I’ve stitched quite a lot of the ‘Where Stitchers Gather‘ etui pocket by Thea Dueck of Victoria Sampler now, and I’m up to the scary part – the drawn thread and hardanger section!
For this bit, I made good use of Thea’s YouTube videos, which clearly explain how to do basic hardanger stitches. If you’re going to attempt this design, I’d strongly recommend watching these videos first, as Thea covers a lot of hints and tips while she’s explaining how to do it. Her YouTube channel is amazing – dozens of really useful videos on many techniques, and types of kit that she produces. Well worth a look!
First, I worked the drawn thread sections on either side of the heart shape, then I stitched the main shape of the heart in Kloster blocks.
Once I’d got the nerve to cut the threads, it was simple to do, and looks very pretty.
These sections, along with the heart once the hardanger is done, will be backed with maroon dupion silk, so the silk will show through and highlight the stitching.
The actual hardanger heart stitching took me ages, as it’s not a technique I am skilled at. Some of my stitches came out a bit messy, but if you don’t look too closely, it’s OK!
I was really pleased to have finished it without cutting any wrong threads! The materials pack contained the cute little gold scissor charm, which really finished it off 🙂
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Janet Granger's Blog 
Very pretty. That would have put me in panic mode. Well done!!
It’s certainly not my favourite embroidery technique, but it looks good when it’s finished!
Beautiful!
Do the instructions give you a chart of how much distance you should leave between embroidering each item of the etui?
Yes, the chart is very clear, and the instructions always say something like ‘leave four fabric threads between this row and the next’.
Can I buy any of Victoria Sampler in Britain?
Not sure these days – they have a good Facebook page – try posting on there, and Thea who runs it will respond. They do ship to the UK from Canada, and many of their designs are available via pdf download now.
Looks good to me Janet. I used to do a lot of their kits pre-child. There was no youtube then only animated stitch tutorials. Your work is so lovely.
Thanks! YouTube is great for things like this – not sure how I ever managed before!
Janet, you have done very well for your first attempt at a hardanger motif! I taught myself years ago, and found it to be quite easy once you learn the basics (and the tips!!). The finished product often looks harder than it actually is to stitch. Not to say it doesn’t take skill, because it does, but like many other forms of embroidery, once you get the hang of it, it becomes very relaxing to do. I taught myself be stitching many small Christmas tree ornaments. And people love those the most.
I do love the way it looks when it’s done, but cutting the fabric threads is so stressful!!