such as a circle, hexagon, leaf, stylised flower or triangle, used to (re)create an accurate representation of a particular form on another material.

A tracing wheel is a needlework tool consisting of a wooden handle, with a shaped shaft (often of steel or, by the end of the twentieth century, made of plastic). At the end of the shaft is a rowel. A rowel is a metal disc with a series of sharp radial points and capable of rotation.

A water-erasable marker is used for embroidery, quilting, etc., when a pre-drawn motif is required. The lines can be removed with (warm) water when the work is completed.

Page 2 of 2